Southend-on-Sea were regular visitors to the show. The last show was held in 2012; an attempt to revive the show for September 2015, as the Southend Airshow and Military Festival, failed. Southend-on-Sea was formed as a municipal borough in 1892 with the functions of local government shared with Essex County Council. In 1913 the borough was enlarged by the former area of Leigh on Sea Urban District. In 1914 the enlarged Southend gained the status of county borough, exempt from county council control and a single-tier of local government. The county borough was enlarged in 1933 by the former area of
Transport in Ipswich 'London Steamship Company', operated an excursion steamer service between Ipswich and London from before 1871 until 1887; in 1878 one of their ships, the "SS Princess Alice" sank with the loss of some 700 lives while on an excursion in the Thames estuary. Following the collapse of the 'London Steamship Company' in 1887 the 'London, Woolwich & Clacton-on-Sea Steamboat Company' was formed offering services between London and Clacton; an additional service to Ipswich started in about 1893. The "Woolwich Belle" acted as a feeder service between Ipswich and Clacton from where the London service operated. After two changes of ownership