�This year’s London City Airport Fun Day proved to be a sunny success as thousands of people enjoyed a day out at one of the largest annual events in east London.

Crowds gathered on Saturday to gasp at the spectacular air show and sky acrobatics while others were entertained on the ground by musical performances, fashion shows and activities for all the family while raising money for Richard House Children’s Hospice.

Supported by the Newham Recorder, the free event attracted more than 15,000 visitors to the Royals Business Park opposite the airport. The event started at 1.30pm and lasted for about five hours.

Back by popular demand, the air show returned with two displays in the afternoon which featured planes Cosmic Wind and Cap 232, wing walking on a Boeing Stearman, the aerobatics duo the RV-8tors, a Mustang, helicopters as well as wartime favourite the Spitfire.

Now London’s only air show, it was a remarkable display of speed, powerful smoke systems and some of the most famous and beautifully built military aircraft ever made.

Managing director of the airport, Richard Gooding, brought out his inner Simon Cowell as he sat on a panel to judge entrants in the grand final of East London’s Got Talent.

The competition was down to its final eight acts which included dance groups Embrace Dance, S.O.X, a solo dancer called Lee Walsh, vocal groups F.M.L and Jamm Tyme, as well as solo singers Lauren Dharmu, Hayden Lawrence and Tiana Ambersely.

The winners were S.O.X, which stands for Sons of Excellence, an all-male dance group from Canning Town and Stratford.

In addition to the title, the boys also won tickets to attend a concert at the O2 Arena with their friends and family in the luxury of a hospitality suite.

Mr Gooding said: “One thing we have learnt from today is that East London has talent and that Newham youth are really hard-working and we are really proud of them all.”

One of their supporters told us: “They really deserve this, they have worked so hard.”

The sun blazed down on three fashion shows with models strutting their stuff on the catwalk wearing the creations of local designer Vandana as well as Caramel Rock.

There was also a funfair for fans of the dodgems, waltzers, coconot shys, hoopla and hook the duck, while magicians, face-painting and puppeteers performed for the crowds.

A mazilla band played as children played on a bouncy castle, jumped on a trampoline, tackled an inflatable climbing wall and donned soft sumo wrestler costumes to battle their friends.

Flypast of the day was the microlight pilot and his trained geese! The Recorder’s own team was there.

Those looking for a less active time took part in a raffle, bingo, browsed a multitude of stalls set up by local organisations, and listened to Britannia Village School Choir.