Memories of holiday-making in the 1960s

[hobsoe01]

Dear forum members,

I am doing some research for a documentary about British holidays in the 1960s and would like to talk to anyone who worked in the industry during this time. It's meant to be a lively and intelligent look at how our holiday patterns changed during this decade and I'd like to find out what it was like to be on the other side of the holiday experience.

I look forward to hearing from anyone who would be interested in sharing their knowledge! And I would also really appreciate any links to other associations or groups who you think would be good to contact.

Feel free to contact on [email protected].

Thanks for your time and for this interesting site.

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

Holidays! - What holidays? If we went anywhere it was to visit my grandparents in Cardiff. I loved staying with my granny and granddad but did not care much for the endless rounds of visiting relatives from both sides of the family. My father was in the RAF too and he maintained that when he was posted abroad - that was our holiday. (Egypt -1951/2, Singapore 1958/60 and Cyprus 1963/66 - I left home to join up in Jan 64).

I cannot remember any of my scaley brat school friends from the 50s and early 60s that went 'On holiday'.

[old-timer]

We had beach hut holidays in Frinton-on-Sea in the 60's - great fun & cheap too - beats queing at the airport:ok: :D:D

[Blacksheep]

We once had a week on the Isle of Man, when we stayed in a B&B in a Chippy run by "Aunty" Olga. Mostly, the menfolk sailed Grandad's homebuild cabin cruiser "Dandylion" to Whitby and Scarborough and each family had a week aboard in turn.

At the end of my RAF Apprenticeship in 1966, four of us newly graduated Junior Technicians went to Butlins, Filey for a week. It was rumoured that if you couldn't get your end away at Butlins, you'd be doomed to a life of celibacy. The rumours turned out to be correct and none of us ended up taking the cloth.

[Amos Keeto]

My parents couldn't afford to fly or go overseas for holidays in the '60s, but we didn't need to. The UK summer weather always seemed to be hot and sunny, global warming hadn't even started. Consequently we always came back suntanned from a week at Bournemouth, Torquay or Newquay.
Happy days!

[WHBM]

Everyone seems to be recalling their non-aviation hols at home here.

Meanwhile, over at the airport, it was a decade of probably greater change than has been seen since. In 1960 there were a motley set of charter operators running dilapadated DC4s and Vikings with no real long term contracts, and aircraft hopping around picking up odd work wherever, which seemed to vary from week to week. Airlines, as well as tour operators, regularly went bust.

For those who couldn't even afford an air holiday to Spain, many operators used coaches from London, short-hop airlines from Southend or Ashford across the Channel, and then long overnight coach journeys down to Spain or Italy. Ostend-based coach operators doing such work got real notoriety in the UK press for poor driving standards and occasional major accidents.

By 1969 however, operations were showing distinct signs of current styles of operation. BAC One-Elevens had come along as the charter aircraft of choice, and most operations were now jets. The commercial arrangements were different and much more professional as well, and many were operated on season-long contracts based around an aircraft programme all week. To the key destinations of Spanish Costas, Majorca, Rimini in Italy, etc, a jet could schedule three daily rotations at weekends on sectors about 2.5 hours long, leaving the UK at about 0800, 1500, and 2300, which they did pretty much all together at times.

The key resorts were typically the closest areas of Spain. The Costa Brava was nearest (and cheapest), and Barcelona and Gerona were early key destinations. There was seemingly some advantage in earlier years in operating into Perpignan, just inside France and then on by bus across the border; Perpignan had a challenging approach with the navaids of the time and there were several major accidents approaching there. Most of the holidays offered were classic hotel, rather than villas, self-catering, or do-it-yourself, which all came later. The season was notably short, May to September, and airlines still suffered from having to make do for the other 7 months of the year on odd alternative work.

Ah yes. My own first flight. Summer 1966, Cambrian Airways Vickers Viscount 700 G-AMOO. Liverpool to Isle of Man. Return fare (child) £3:18:0. Still have the tickets somewhere ..... !

[lederhosen]

My family was involved in the travel industry so although young I had a ringside seat of the changes occuring. It was an exciting time. The liberalisation of airfares was the big driver. Up until then flying on holiday was out of reach of the normal family. Flying was in the hands of the state carriers who largely pooled revenues between themselves. Fares were set by Iata, inflexible and very expensive. The big carriers BEA, Iberia etc. fought a vigorous rearguard action to keep the status quo.

The first inclusive tour flights were to places that the national carriers had little interest in serving. Fares were sold stricly in conjunction with accomodation thus the term package holiday and the actual price was not shown on the paper ticket. There were some interesting destinations some of which like Corsica remain niche markets. The spanish costas and Majorca have grown from these early days to the huge industry we now know.

Companies like Autair, later becoming Court Line played an increasing role.
They were early adopters of vertical integration. The parent company owned the holiday company Clarkson, the airline Court Line and in some cases the
hotels. Sadly they went bust in a big way in 1974, still remembered on other
parts of this forum.

The big carriers like BEA introduced their own charter services but largely failed to make a big success. Companies like Britannia, owned by Thomson holidays the big player in the UK followed the trend and became extremely successful. A period of enormous growth started, with prices that completely
changed the holiday industry.

Peronally I remember flying to Palma on a turboprop in about 1963, visiting the cockpit and deciding that was the job for me.

[WHBM]

The big carriers like BEA introduced their own charter services but largely failed to make a big success.
Not quite. BEA started their BEA Airtours operations in the late 1960s with retired Comets they found nobody else wanted, and made a substantial business that worked through several generations of aircraft and various renamings until BA sold it off, as Caledonian, in 1995. Over in Germany Lufthansa owned similar operator Condor, who were the market leader for many years there. They had an advantage that in the winter season they readily chartered their spare capacity to their parent's scheduled operation.

[lederhosen]

It is true that Condor was generally more successful in what arguably was a slower market to develop over here in Germany. What is not in doubt is that although BEA found a use for unwanted aircraft, tristars and the 707 etc. they were not as successful or profitable in the long term as the dedicated holiday companies.

Remember the following years were a difficult time for the state carriers. BA as it became had a very shaky time and their charter business was by no means the star, neither matching industry growth nor profitability as I remember it. Personally I suspect that the big UK holiday companies, Thomson being the dominant player, were not overly keen to put too much business their way. The big airlines never developed the kind of vertical integration that was the key to growth for the market leaders.

Ultimately just about all the major scheduled carriers got out of charter. You can draw your own conclusions. Interestingly the biggest holiday player in Germany (air berlin) looks increasingly like it also intends to split its business into a scheduled carrier and a charter airline. There is nothing new under the sun.

[merlinxx]

We did make money, and were involved in many overseas wet lease & sub service contracts. How do I know, I was there prior to the 1st flight in March 1970.:ok:

[lederhosen]

I do not want to put anyone down and there were some excellent people there over the years like Eamonn Mullaney. But the BEA/BA charter airline seemed to hover around ten aircraft at a time when the industry was booming, probably because the package tour companies did not really trust the corporation's motives. Profit depends on your viewpoint. Concorde was profitable if you discount the cost of aircraft ownership. There is not much doubt that the 707-436s were transfered at bargain basement prices along with all the spares. Getting back to the original topic maybe you can tell the original poster what is was like Merlinxx. I am sure we would all be interested.

[WHBM]

although BEA found a use for unwanted aircraft, tristars and the 707 etc. Not long term. Eventually they renewed their fleet with a big investment in brand new 737s.

The big airlines never developed the kind of vertical integration that was the key to growth for the market leaders.Again not so. BA were one of the bigger players (although many customers didn't know it) by having Silver Wing Holidays (upmarket) and Enterprise (one of the largest mass market players).

There is not much doubt that the 707-436s were transfered at bargain basement prices along with all the spares. Probably because that is what an oddball Rolls-engined 707 was worth at the time !

[lederhosen]

BA did invest in 737s in the early 80s and used some of them for charter, including the very unfortunate Manchester accident aircraft. But I think you will find their charter fleet hovered around ten throughout. Remember this was the time Air Europe launched and quickly got up to nearly thirty 737s and maybe twenty 757s.

I am happy to be reminded of Enterprise holidays who I remember as a good quality operator. They certainly wanted to compete. However they remained a secondary player squeezed by the market leader Thomson and the aggressive number two Intasun (sister company of Air Europe), followed by Airtours who filled the lower end of the market niche after Intasun's demise. Again I was personally involved at the time.

The British Airways board were obviously not keen on competing against themselves in the rapidly expanding seat only market, which was the direction Air Europe developed things. The charter airline was a relatively small part of BA's empire and eventually it was divested.

If you are really interested in the subject I can highly recommend Flying off course, the economics of international airlines by Professor Rigas Doganis, particularly chapter 6 the economics of passenger charters.

[Fly380]

British Eagle flew charters out of Heathrow in the late sixties. I went on a Britannia from Heathrow to Palma on a package holiday in 1969.

[WHBM]

I think you're probably out, maybe by just a year. Eagle went bankrupt in November 1968. They were indeed, however, the last operator to actually base a charter fleet (as opposed to doing charters in scheduled fleet spare time) from Heathrow. Tour operator Lunn-Poly (who Eagle had a shareholding in at the time) were a major client of these services.

[Fly380]

You are right WHBM. It was sept 1968. I flew on a package holiday to Ibiza in 1969. A BUA 1-11 from Gatwick if I remember correctly. 18-30 club :}

[Soddit]

Resurrecting this thread...there was a documentary in - I guess - early 1980s which followed the saga of a group of Air Europe passengers arriving in a Spanish resort. The tour reps dealt with missing false teeth..Mother and teenage daughter falling out about the morals of the disco. The male rep later opened a bistro/restaurant near Rye. Anybody recollect this or shall I call for the horlicks?

[PAXboy]

Where (and how) you went on holiday in the 1960s depended (as ever) on money and class.

For most working class families (in the 20th C usuage of the phrase!) then it was UK bucket-and-spade. They might stay with family near the coast (grandparents or uncles/aunts) and stay at B&B; holiday camp; caravan.

The caravan park was very popular as there were regular visitors at the same time each years and became like a village - and some still do to this day.

Transport for most working class families was train or coach, shared cars with other family and (still) the motocycle with sidecar combination, although that faded as the decade went on. Families starting to own their own car made a HUGE difference.

Travelling to the continent (as it was known then!) was very rare for all families, not just working class.

[Tableview]

We used to dream of holidays. We use to get up in morning half an hour before we went to bed, walk 6 hours to 't mill wi' shoes tied round ahr necks to save shoe leather, work 18 hours a day at mill. That were 'oliday to uz.

[PAXboy]

Good one Tabelview. It is true that holidays did not exist for many, many families in the 1960s. For some, it was still the 'holiday' of hop picking.

hobsoe01, please check your private messages (see links at top of forum page)

[Tableview]

The above was of course frivolous. My earliest memories of holidays consisted of going across Europe in a couchette train, sometimes with the car on the train too, to a resort near Venice, and to the south of France, Bandol I think. As my father was a keen sailor we spent some holidays at St. Mawes and St. Ives in Cornwall (Devon?) and we used to go skiing in Switzerland. I don't think I got on a 'plane until I was in my teens, it was considered quite a thing then.

[The SSK]

As far as flown holidays are concerned, most British airports had cervices to Jersey and the Isle of Man, and quite a few had Ostend links too. The package-tour business really took off in the mid-1960s and initially most of it seemed to travel on non-UK airlines using DC6s.

My own local airport - Newcastle - had a fortnightly Euravia Constellation to Palma in 1964, two years later there were numerous weekly DC6s of TASSA, Aviaco and Adria. Gatwick at the time was 'DC6 City'.

[lakerman]

I, and my wife to be, went on a day trip from Southampton to Rotterdam and on to Keukonhof (forgive the spelling) Gardens for the Tulip Festival on 6th May 1966, all inclusive with meals for the princely sum of £8. This was aboard an Airspeed Ambassador of Dan-Air. Fantastic day with only cheap snacks but did include all transfers and entrance to the gardens. I was working at BAC Hurn at the time on the 1-11 production line having left the RAF in November 1965. Little did I know that just over 4 years later I would be joining Dan-Air at Lasham on heavy maintenance. In 1971 the last Ambassador did its last flight for Dan-Air and flew into Lasham. That night a 1-11 "lost" an engine on take-off from Zagreb, it burnt off fuel and landed back at Zagreb. Next day I flew on the Ambassador with a gang of guys with a spey engine attached to the floor of the aircraft. That then became another story of what was 45 years in the industry and I loved every minute of it.

[WHBM]

I, and my wife to be, went on a day trip from Southampton to Rotterdam and on to Keukonhof (forgive the spelling) Gardens for the Tulip Festival on 6th May 1966, all inclusive with meals for the princely sum of £8. This was aboard an Airspeed Ambassador of Dan-Air.
This was one of what became quite an operation in the Spring, visiting the "Dutch Bulbfields" and other attractions, for day return trips, or just a couple of days, using aircraft marginal time just before the main Mediterranean season got into gear. The major tour operator doing these was Clarksons, and the airlines they used were principally Dan-Air and Channel. Once Clarksons went out of business in 1974 they rather faded away. They operated from a wide variety of local airports, out morning, back evening, and the aircraft often then positioned on to the following days' departure point. There was a secondary operator of these based in Bristol, who I knew, whose day trip from Bristol to Basle, extensively marketed to women's social groups in Somerset country villages, used an Invicta Vanguard, which sadly ended up as the Basle crash of 1973.

[LGS6753]

Package holidays started to grow in popularity in the mid 60s, often using old, second-hand piston or turbo-prop aircraft. June 1967 changed all that when two UK-registered charter aircraft crashed at Stockport and Perpignan within 24 hours of eachother.
Due to press comment, the old aircraft were quickly replaced by jets such as One-Elevens, 737s and Comets. Brochures featured pictures of jet aircraft, and it took some years for the term 'charter airline' to return to respectability.

[Hasel Checks]

Must've been 1960-3, but flying was just within the grasp of our working class family.

Mum and Dad took the lot of us to Jersey from Manchester for a week.

For a lad in short-pants, plonked onto the front row seat (less foot room) of a Jersey Airlines De Havilland Heron, with full view of the tiny cockpit, it was the catalyst you'll all be familiar with.

The holiday was wonderful, but the trips there and back were the highlight.

As soon as I got home I made my own cockpit dashboard from a Formica washing machine top, fitted with every dial and switch I could rummage from our garden shed.

I was about to teach myself to fly!

I recall, all of us were stone deaf for at least two hour after we disembarked. We could only observe each other's lips move and attempt to lip-read.

Those Gypsy Queens were NOISY!

Here's what I saw, but I recall it as much more cramped when the pilots were included...

The only in-flight service, was a boiled sweet to suck on the descent!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Heron_flight_deck.jpg/220px-Heron_flight_deck.jpg

[SincoTC]

If you'd flown to Jersey from Southend in the early sixties, Channel Airways were still operating de Havilland Dragon Rapides, small and very noisy too, but those wicker seats really left an impression on me :)

[Hasel Checks]

Wot no parachute to sit on?!

I peered into a Rapide's cockpit once, and it struck me immediately, you had to be very careful where you placed your feet. What was it like in Cattle Class? Longerons as floor-boards?

[Proplinerman]

Well, I was one of the privileged people who went on quite a lot of foreign holidays in the 1960s, as my father was a succesful solicitor, so he could afford these holidays. As far as I can remember tho, all our foreign holidays in those days were via scheduled flights, not charters.

The first trip abroad of which I have some fragmentary memories was a holiday in La Baule, France, in Aug/Sept 1962: sadly I don't remember the flights (I was only four at the time), but I have worked out that we must have flown on a BEA Vanguard from Manchester to London (because they were the type being used on that service then); then on to La Baule in an Air France Super Connie!

I know it was an AF L1049G because, by amazing good fortune, my father shot a thirty second sequence on his cine-camera, of me, my mother and one of my sisters getting on the L1049G, then of the aircraft taxiing for takeoff and then taking off! It's a long story why he wasn't flying with us. I put the film on You Tube some years ago and here is a link to it: Air France Super Constellation at La Baule, France, September 4th 1962 - YouTube

Then it was back to Manchester from LHR, presumably on another BEA Vanguard.

I do remember several more flights from Manchester to and from London on BEA Vanguards-a lovely aircraft. I don't think we made any international flights from M/C in the 1960s-it always seemed to be down to LHR first, then on from there.

I also flew in a BEA Viscount 800 from LHR to Biarritz, via Bordeaux, in August 1964 and I do have reasonably clear memories of that, including a visit to the cockpit.

There was also a Swissair Coronado from LHR to Zurich in Feb 1969, followed by a Balair Friendship to Innsbruck. That was for a skiing holiday in Obergurgl. Then back to ZH on the Friendship a week later, but then we went home via Belgium (to visit some relatives), giving me my one and only flight on a 707 (of Sabena), to Brussels, followed, I would guess, by a Sabena Caravelle or perhaps a 727, back to Manchester.

I think I also flew on a BEA Comet to Nice and back from LHR in 1965, for a holiday there. I also flew on quite a few BEA Tridents, but when we missed our BEA flight back from Milan Linate in June 1968, we were re-routed via Amsterdam on a KLM Electra! Then back to Manchester on a BEA Trident. We had been staying in Lugano, Switzerland.

We also had quite a few holidays in the UK-Abersoch, Llandudno, Saunton Sands and we always drove to these.

Great days! And even allowing for the fact that I was a child then, flying was a great adventure. Nowadays, security is an annoying, but necessary and often tedious chore and I find flying little different to catching a bus, what with walking down a metal tube into an all but invisible aircraft and modern airliners nearly all being practically identical. And the way that airports the world over are so mad keen for you to buy overpriced fashion items, that it is in your face all the time, I just find annoying.

I'm very glad I was lucky enough to fly to and from holidays in the 1960s.

[BEagle]

Up until 1957, holidays were in Cornwall - and the sun always shone! Into the family Zephyr, then down the A30 via Exeter and across Dartmoor to Mullion. In later years, traffic was so bad that we would drive down through the night - a great adventure that was!

Then we went to 'The Continent' in 1958 - France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark - and a day trip to Sweden. Even then, the ravages of war could still be seen. Every country had a frontier and you queued up for currency exchange and passports. Crossing the Channel was an interesting experience; no ro-ro ferries and loading took ages. We went to Expo 58 in Brussels on the way home via Oostende - Sputnik replica in the Russian pavilion and colour TV in the American pavilion were of note!

1959 was a holiday in Brittany. We were initially snubbed by some snobbish people at the hotel (which was very like the one in 'Darling Buds of May'!) when the saw the family Anglia - until my father let it slip that it was actually our second car. Then they treated us like royalty, the shallow graspers.

1960 was a holiday in Sweden - Tilbury to Gothernburg in an ancient 1929 ship, then down to Båstad. The Swedish Air Force still flew the J-29 from nearby Angelholm.

1961 we went to the Norfolk Broads. The cruiser was rammed and sank, so we came home early!

1962 we went to Ireland - the last time I ever went there. Friendly people, but it seemed very old-fashioned.

In 1963 we went by train to Spain. Or rather to Cerbére, then a wild taxi ride in an old Citröen traction avant across the border to Port Bou, then a prehistoric Spanish train to Llansa, where we were met by the agent who drove us to Puerto de la Selva. Quite an adventure!

The first time we flew was a couple of years later. Mid-week Tourist Class in a BEA Vanguard to Gibraltar, ferry to La Linea, bus to Malaga, then on to a holiday villa in Almuñécar. It was much cheaper to fly to Gib in those days, then to Malaga - something to do with the 'Sterling area'.

After that came the package holiday era. Usually a BAC 1-11 from Hurn to Palma, then a taxi to the hotel. The earlier holidays had been rather more adventurous, but quite a few operators and airlines let customers down in the late '60s and early '70s. Invicta Airways folded, Clarkson Hoidays collapased..... But we'd discovered the 'flight only' method and often flew with Dan Dare on a Marshall Sutton holiday to Menorca, before my father eventually moved there.

Passengers travelling on holiday charters back then were treated pretty well, on the whole. The seat pitch was reasonable and in-flight catering was pretty good. And as for the lovely 'Caledonian Girls'.....:ok: People still 'dressed up' to fly, rather than wearing some inappropriate track suit or the like. But society was rather more 'correct' in those days, I guess?

UK customs was still an utter pain though!

When I was first in the RAF, to go home I'd usually take the train to London, stay overnight in the RAF Club, then off to the BrompWest London Air Terminal and the bus to the airport. Until, that is, I found it easier either to drive or to take the train to Gatwick.

Despite having to be frisked by some bottom-fondling failed wheelclamper and generally treated like a criminal at UK airports these days, travel is an awful lot simpler now than it was in the 1970s! Although the ridiculous situation whereby it is cheaper to fly with some LoCo than it is to park in the airport car park probably won't last for ever.

[reynoldsno1]

My first ever flight, must have been about 1960, was in a Silver City DC3 from Lydd to Le Touquet and back - a day trip my Dad organised. I can remember being in the cockpit and the Decca moving map fascinated me - I also distinctly recall a large spider's web above the co-pilot's head ...

[Groundloop]

June 1967 changed all that when two UK-registered charter aircraft crashed at Stockport and Perpignan within 24 hours of eachother.
Due to press comment, the old aircraft were quickly replaced by jets such as One-Elevens, 737s and Comets.

The above is incorrect. Dan-Air started using Comets in 1966 and Laker had ordered it's 111s before the accidents.

[rogerbucks]

First ever flight around 1970 Morton Air Services Heron from Jersey to Southampton; single pilot if I recall!
Then we started venturing further afield to the Balearics: I remember Britannia & Monarch Bristol Britannias, Dan Air Comets, and Courtline 1-11's painted in pastel shades, all names 'Halcyon.....' Requests for a flight deck visit were often granted, and I looked agog at the huge banks of instruments.. the crews were invariable friendly, and I remember a Dan Air Comet capt. with a huge handlebar moustache!
Then when our children were young, Dan Air 727's, Britannia 737's then 757's. I remember standing in a Britannia 757 flight deck with my plane-mad 5 year old son, just enjoying the expression on his face. He is now 21, a qualified pilot, and just embarking on his CPL.
So sad those opportunities are now long gone:{

[rog747]

first flight 1964 British eagle Britannia to Barcelona for our first our package holiday, followed by PMI RMI and AGP until b/eagle went bust in 1968
seats often all faced backwards... always went from LAP (LHR)

my first jet was Caledonian 707-320C G-AWWD summer 1969 LGW to PMI
goodness! this was a cracker, it was huge for me..(age 12)
rolling take off after turning fast onto runway at LGW and a flying time of 1hour 35 mins!
back on G-AVKD flagship Bonnie Scotland
PMI airport on the way home saw so many new charter jets from all over.

1970 Caledonian 1-11 500 G-AWWZ to PMI. (G-AXYD home i think)

[BEagle]

As I wrote earlier, UK customs could still be an utter pain.

On one occasion we were delayed for some reason at (I think) Gatwick after going through to the departure area. As were most adults in those days, my mother was a smoker and had bought 200 fags in the duty free shop. She opened one packet and started smoking.....whereupon some little worm from Customs and Excise fronted up, demanded the duty on the opened packet and insisted that the carton should be sealed with some sticker he produced....:rolleyes:

I think the duty came to about 1/5d. I bet he felt pleased with his work that day....:(

[crewmeal]

My first holiday flight was in 1960, flying from BHX to GLA in an BEA Elizabethan, followed by a BEA DC-3 flight from GLA to EDI. I was only 10 at the time and s**t scared. So much so that the return flight was cancelled and we came home on a sleeper train from Edinburgh Princes Street. Never did I think 12 years later I would be flying for BOAC!

After that in 1968, I took Britannia's new 737 from LTN to GRO and had a week with some mates for a week in Lloret De Mar. Again scared to death flying through a thunderstorm.

These days I'm still scared of getting onboard an aircraft, not because of flying, but because of the service I might not get!

[ohagan]

Hi there,
Im developing a documentary about Club 18-30s and looking for some original fun seekers from the late 1960s.
If you fit the bill please do get in touch with me at

[email protected]

Many thanks,

[Mr Oleo Strut]

Dear forum members,

I am doing some research for a documentary about British holidays in the 1960s and would like to talk to anyone who worked in the industry during this time. It's meant to be a lively and intelligent look at how our holiday patterns changed during this decade and I'd like to find out what it was like to be on the other side of the holiday experience.

I look forward to hearing from anyone who would be interested in sharing their knowledge! And I would also really appreciate any links to other associations or groups who you think would be good to contact.

Feel free to contact on [email protected].

Thanks for your time and for this interesting site.

The cogs have slowly turned and the magic lantern of memory has thrown up (not literally!) reminders of a holiday to Lloret-de-Mar in about 1963 (when I was young, tall, dark and 'ansome) by an outfit called Lord Bros. One of the young ladies in our group later became my nearest and dearest but that's a different story. Anyway, we got the train to Gatwick and boarded our BUA? Viscount to Perpignan and a longish coach trip - no motorways - to Lloret where we stayed in a nice little hotel right on the sea front and had a very pleasant 10 days in the sun, with side trips to Barcelona, Tossa and other places. I borrowed a Bell & Howell cinè camera but can't find the film now. Apart from that it all worked out very well. I remember that we felt a wee bit uneasy about the flight because a British aircraft had crashed into the mountains shortly before our trip, but there were no problems for us. Happy memories of my first continental holiday.

[Mr Oleo Strut]

As I wrote earlier, UK customs could still be an utter pain.

On one occasion we were delayed for some reason at (I think) Gatwick after going through to the departure area. As were most adults in those days, my mother was a smoker and had bought 200 fags in the duty free shop. She opened one packet and started smoking.....whereupon some little worm from Customs and Excise fronted up, demanded the duty on the opened packet and insisted that the carton should be sealed with some sticker he produced....:rolleyes:

I think the duty came to about 1/5d. I bet he felt pleased with his work that day....:(


What-O! I was one of those horrid 'little worms' engaged by Her Maj to be a Customs Officer in the 60's and could write scrolls about the foolishness and deviousness of the good old British public when exposed to the temptations of duty-free for the first time. In those days your duty-free was sealed up in a bag before departure but most people smoked and some couldn't resist the temptation of an illegal puff, and you'd be surprised how many punters thought they could slip their duty-frees to their relatives who'd come to see them off. But the real game for us was on their return. You could hear the clink of bottles in their cases even as they claimed just to have the pemitted half-bottle of paint-stripper. And fags, they'd stuff 'em everywhere, down their trousers and in their knickers and bras. It was all a bit of sport, really, but it was our job to catch them, and we did our best to do so. We got a little bonus if we succeeded, but not very much. Good old days.

[BEagle]

One way of getting around the Revenue's 'bottle and 200' regs when flying back from Menorca was to obtain a litre of 'gin doble' from the Beltran distillery in Mahon harbour. This was like rocket fuel and around 80% ABV, rather than the normal 38-40%, but would be supplied in the normal bottle. You had to speak nicely to Miguel Beltran's chaps, but they would usually oblige...:ok:

When safely home, the gin was diluted with a litre of distilled water - otherwise it wouldn't mix properly with tonic.

Happy days!

[Duchess_Driver]

First flight ever was on one of Lizzie's VC10s out to Cyprus in 69. Can’t remember the route but we did stop somewhere.

Next would have been some kind of SCT trip in a Brit, BZN to BZN 73/74ish.

First ‘family’ flying holiday was on an Air Malta B720 in 80/81. Memories of Butlins Phwelli and Minehead and several camping trips prior to then though. I think we’d have clocked up a few ‘air-miles’ with Townsend Thoresen had such a scheme existed.

Over the years several BY 737 troopers into GIB and RAFG, but probably the rarest /least common was a BIA 1-11 to Athens - again 80/81 ish. G-AXMU out and AXBB back - don’t know why I remember that piece of useless information.

[WHBM]

an outfit called Lord Bros .... boarded our BUA? Viscount to Perpignan.Quite likely it was BUA. Their MD at the time, Freddie Laker, was a pioneer in negotiating such holiday flight contracts. In 1966 Fred fell out with BUA's owners, stuffy old shipping companies, mainly because they wouldn't invest in more One-Elevens for the holiday market and just expected it to be served by marginal time and overnights from the scheduled (and quite a lot of military charters BUA did then) fleet. He went into business for himself, of course, and quite soon got the finance and bought up Lord Brothers. They were the principal user of Laker's holiday flight capacity from Gatwick. Likewise he bought Arrowsmith holidays in the North-West, which gave coverage from Manchester and (slightly surprisingly) Liverpool. The bulk of Laker's five One-Elevens, and some 707 time as well, was spent on operations for these two.

I'm developing a documentary about Club 18-30s and looking for some original fun seekers from the late 1960s.

Of relevance to this thread, Club Med didn't do much in the way of holiday flights from the UK at all, but put their (limited) number of such passengers on scheduled flights, often with a change or two along the way. Must have taken a while. I'm not aware of any special flights they chartered, maybe others can comment.

[flash8]

First flight, can't remember though personally.. BOAC 707 to KL via Abu Dhabi, and return I believe on a Joint BOAC/MAS livery 707 also via Abu Dhabi (have an old Polaroid snap taken by my grandfather)... Late 1973... was I believe BOAC crewed.

Interesting that the livery was mostly BOAC, with the MAS decal and the BOAC Speedbird tail.

Can't find the polaroid but this seems the only image on the internet that verifies it (taken Sept 1972, so a year before) with what looks like a BOAC Cargo 707 in the background.

http://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/9/7/1/0411179.jpg?v=v40

Wasn't born until 1970... hence can't comment on the 60's unfortunately!

[vctenderness]

We did a lot of that. I remember flying Gulf Air 007 which was a BOAC VC10 with a sticker on it.

[canberra97]

BOAC during the 1960/70's assisted in the start up of a few national carriers from the former colonies including MSA and later MAS, Nigerian Airlines, Gulf Air with leased aircraft such as the VC10 and the Boeing 707 as seen in the photo.

BEA did the same with their aircraft and certain airlines including Air Malta and Cyprus Airways.

[pax britanica]

BEA were also very close to Olympic as I recall and occasionally borrowed each others Comets, not many airlines had 4Bs

[pulse1]

An earlier post by WHBM,

I think you're probably out, maybe by just a year. Eagle went bankrupt in November 1968.

I flew back from my honeymoon in Tunisia on the last return trip by a British Eagle Britannia on November 2nd. The holidaymakers who came out on that flight were stranded. I wonder if they were the first victims of a bankrupt airline. I didn't fly on holiday again until 2001, just after 9/11. This time, most holidaymakers stayed at home and the Greek resort was deserted.

[olympus]

1968, first foreign holiday by air (had been to Paris with the school by ferry/train) was to Rimini (with a girl!!!) except we didn't fly to Rimini. It was in a Britannia from LTN operated (I think) by Monarch and we flew to Turin with a long coach journey to get to the resort.

Second foreign holiday in 1969 (with the same girl) was to Majorca flying to Palma, again in a Britannia this time from LGW but I can't remember the carrier. I do remember sitting on the ramp at PMI casting envious glances at the Channel Airways Trident on the adjacent stand! It was the height of modernity compared with our Britannia.

[WHBM]

Second foreign holiday in 1969 (with the same girl) was to Majorca flying to Palma, again in a Britannia this time from LGW but I can't remember the carrier. I do remember sitting on the ramp at PMI casting envious glances at the Channel Airways Trident on the adjacent stand! It was the height of modernity compared with our Britannia.
Caledonian (most likely), Donaldson and Lloyd were basing Britannias at Gatwick in 1969. They lasted just a year or two longer - the same as Channel Airways did !

Own first foreign holiday with a girl (given that various here seem to be rekindling some very old memories of same) was a bit later, to San Francisco. PSA 727-200 from LAX. First I ever saw of the Boeing "new look" interior.

[canberra97]

Britannia Airways were also using Britannias out of LGW in 1969 along with Air Spain just to add to the list.

[rog747]

Britannia Airways were also using Britannias out of LGW in 1969 along with Air Spain just to add to the list.

you can add Tellair too summer 1969 only
saw one at Palma both Saturdays in Aug - ex British eagle ships RKA/B?

[olympus]

Britannia Airways were also using Britannias out of LGW in 1969 along with Air Spain just to add to the list.

I think our 1969 operator could well have been Britannia. I have a vague recollection of the Britannia figure on the tail.

[rog747]

I think our 1969 operator could well have been Britannia. I have a vague recollection of the Britannia figure on the tail.

ah!

yes in 1969 Britannia AW started to venture into LGW whereas skytours/riviera holidays its parent (which became thomson) was really a LTN domain

Thomson decided to compete at LGW as Cosmos (Monarch) and Clarksons (Autair) its main competitors at LTN were expanding - also Dan Air had set up their LTN base with 1-11's in 1969 to cover British Eagle's loss for Lunn Poly/Everyman holidays

[tczulu]

1966,BEA,Glasgow(Renfrew )to Palma. Vanguard with Mum,Dad and younger brother. Dad worked for BEA,so I guess staff discount! I remember the Vanguard had certain rows where the seats faced another row. Went via Manchester,where we were delayed by a "technical problem". Can't remember if Manchester was a scheduled stop or not.First holiday abroad, aged 11 and still visit Palma on a regular basis!😎

[WHBM]

1966,BEA,Glasgow(Renfrew )to Palma. Vanguard ... Can't remember if Manchester was a scheduled stop or not.
Most did stop there. Here's the timetable.
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/be/be67/be67-20.jpg


yes in 1969 Britannia AW started to venture into LGW whereas skytours/riviera holidays its parent (which became thomson) was really a LTN domainThe four Thomson brochure brands were these (Skytours being the big one), along woth Luxitours and Gaytours. The aircraft programme was pretty much the same across all of them.

You would never get away with the latter name nowadays !

Clarksons Holidays also had done a significant move to duplicate their destinations from Gatwick, as well as on their fellow airline Autair from Luton, but operating on Dan-Air Comets. In fact they seemed to the end to run as much Dan-Air Comet capacity as on their own Autair, later Court Line. I wonder how much Dan-Air lost when they went under. Autair/Court just did their operations from Luton (mostly), and some years from Bristol/Cardiff. Dan-Air did all Clarksons work from bases at Gatwick, Manchester, Teesside (strangely, not Newcastle) and Glasgow.

[Mr Mac]

tczulu
I tavelled on a BEA Trident on that route as young boy just after British Eagle went bust. My first experiance of BEA. I remember asking FO if I could take the inflight magazine, and he saying to me "I could take the seat if I could get it of the plane". Dangerouse talk to a determined sub 10 year old with no inflight movie or music to distract him !


Regards
Mr Mac

[canberra97]

Most did stop there. Here's the timetable.
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/be/be67/be67-20.jpg


The four Thomson brochure brands were these (Skytours being the big one), along woth Luxitours and Gaytours. The aircraft programme was pretty much the same across all of them.

You would never get away with the latter name nowadays !

Clarksons Holidays also had done a significant move to duplicate their destinations from Gatwick, as well as on their fellow airline Autair from Luton, but operating on Dan-Air Comets. In fact they seemed to the end to run as much Dan-Air Comet capacity as on their own Autair, later Court Line. I wonder how much Dan-Air lost when they went under. Autair/Court just did their operations from Luton (mostly), and some years from Bristol/Cardiff. Dan-Air did all Clarksons work from bases at Gatwick, Manchester, Teesside (strangely, not Newcastle) and Glasgow.

You sure that Clarksons didn't use Court Line out of LGW along with Dan Air as their are lots of pictures on the internet showing BAC 1-11's and even their Tristars at LGW from 1969 up until there demise in 1974.

[rog747]

You sure that Clarksons didn't use Court Line out of LGW along with Dan Air as their are lots of pictures on the internet showing BAC 1-11's and even their Tristars at LGW from 1969 up until there demise in 1974.

court line only went to LGW in a bigger capacity when they bought horizon holidays and 4S Travel in 1973 which did no good to assist their rapid decline

horizon was a staunch BUA/BCAL charter operator (in fact BUA bought the 1-11 501's for Horizon's work in 1969) and court had to pay them alot of dosh to cancel the contracts that horizon had with BCAL which court subsequently flew for horizon out of LGW
the tristars appeared now and again at LGW in 73 and 74 - i think on some long haul stuff to Caribbean etc

horizon midlands was not bought by the court group and subsequently they started up Orion AW some years later

[canberra97]

Thanks for that information it's appreciated.

[LGS6753]

Court Line was not formed until 1st January 1970. First Court Line liveried One-Eleven 500 G-AXMF was delivered (to Autair) on 5th December 1969, the rest of the first batch of 7 by the end of April 1970.

[Rob Smith]

A week in Torquay at a B&B was the annual event until a first overseas holiday, a week in Rimini (from LGW) on a SAM Caravelle. A couple of years later a BUA VC10 LGW-TCI.

Somewhere around the same time I have recollections of a DanAir Comet trip, and also a one-hour flight from LGW around the South Coast as part of a school-initiated "Geography Lesson".