Goodbye Heathrow Tower
Yes indeed it was! The West Drayton canteen in those days (late 60s/early 70s) was open 24/7; nothing like a good fryup or just a few slices of hot buttered toast in the early hours!
Barton Hall (Preston ATCC for the uninitiated) in the same era you were lucky to get a cheese sandwich made by the daytime staff and sold from the bar, but only until last orders.
Barton Hall (Preston ATCC for the uninitiated) in the same era you were lucky to get a cheese sandwich made by the daytime staff and sold from the bar, but only until last orders.
Last edited by chevvron; 23rd Jan 2013 at 17:17.
More than just an ATCO
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Up someone's nose
Age: 75
Posts: 1,768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IIRC the Drayton canteen was closed for an hour for "cleaning".
Hot buttered toast ? I remember there being a new kitchen assistant, straight off the boat, being shown how to do it. Toast the bread, butter it, put it on a plate. However as nobody had ordered it, at 0300, it went straight into the bin. Come 0700, and the Morning shift drifting in, things htted up but no toast was forthcoming. A peek in the kitchen revealed it, toasted, buttered, on the plate, into the bin .....
The Sabena restaurant at EBBR was a revelation. on the 7th floor of the terminal building, great view of the apron and runways., watching the AF and SN crews enjoying their meals with a good bottle of wine.
Hot buttered toast ? I remember there being a new kitchen assistant, straight off the boat, being shown how to do it. Toast the bread, butter it, put it on a plate. However as nobody had ordered it, at 0300, it went straight into the bin. Come 0700, and the Morning shift drifting in, things htted up but no toast was forthcoming. A peek in the kitchen revealed it, toasted, buttered, on the plate, into the bin .....
The Sabena restaurant at EBBR was a revelation. on the 7th floor of the terminal building, great view of the apron and runways., watching the AF and SN crews enjoying their meals with a good bottle of wine.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 79
Posts: 8,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There were three "restaurants" at London Tower when I started - two on the ground floor separated by simple partitions. One side for aircrew and highly-paid ATCOs and the other side for "manual workers". Upstairs (1st floor) was a waitress service restaurant where the 3rd floor people used to eat. We used it for going-away parties too - Alastair McLean, Bill Stretton and other musicians provided entertainment. When I left Heathrow Tower in 1993 all that lot had morphed into a machine providing Mars bars and crisps!
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Berks
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My memory must be playing tricks but I seem to remember flying in an Aztec down to Bournemouth to pick up duty frees and then on to Bordeaux for lunch.
NB
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: On the wireless...
Posts: 1,901
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IIRC the Drayton canteen was closed for an hour for "cleaning".
One of the toast butterers became an ATCO...
A mate who was a Trident jock occasionally used to ask me over to join him for lunch in the BEA canteen in QB whilst he was on airport standby. So I did. Linen tablecloths and silver service...us air traffickers were normally used to legging it over 6 lanes of frenetic traffic to spend our LVs at Harry Ramsden's...the challenge was not to open the box until we got back to the rest room...or back on GMC...
More than just an ATCO
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Up someone's nose
Age: 75
Posts: 1,768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You got Luncheon Vouchers? Must have been after my time. I remember getting meal tickets for a while, then on my birthday getting a pay rise and losing the vouchers. After paying more tax and the extra cost of meals i was about a quid a week worse off.
Don't remember WD canteen actually closing for cleaning, as far as I recall they just cleaned round us if we were in there, usually max of about 6 at a time. I was there Mar '69 to Sep '71.
I too used the QB restaurant courtesy of my wife at the time. She was secretary to the BEA Training Manager Tridents/737s (c1978) and worked on the same floor a matter of 50 yards away, and would 'borrow' a colleagues pass to get me in.
I too used the QB restaurant courtesy of my wife at the time. She was secretary to the BEA Training Manager Tridents/737s (c1978) and worked on the same floor a matter of 50 yards away, and would 'borrow' a colleagues pass to get me in.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: cornwall
Age: 78
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Heathrow Director:
Your memory of the Greasy Spoon is very good!!! I was a BEA General Apprentice back in '64-'67, doing most of the menial jobs they could think up for us and it was but a short walk from Queens Building, Terminal 1 or 1A across to the Tower for some sustenance. I too remember the divided area but think I managed to stay in the "posh " side where the BEA ground staff used to eat....more pretty faces there too!!
Despite working in BEA Flt Ops in Queens Building the Restaurant there was definitely out of the league of a lowly Apprentice, especially as we were getting paid about £5 a week !!
Very sad to see one of Heathrows landmarks being so harshly treated, but I guess thats progress.....
Your memory of the Greasy Spoon is very good!!! I was a BEA General Apprentice back in '64-'67, doing most of the menial jobs they could think up for us and it was but a short walk from Queens Building, Terminal 1 or 1A across to the Tower for some sustenance. I too remember the divided area but think I managed to stay in the "posh " side where the BEA ground staff used to eat....more pretty faces there too!!
Despite working in BEA Flt Ops in Queens Building the Restaurant there was definitely out of the league of a lowly Apprentice, especially as we were getting paid about £5 a week !!
Very sad to see one of Heathrows landmarks being so harshly treated, but I guess thats progress.....
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 79
Posts: 8,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A310bcal... At least you got into the posh area! In the "other" area was the lovely Ivy serving. Even the labourers had to put their fingers in their ears when she started!
It is a shame to see the old place go. In fact, it's almost gone as a recent picture shows (tnx Pete Bish):
It is a shame to see the old place go. In fact, it's almost gone as a recent picture shows (tnx Pete Bish):
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: South Coast and Suffolk
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What a sad picture!
Shame my unit couldn't have got their hands on the VCR to replace our current one which has more holes than the Costa Concordia.
Which floor housed the radar room?
Shame my unit couldn't have got their hands on the VCR to replace our current one which has more holes than the Costa Concordia.
Which floor housed the radar room?
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Asgard
Posts: 488
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Of course there was the lovely "Maureen" at WD in later days, well known for her customer skills. "Evening Maureen" would be answered with "And I don't want none of your lip neither!" Phrases like "Oi! Cloth ears, don't you want your dinner?" will remain with me for ever.
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: On the wireless...
Posts: 1,901
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by HEATHROW DIRECTOR
In recent times the approach room was on the ground floor
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Age: 70
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK, severe memory failure could be setting in. When did the canteen(s) in the CTB close, I got there in '78 and don't remember them. We always went to one of the BAA staff canteens in the terminal buildings
Regards from sunny South Alabama
Regards from sunny South Alabama
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Greater Aldergrove
Age: 52
Posts: 851
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What's going into the space left behind It's a pity that the old tower could not have been preserved for posterity, and put to alternative use. Would it not have made a good conference facility? Put a nice restaurant in the upper levels?
More than just an ATCO
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Up someone's nose
Age: 75
Posts: 1,768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
a pity that the old tower could not have been preserved for posterity,
Whebn the new tower was built at EHBK the old VCR was retained and put atop the terminal as a museum. Never seen it used and I don't think there's any access to it. Someones probably using it to grow weed
