Northolt memories
In the Summer of 1953 my brother and myself were posted off to an old aunt who lived in Hillingdon, whilst our mother was hospitalised. Her house in Grosvenor Crescent was a few doors down from the extended centre line of Northolt's main runway so we were treated to a daily procession of aircraft skimming the rooftops when landing from the west or appearing over the houses behind when departing in a westerly direction.
In the main the aircraft were BEA Vikings and Dakotas, Aer Lingus Bristol Freighters and US military C47s and C54s, with the occasional BEA Dragon Rapide and RAF Prince. I recall the C54s being particularly noisy when departing to the west causing the house to vibrate somewhat and the Bristol Freighters were not much quieter.
Aircraft were so low we were clearly able to read the names on the sides and our favourites were the gloriously named Sir Cloudesley Shovell of the BEA Admiral Viking fleet and Sir Sefton Brancker of their C47 Pionair fleet. The Aer Lingus Freighters were named after saints and I seem to recall, although I may be mistaken, that one was named St Patrick O Toole.
We did on one occasion visit the spectator enclosure at Northolt and my abiding memory of that is of a BEA Viking taxying past, brakes squealing and the cockpit window open with a Union Jack flying in the breeze.
This episode started my long term love of 'propliners', but when we returned the following year most of the activity had been transferred to Heathrow although I do recall seeing my only Viscount then, departing in the direction of Heathrow.
Subsequently, my focus switched to Southend, which I have followed for 60 years through it's ups and downs but that, as they say, is another story.