Gosh, all this nostalgia is turning me into an emotional wreck given that I am severely weakened by lock-down, unlock, night curfew , complete mask on-mask off confusion etc etc , but HELEN, your ref to "White hatters" nearly gave me heart failure. Dinner conversation, last night, on the inevitable Corvid debate had one discussion drifting very deep into 'alternative & conspiracy' theories where mention of the "White hats" was made. Had no idea that they were Britannia pilots !
Steering back on thread though, my first aircrew position was at LBA on the Northeast Viscounts. Of course, all domestic. But, around the time you chaps are discussing, one time, my roster showed LBA-TRN-LBA. Early start, late finish. Had no idea where TRN was, day stop obviously, Edinburgh Turnhouse maybe (?), gave up & had to ask Crew Control who said it was a one-off Turin. As was the case on those days, Captains hogged the pole but it really was pure joy to be, at last, an international airline pilot going overseas, from LBA, in a Viscount. Everyone asked how I managed to pull the lucky straw and I will leave you to imagine the leg-pulls I had to suffer but it was fabbo just asking ATC "Request start for Turin" !
Oh stop it you lot...........pass the tissues.............