XV490. This thread brought back some memories!!!. I used to do the same as you on many occasions. I remember being at the traffic lights, watching a Meteor 7 landing too long, failing to get airborne again, swerving off the runway in a huge cloud of dust across the eastern skyline, and coming to rest minus it's port gear. I was young at the time, and my parents disbelieved me, until they saw a small report in next days 'Daily Telegraph'.I also saw a USAF A26 Invader, a T.33 C119, and of course the resident C.47s. I was allowed round the hangars on one occasion, in one of which was a 'Skyways of London' Constellation. I was approaching the airfield on one occasion, and saw nothing less than a B.45 Tornado climbing away to the west., Happy days!!.