Real memory lane for me this thread,
Yes the White horse in Longford was ancient and a real picture postcard English pub , door way was tiny and you had to stoop if much over 5 ft tall. Ostrich in Colnbrook was even older I think.
landings on 05R were rare to say the least although i was on a Trident 3 Faro LHR returning from my honeymoon on the only time in probably 200 landings at LHR i have clocked up as pax. Very strange sort of massively upscaled GA type approach flying overhead LHR then a big sweeping base leg to take us back south of Staines and then back for a visual or 'talk down approach-extremely strong and extremely cold NE winds. I used to listen to the talk downs on my Airband on the rare occasions in use, very interesting . If I recall the approach controller handled the aircraft until 'report crossing the Thames at Laleham , sort of outer marker and then pilots told to change frequency and 'not to respond to further instructions as controller began a stream of slightly high on the glide , on the glidepath etc etc or turn left 5 degrees , two miles to touchdown etc ending very abruptly with half a mile from touchdown on glidepath on localiser check wheels down and locked approach completed out . Fascinating .
As to BOAC 707 accident I watched that happen, sitting on my wall in Stanwell with a friend a small boy (i was a bigger boy just) -said to us look that plane is on fire and we both thought it was sunlight glinting on the fuselage as it was early evening but were horrified to see flames and smoke streaming from it and as it disappeared from view (it would have been only about 100ft) at that point waited until an inevitable huge pall of black smoke welled up from the direction of the eastern end of LHR . Pretty shocking site that i can see in my minds eye today.
As for the relationship between the man who caught and probably tortured Guy Fawkes was Sir Thomas Knyvett , He was given lands in what would have been the south western part of LHR and Stanwell village. A Lord Knyvetts Close is there to this day and he has what is for a small country church (albeit one with a very tall spire) quite a substantial memorial inside the church itself. The Church, with the rather un Anglican name of St Mary the Virgin dates from the 12th Century and is a grade 1 listed building. Readily visible from LHR it also has a strange twisted spire and was where I got married. Only a few hundred meters from 27L anyone on the left hand side of a departure from that runway gets a striking view of the lovely old building. It also had a beautiful Georgian Vicarage in the Church close on the small village green I also went to Sunday School there as a kid , rather unwilling but in 1957 that wasn't uncommon. I attended Lord Knyvetts School built in 1624 after a provision in Knyvetts will. he was a very distinguished servant of the crown, the ancient school is barely 100m from the southern perimeter road . Back then it was open country at that end of the airport before the Cargo centre was built and spoiled much of the view.
By a bizarre coincidence I am writing this in my new home in Frome Somerset where a man came today to mend my dishwasher and he also grew up in Stanwell and the stricken BOAC 707 would have flown over the road he lived in at the other end of the village from me .
So excuse my self indulgent thread drift but I often feel that because of its once rural nature the southside of LHR gets a bit overlooked .
PB