Cold War missile spotted on Wroxham Bridge
The Bloodhound missile is transported to Neatishead over Wroxham Bridge. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2015
Eyes boggled and heads turned on roads between London and Norfolk as a Cold War bloodhound missile made its way home.
The imposing weapon, mounted on the back of a lorry, was driven up the M11, A11, skirted Norwich, went over Wroxham Bridge and finished its journey at the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, Neatishead.
The de-commissioned missile, which formed part of the East Coast's anti-nuclear defences between 1964 and 1991, has been on loan to London's prestigious Hayward Gallery, on the South Bank.
It was the most striking artefact in the gallery's History is Now exhibition, which opened on February 10. It had been lowered by crane on to a terrace at the gallery and was clearly visible from Waterloo Bridge.
Lorry driver George Buckley, who brought the bloodhound home to Norfolk yesterday, said it had caused quite a stir.
'I stopped at the Stansted services for 15 minutes and I wish I'd charged £1 a time to everyone who wanted to take a photo!' said Mr Buckley, who works for David Watson Transport, Brandon, in Suffolk.
'As cars were overtaking me on the roads, they were slowing up to get a better look.'
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The Hayward paid for the missile to undergo a multi-thousand pound makeover before it left Norfolk.
The work, which saw it restored to its original white colour, was carried out at Boyer's Body and Service Centre in Cromer, where staff are more used to repairing bashes to accident-damaged vehicles.
It is now back in position outside the radar museum which is open, from 10am-5pm, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Bank Holiday Mondays, from April to October, and the second Saturday of each month all year round.
