Asfly,
I think you'll find that (BOH) Hurn was one of the original London Airports with BOAC operating, from, to such destinations as Australia!
Many years ago I worked for a LGW based B707 & DC10 operator, we would send our aircaft to BOH for crew training (circuits and bumps), all served to provide BOH with valuable revenue, any guesses why we didn't send our B707's & DC10's to SOU for circuits and bumps and why, instead, we sent them to a 'smaller' airport than SOU?