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
Clacton-on-Sea by experts from the Navy; 2)The bombing of the Wagstaff Corner area in May 1941, which felled some well-known buildings; 3)The impact of a V2 rocket in front of the Tower Hotel, injuring dozens of troops inside though without bringing down the structure. Clacton looked out on the route taken by many of the V1 and V2 bombs aimed at London. A big role in the town's history just pre-and postwar was played by the KIngsman family, who bought and developed the Pier and ran a pleasure-steamer service from London. There was a summer sea excursion, on a larger ship,