Queens Building LHR remembered

[victor tango]

I would love to drain your brains of memories of this iconic building.
Back in time it was THE place to go for the general public often enjoying a Sunday outing!
Most of my past aviation life is based in this building.
Many airlines had their offices there, as did the Police, Customs and Excise, the Met Office etc etc.
The buildings gone.........but the memories haven't.
Often wish I could have saved that plaque in the front of the building saying HRH Queen opened it .
My working time there was 1964-1997.
Thanks for any input, I feel sure it may generate some interest??!!:ok:

[Capetonian]

Somewhere ......... it could be in any one of three houses in three different countries ....... I have photos that I took there with a Box Brownie type (127 or 120 film I think) camera in the 1960s when my Grandad used to take me there. It was always a special treat to go there, my father hated it but because grandparents always spoil their grandkids I got taken. The downside was that I used to have to back to my grandparents' house afterwards and watch wrestling and Max Bygraves on TV! I am not sure which of the two I hated more.

If I can find the pictures I'll scan some and post them.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Spent many, many hours there in the 50s and 60s spotting. Remember the cinema just inside the door to the left? When I started work at LAP in the very early 70s my wife would drive in with our sons and meet me at the end of my shift and we go up on the roof gardens for a while.. I shall always remember the place.

[victor tango]

That was the beauty of the place in those years HD, it was an enjoyable experience. Nowadays Im afraid going into the CTA is sheer angst!

No I dont remember a cinema. My earliest memory was a wide staircase going up to take you to viewing areas etc. Later they seemed to disappear so when you walked into the building you had small stairs on the left an the rest was taken up with a troop movement office, a police office etc.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I remember the two viewing platforms, one of which collapsed when it got swamped by screaming girls who wanted to see The Osmonds when they first landed in the UK. Also a cafe that sold sausage rolls.


SHJ

[victor tango]

Where are they going to hold the Miss London Airport contests now?

[Talkdownman]

I remember the cinema, loads of B & W Cholmondly-Warner films. Spent many hours in the cafe, and the little partitioned bit off to the north end of the caff where all the LAAS spotters congregated. Also remember dining in the very salubrious BEA crew restaurant, silver service etc. Used to be some posh dos in QB. I recall a red P51 (mock-up?) on the Roof Gardens, something to do with Charles Blair ISTR. HD, remind me of the name of the woman who did the PAs fom the little lookout with the tickertape, Flo something?

[forx]

Sorry for being ignorant but what was the building that closed in the early 2000's ? Spent a lot of time spotting from here from mid 90's, was this just the top of terminal 2 ? I think queens building was just left of this and you could see when you got to the top.


Mike.

[DaveReidUK]

Sorry for being ignorant but what was the building that closed in the early 2000's ? Spent a lot of time spotting from here from mid 90's, was this just the top of terminal 2 ? I think queens building was just left of this and you could see when you got to the top.Queens Building had a roof garden which, in turn, gave access via a bridge to the viewing area on the roof of Terminal 2.

For my sins, I spent a year working in a windowless office in the bowels of QB, entered by a door in the corner of BEA Maintrol/Ops Control.

[Mr Oleo Strut]

It was certainly great for viewing and very popular. We used to catch the bus in (was it the 81a or b from Slough?) and spend the whole day there with a picnic. The view was fabulous. Later when I joined the Customs I found that the boarding station was on the ground floor where the Duty Officer was located and he would send us out with a handwritten list of expected arrivals off the ticker tape and their stand numbers. No in-car radios in the Customs Anglias and Prefects in those days, so we had to phone-in from the stands all over the airport from time to time. Next door was Terminal 2 (never did find Terminal 1) which was where the baggage halls were, and departures and arrivals lived, with the small domestic terminal at the far end. Did we in the Customs have fun in there when things were busy as they often were, but it was great. You felt that you were at the centre of the world. There are some good pictures on Flickr.

[folkyphil]

Many happy days spotting on QB from 1963 until 1967. Travelled by "Aldershot and District" coach from Farnham to "Traveller's Friend" (junction of A4 with A30), then 81b to Heathrow.

I remember the day in 1964 when the Beetles returned from their USA tour. Whole of QB swamped by screaming girls as the foursome disembarked from a PanAm aircraft (was it N704PA?). Not much room for us humble spotters!

Somewhere I have a very thin floppy disc recorded in the "recording booth" positioned near the sunken garden area out towards T2. A horrible rendition of "House of the Rising Sun", interspersed with lots of giggling from my sidekick....total waste of 5 bob!

A Westpoint Dak or Shell Ambassador always seemed to appear in photos of other aircraft!

Was on my way home on the 81b the day the BKS Ambassador crashed. She was just approaching the threshold of 28R as we headed east...

I worked in AIS in QB from 1967 til 1970, so continued to use the roof gardens on a daily basis.

Have lost touch with some friends from those days.
So, Dick Johnson, Les Hitchings....if you read this, send me a PM....!

Phil.

[Wander00]

Several of us teenagers used to cycle there from Eastcote/Pinner area, through the tunnel and "plane spot", then play at the bowl, and go airside for coffee. You'd get shot trying that now.

[A30yoyo]

This blog features a lot of splendid photos of QB/T2 circa 1960 especially of the various Forte operated catering outlets....

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kellyoakes/41-vintage-pictures-of-heathrow-airport-that-show-air-travel

And this was the handy little (free!) spotters balcony on the SW end of T2 which quietly remained open (most of the time) until the 2nd Gulf war in Iraq ,2003
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1006684/

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

TDM Flo Kingdon. She later became a PR lady for BAA and was in Approach when i was working but had gone when I got a break. I used to phone her for reg numbers when I was still at school! She may no longer be with us I fear. Her colleague was Stan Little in the "box".

[wrecker]

What may not be so well known about the QB is that there was a dormitory on the ground floor which could be used by crew either prior to reporting for a early service or doing the early morning airport standby. Not the most salubrious of accommodation. Unfortunately the lampson tubes to and from Met and AIS were located in the ceiling so you new when to get up when the offices started to get busy.
On another topic I must have gone in and out of the north door of QB for over 25 years and in all that time I don't remember the ceiling tiles all being complete in that corridor.

[victor tango]

Wrecker
I had forgotten about the Lampson tube network. Was it just between QB and
T3 or did it go to other terminals?

Regarding the ceiling tiles.........when it rained heavily the corridors were littered with small tin rubbish bins to collect the drips....happy days.
Later they put a lot of portakabins on the roof, didnt do anything for leaks into the building though!

[Capot]

My first airline flight was with my father (divorced) from Heathrow, Queens Building, to Dublin, in an Aer Lingus Viscount in 1954. He was an ex-RAF Lanc pilot, who spent 18 months in Belaria, outside Stalag Luft III at Zagan, and he was almost as thrilled as I was by the Dart engines' sound, speed and smoothness.

A few years later it was our stop of choice for breakfast on the way back from a night out in London to be on morning parade at Sandhurst at 0730, polished, immaculate and alert!

Many happy memories of that wonderful building,

[pax britanica]

The Queens building was bit of my childhood growing up in Stanwell village and being fascinated with aircraft. In fact all of LHR Central area kind of looked the part back then. Sad to say that now it looks like a giant B&Q albeit a lot nicer inside.

Sad to see the once familiar skyline silhouette of LHR disappear into modern mediocrity
PB

[HZ123]

As well as FK there was Robin Baxindale who sadly was involved in a fatal accident many years ago. As a PC we had a little office at the side of the main stair case in which many phone calls were made, cigs smoked, sleep and the odd occasion someone was brought in for questioning.

[Loki]

victor tango

There were a couple of tube networks...one was a narrow bore addressable system linking the Queens Building with the Control Tower Building. Always going wrong, a couple of full time staff were always tweaking it. There was a much bigger bore direct system, I think just between flight clearance and BA.

There was quite a nice BEA canteen on the first floor IIRC...but most of my memories concern Flight Clearance and AIS (1970-1973)

[victor tango]

Loki
Everyone keeps talking about nice canteens.....the only one I remember in the 70s was on the roof and it was pretty basic.(staff only)

Bye the way, can you tell me what IIRC means? I keep seeing it in many posts and cant work out what the b****y hell it means:confused:

HZ123
I rescued a large 2ft X 2ft cardboard aerial shot of LHR and on the reverse was a map showing all the police areas around LHR. They ad thrown it in a skip bin when they did yet another refurb. Do you remember it as it must have hung on the wall in your office?

[SpringHeeledJack]

If I ReCall ? I recall ;) there were 2 restaurants/cafes, the one up in the spotter's playground and another one for staff just off that walkway that linked T1 with T2, although as to where, memory fails. Is that long walkway gone now that all the modifications have been made ?



SHJ

[Loki]

victor tango....I have always thought it meant "If I Recall Correctly"

The Queens building staff canteen at least had some natural light; unlike the T1 equivalent. We also commonly used one atop T2, sometimes referred to as "The hole in the roof"

[A30yoyo]

The Google/LIFE magazine photo archive has a bunch of photos of the QB/Europa/T2 building taken ,I would say. by a British Press agency [crap quality, some are just roughly joined together to make panoramas :-) ], samples here (there's lots)...in a folder called 'Air Aero 1920' which doesn't come up in their dysfunctional site search engine
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/ec707040f3ebe033.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/eaa7f63410cfebde.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/8d1173eae485bcb1.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/d1626717b85637d5.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f98ef71585b56adc.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/20da0da3abb1c2ed.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/9af7393aa799b4b2.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/3c5789555454a1ab.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/ac0baff1482ba20b.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/3a5ae7a1e67149dd.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/451ab825848b6f3d.html)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/21deb08158b74614.html)

And as an extra a view from the 1946 Northside control tower over the original Ground Public Enclosure with a fake DC-4 airborne :-)
Air Aero 1920 - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/0fb93b8e2392463e.html)

And on Flickr there's a couple of interesting batches for 'Heathrow 1957'
https://www.flickr.com/search?text=heathrow%201957&sort=relevance

[scotbill]

In 1960 the crew carpark was a grass field next to the Queens Building - later submerged by T1

[HZ123]

While we are in memory lane, what about the tunnel that went from the exit into the CTA underground to the area where Bld 139 stood ! I recall it had large steel doors that in the early 70's were open and the inside illuminated. I recall that it was also used for filming.

QB was also the point in 1971 when Bay City Roller fans stomed the tarmac to see these stars.I was on duty at The T1 side gate and about 200 teens forced their way through, closing the airport entitely !

[victor tango]

HZ123
Exit from where to CTA underground???
and building 139, what is this? also I dont remember large steel doors.
Can you please enlarge with more info?
Also I asked you a question on 30th Oct re airport map, would love an answer.
Cheers:ok:

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<200 teens forced their way through, closing the airport entitely ! >>

Are you certain about this? Why would the airport close because of that?

[HZ123]

Drome closed because the kids had reached parts of the Terminal 2 apron.The escapade was filmed as it once featured as opening to an episode of 'Softly Softly' I think.

Do any of you remember the GAS riots at the rear of T2 in the early '70's ?

I do recall the map upon the wall we also had a large one on the Northside PS vestibule. Seems odd when I pass to see it gone, mind it was to small from Day 1.

As one entered the tunnel at the M4 spur side better still the left pedestrian bore, upon exit there was a small service road and these large steel double doors which served a double lane to a point close to Bld 139 and ultimate access to the BEA engineering base.

Someone must know why it was never used ? It was illuminated throughout and was similar inside to the then cargo tunnel.

One more thing there was a pedestrian tunnel from T1 to Car Park 1A half way through was a Civil Defense room kitted out as a classroom and clearly regularly in use ?

Early 70 we also periodically went into the numerous service tunnels under the CTA(Central Terminal Area) as a number of Asians had been found living in them

[PAXboy]

Talking of water ingress at the Queens, going through T3 last Sunday evening I saw modern examples of watercapture. A clever design like a small hammock, a plastic scoop that was secured to the ceiling at four points, catching the leak. This had a drain pipe to the ground into a large receptacle for easy emptying.

Not much changes!

[DaveReidUK]

and Building 139, what is this?

T1 transfer baggage facility.

[DaveReidUK]

As one entered the tunnel at the M4 spur side better still the left pedestrian bore, upon exit there was a small service road and these large steel double doors which served a double lane to a point close to Bld 139 and ultimate access to the BEA engineering base.

Someone must know why it was never used ? It was illuminated throughout and was similar inside to the then cargo tunnel.There were/are in fact two tunnels, with entrances either side of the main access tunnel. These provided access for buses, baggage trucks, etc to the outer stands.

Photo showing them, coincidentally, posted today in the "LHR Nostalgia" thread:

http://steemrok.com/LAP%203%20sm

and ultimate access to the BEA engineering baseI'm not sure what's meant by that as the BEA base was on the far side of 05R/23L and I've never heard of a tunnel under the runway (though for many years there was a ground-level vehicle crossing which was fun to use as it involved crossing the inner and outer ring taxiways in between passing aircraft).

[victor tango]

Do any of you remember the GAS riots at the rear of T2 in the early '70's ?

By Gas you mean General Aviation Services (just to clarify for other readers)
whom I was working for at the time. I dont remember riots per se, but do remember BEA ramp unions screaming strike action etc.

We were trying to do our job of handling IB, SV, Air Ceylon etc.
BEA seemed to have enough spare staff and equipment to surround the a/c we were working on!!
When GAS finally withdrew from LHR I think quite a lot of our ramp people went to BEA.:ugh: