Airship Dreams: An Introduction to Bedford's Airship History

Ever been curious about the huge sheds dominating Bedfordshire’s skyline? Discover Bedford’s fascinating history as the centre of the UK’s airship industry and the tragic fate of the R101 in 1930 in this documentary as part of BCA's project Airship Dreams.

Airship Dreams is an artistic enquiry into Bedford’s airship heritage, drawing on the local community’s collective memory and imagination to explore our relationship with flight and air travel. Following a call-out to the community to share airship memories, artefacts and fantasies for an online archive, the project will culminate in a major exhibition at Higgins Bedford in 2021.

What are your connections with Bedford's airship heritage? What memories, stories or memorabilia do you or your family have from this time? What future do you imagine for flight and air travel?

#airshipdreams

Written, presented, filmed and edited by Dr Sita Thomas
Script Consultants: Alastair Lawson, Lydia Saul
Produced by Bedford Creative Arts and The Higgins Bedford
Ident Music: Roger Illingworth

Special Thanks to: Mike Stubbs, Den Burchmore, Anton Hecht
Supplementary footage filmed by Roland Denning
Images and film supplied by The Airship Heritage Trust; Bedfordshire and Luton Archives & Records Service; The Higgins Bedford; The National Museum of the Royal Navy; Royal Air Force Museum London; The Clarke Family; National Portrait Gallery, London

Library Music: soularflair (Adam Mannering)

Made in 2020 as part of the Airship Dreams project, led by Bedford Creative Arts in partnership with The Higgins Bedford and The Airship Heritage Trust, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and Harpur Trust.