EVERY year the Clacton Airshow brings unbridled joy to aviation fanatics, day-tripping families and seasiders keen on marvelling skywards as whizzing planes speed by.

Last year's cancellation of the hallmark extravaganza, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, was therefore, unsurprisingly, met with a wave of disappointment.

The majority, of course, understood pulling the annual tourist attraction for the greater good of everybody's well-being and health was the right thing to do.

Others, however, perhaps equally as understandably, had hoped it could provide them and the town with a sense of much-needed escapism during the darkest of times - and act as an economic boost to struggling businesses.

Read More: Everything you need to know about the Clacton 150 flights

Due to uncertainty still looming at the time when a decision had to be made, this year's Clacton Airshow - or at least how we know it - is also a no-go.

Thankfully Tendring Council has arranged an event called the Clacton 150 Anniversary Flights instead - a scaled down version of the Airshow which will still feature the ever-impressing Red Arrows.

The special flights are taking place on Thursday and Friday, August 26 and 27, to celebrate the resort's 150th birthday.

They will also feature the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), which includes a Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane and two US Air Force (USAF) F-15E Strike Eagles from the 48th Fighter Wing, operating out of RAF Lakenheath.

It might not quite be the staple summer sensation we know and love, but given the circumstances, it is definitely the next best thing.