Reading these posts is throwing me back over 50 years, for what its worth, I started spotting at LAP (as was) around 1954, down the far end of the black Nissen huts that comprised London Airport Passenger Terminal, (the posh bit, nothing else was), but a land of magic to a young lad to go down the far end of the huts and emerge on the apron with the ladder stairs for the kites and sit under them. You could watch the connies etc., taxi in and turn in front of you before shutting down.
They were digging a big tench across to the centre and later filled it in to roof it over, we then moved to the roof gardens in the Queens Building, this was nicely situated on the corner of the aprons and taxiways, very good for photos and spotting, the commentator - Stan, vertically challanged and a smashing guy with his assistant Elizabeth, used to give a running commentary on the aircraft arriving and play classical music, an education in itself. No need for security then!!.
I joined BOAC in 1957 as cash office junior (took a cheque for £7 million to the Bank of England in the chairmans chauffeur driven Jaguar to pay Vickers for the fleet of Viscounts for the BOAC associated Airways - BWIA, etc.), moved to the photographic unit for 2 years - took a whole load of personal A/C photos over these years. Joined BEA in 1961 on office work, moved onto the hangers in production control around 1965 working on the aircraft, covered Viscounts, Comets, Tridents 1,2,3, Argosy, BAC1-11, Vanguards, Merchantman freighter conversions etc. Achieved my A,B & C, gliding certificates with the ATC and had about 30 hour power flying. Another education!!.
Is'nt nostalgia wonderfull, it skips over all the nasty bits and leaves this happy glow. If its of any interest, I have recently started scanning my old B&W negs, try on
www.abpic.co.uk enter Brian Doherty then photographer then search, could be a while to complete, theres still approx 800 negs to load!! - with apologies for meandering from the thread.
Cheers Entaxei
