IT HAS taken a long time – too long – but at last it appears the long-awaited memorial to the Spitfire will become a feature of the Southampton skyline.

As this paper reports today, after a number of false starts along the runway we appear to have take off, with the giant sculpture set to rise above the waterfront near Royal Pier by 2018.

That the city where the famous war-winning fighter plane was first developed and built has not as yet created a large-scale memorial to the iconic warplane must seem a mystery to those from other parts of the UK and indeed the world.

The monument, which will appear to soar into the sky as part of the new waterfront development planned for Mayflower Park, will also mark the achievements and sacrifice of those who built the machines in Southampton.

Many gave their lives during bombing raids by the Germans who wished to obliterate the Spitfire factory and its skilled workforce at Woolston.

This paper is supportive of the scheme and the campaign to raise funds to pay for the memorial. We are saddened that it has taken so long to reach this stage and hopeful now of a rapid move to the successful raising of funds and building of the memorial.

Reach for the sky we shall do – and this time achieve our mission.