Mercury Airlines was based at Manchester Airport [EGCC]. The name originating from the old alpha-numeric telephone area exchange for the Airport (Mercury), prior to the change to the all-numeral system, now in use. It was set up in 1960 by Lord (Peter) Calthorpe and had two Herons on fleet G-AOZN and G-ANCI, which were later joined by DC3 G-AMSN.
Scheduled flights to the Isle of Wight were part of their regular summer runs. The IOW was a popular holiday destination in the mid fifties/very early sixties, along with Newquay. That was the time frame period when the all-inclusive package tours to the Spanish Costas were only just evolving. For the northern working classes it was either a holiday in nearby Blackpool; the more up-market Southport, or fish 'n' chips over the border in Scarborough. The IOW was luxury if you could afford it, but difficult to reach for northern folk, hence the very popular seasonal scheduled flights, mostly with Dragon Rapides. Then along came the Spanish package tour industry and the rest, as they say, is history.
The company was also a UK North of England agent for the Mooney 20A four-seater light aircraft, though as I recall only sold one aircraft to local business man, Ernie Raffles.
The Mercury operations chap at the time was local lad, one Michael Bishop, who kicked my shins on many an occasion during a game of football, in what was then the cinder car parking area at the old Manchester Ringway terminal.
Mercury was closed down in October 1964 by owner Lord Calthorpe who blamed the closure on the coming to power of the Labour Government and their protectionism of the State airlines versus private enterprise. Some of the routes were taken over by Derby Airways with MB moving over to become MAN Station manager for Derby Airways, with a later name change to BMA, now bmi.
Pictures of G-ANUO see
here.