LAP - Long before Heathrow

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I just found this footage of the Roof Gardens l-o-n-g ago. There's even a clip of Flo Kingdon, one of the Roof Gardens commentators... and just look at some of the aircraft.... Freak out..

AIRPORT PLAYGROUND - British Pathe (http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=811)

[Planemike]

Eeeeeeee............That's when it was pleasure to go there !!!!!

Planemike

[avionic type]

Oh happy days!! it must have been mid 50s/60s when we B.E.A. engineers could wave to our families at the weekends from the tarmac in front of the Queens Building ,the days of the Lizzie .Pionair , and Viscount 701/802s [good grief I am getting old!!]:{:{.

[Amos Keeto]

....and all being recreated in miniature on my 1/400th scale model of Heathrow, including the sounds and music they used to play from that commentary box. :cool:
Not sure why they describe the kiddies paddling pool as a 'pond' (no fish or plants in it!)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I often wondered what happened to the LPs and tapes of music they used to play, but it was listening to it that gave me a love of Mantovani and Glenn Miller music even to this day - 50 years on!

[merlinxx]

Remember this as a sprog, my Pappa worked for the MTCA and I got dumped up there on some summer hols days, all day as well with two bob for goodies:ok:

[Talkdownman]

AAAAAARRRGH!!!

That could've been me! Did all that! That's a Feb '58 issue of CAM, I have mine in my hand right now, goes up to G-APLN! And the lovely Flo with the Telemove tickertape! Oh, it hurts, it hurts, seems like yesterday, HD!! Thanks HD, Mate, Brilliant! I'm well-freaked now!!

[shack]

Thanks you two for really upsetting me------------I suppose I should blame Bren really 'cos he posted it.

[kwateow]

Did we ever Freak Out in 1958?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Shack..... good to "see" you again, J. I mentioned you in the ATC History thread...

Take care... Bren

[Helen49]

Splendid nostalgia HD! The Convair belching smoke at start up reminded me of a skipper who always called for 'permission to make smoke'....meaning of course start up!.......and those wonderful roof gardens before 'security' ruined it for ever. Thank you HD.

[suninmyeyes]

The script mentions a nine year old Avril Walsh from St Albans. I wonder if that is the same Avril Walsh who retired recently from BA? The age would be spot on. She was a long haul purser and quite a character.

[FantomZorbin]

Slightly off thread ...

HD, I seem to remember that there was a film held at "The College of Knowledge" on the history of London (Croydon) Airport, at the end it showed the first mud-moving at Heathrow. Does the film still exist?

[pasir]

... At the time of the changover from Croydon Airport to LAP - as many of our KLM ground staff then lived local to Croydon and Wallington a shuttle coach service (Grey Green Coaches) was operated for a time. My early recollections of those days being what a dissapointment LAP turned out to be in arriving at a muddy haphazard building site of nissen type huts compared to the warm friendly atmosphere of the old airport we had left behind. But it was 1948.

...

[Out Of Trim]

I spent many a happy hour in the Queens building terraces spotting with Half a pair of WWII German Binoculars.. Thay came apart and I had 1 half and my brother had the other.. So Minocular spotting and my Sharp hand-held Airband radio along-side my Civil Aircraft Markings Book made for great entertainment.

What a shame that you can't do that kind of thing anymore!

I work at Gatwick these days and it is so Anti-spotter now, you can't really experience those times anymore.

[henry crun]

I took these at LAP in 1950 with my box brownie.
As you can see, we were allowed to wander around the tarmac to get close up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v712/crun9/LAP.jpg

[Props]

Brings back memories.
I joined BEA in 1955 and on Standbye we went to the Cinema in the Terminal and feeling well off I had a suit made by Hector Powell who had a shop there .That was on DC-3's no Start-up Clearance or Slot Time.

Ah well back to sleep!