ATC History
Margaret Ballantyne was indeed at Glasgow in '72 when I went there for ADC unit endorsement along with Pat Foster (married to BEA Station manager at Campbelltown) and Pauline Kirkwood. One memorable day, these three were 'manning' the three control positions and supervisor John Sellars and I were the only blokes on duty, the assistants being two or three of the lovely girl ATCAs whcih Glasgow seemed to attract.(Chrissie MacLean, Anne Davidson, Margaret Thomson to name just a few)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Middle England
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The two ladies at Birmingham in the early 70s would have been Brenda Poll and Linda Johnson, both of 25 course and also to be found at CATC in the summer. Helen O'Conner and Judi Hunt were a year or so ahead, possibly 23 course.
Old Herc mate of mine joined Dan c'76 and I asked him had he flown with the lady captain, one Yvonne Pope.
'Yes' he said, last week,'On the way to the aircraft she says" Mike, I've got to make a phone call, be a darling and carry my flight bag out to the aircraft", of course I said'.
Made I laugh, ex-Herc capt carrying her bag - never carried my nav bag, miserable git!
'Yes' he said, last week,'On the way to the aircraft she says" Mike, I've got to make a phone call, be a darling and carry my flight bag out to the aircraft", of course I said'.
Made I laugh, ex-Herc capt carrying her bag - never carried my nav bag, miserable git!
V'x
You're right, I had omitted her from my list above. I assume she was there when I started at LATCC or did she come down with the 'Preston lot'? Was she on E Watch?
Guest
Posts: n/a
Cec used to join up with of a group of us who shared a house in Harlington in '69. She was on her cadet course then. I can't remember which watch she was on but think that it might have been C. She later married a non ATCer and following a spell at LATCC got a transfer to Manchester.
The house mates used to joke that she was the right height to have been a Hostess on the English Electric Lightning. She was also a chum of Pete Withers.
The house mates used to joke that she was the right height to have been a Hostess on the English Electric Lightning. She was also a chum of Pete Withers.
Mr Grumpy; I think you'll find Judy and Helen were on 22 Course, certainly not 23 'cos we were all fellas!
And who can forget lovely Linda Grainger (Liverpool/Heathrow) with her long blonde hair; last I heard she was SATCO Woodvale.
And who can forget lovely Linda Grainger (Liverpool/Heathrow) with her long blonde hair; last I heard she was SATCO Woodvale.
Met Linda first at PATCC (Barton Hall) when she'd just joined as an ATCA, having been in the RAF. I did 6 week famil at PATCC then went to Lindholme for radar endorsement; Linda turned up there a month or so later on a liaison visit. I was doing the NJRSA task (my mentor having nipped off for a fag - the Engllish type dummies!) and she sat and chatted with me for about an hour; very distracting, especially with all the RAF controllers eyeing her up too. She told me then she lived in Bolton and I gathered her partner lived there too, so maybe this is why she had problems at Heathrow as prior to this she'd been at Liverpool until NATS lost the contract.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
Posts: 2,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had the pleasure of training Cecilia in the tower at Manchester.
Great fun, always a pleasure to work with. The morning of her board we arrived in the tower to find snow ploughs and things on the runway.
She was indeed a hostess on Invicta DC4s, and her visits to the flight-deck with mugs of tea lead to an interest in ATC.
I believe that her husband's accountancy firm still do the accounts for GATCO.
The watch often helped move her canal boat along The Bridgewater Canal from Preston Brook to Worsley.
Great fun, always a pleasure to work with. The morning of her board we arrived in the tower to find snow ploughs and things on the runway.
She was indeed a hostess on Invicta DC4s, and her visits to the flight-deck with mugs of tea lead to an interest in ATC.
I believe that her husband's accountancy firm still do the accounts for GATCO.
The watch often helped move her canal boat along The Bridgewater Canal from Preston Brook to Worsley.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Knew Cec very well-a lovely lady.
Her time with Invicta was also on the Vikings. She always used to joke that the only reason that they employed her was that because of her height she was probably the only member of the Cabin Crew that didn't have to duck when passing the wing main spar in the cabin.
Always remember that she had dweadful pwoblems with the letter "R" and hated it when she had to speak to "Rank 'ZN" on the RT!
Fond memories.
Her time with Invicta was also on the Vikings. She always used to joke that the only reason that they employed her was that because of her height she was probably the only member of the Cabin Crew that didn't have to duck when passing the wing main spar in the cabin.
Always remember that she had dweadful pwoblems with the letter "R" and hated it when she had to speak to "Rank 'ZN" on the RT!
Fond memories.