LHR nostalgia
N4790P
Also Luxair with that hideous blue colour scheme
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Oleo Strut and Dockwell, the Stanwell pub is the Rising Sun. Loving this thread - I started straight from school (Windsor Grammar) in '68 in BEA cargo at Hangar 8, soon moved across to the then-brand-new Cargocentre and well remember legging it across to a small gate in the peri fence on many occasions to get to the pub. When I went back eleven years ago to witness the last Concorde departure I was pleased to note said gate is still there!
I remember one big airline cargo warehouse, where the highly organized staff would sort out as many imports and exports as possible in the morning by working flat out until about 1pm, when a load of surplus food would arrive from the airline kitchens, after the consumption of which the warehouse would be locked up and the we would all retire to banks of old aircraft seats in the back of the warehouse for a good long siesta. By tacit agreement going home early was not allowed and everybody took advantage of a relaxed afternoon, including indoor cricket and football when the mood suited. Wouldn't do these days!
My duties in the Customs took me to some very quiet corners of the airport and its environs to oversee various bonded stores, including aircraft spares (how crude I thought much of the Russian stuff was, I used to think). It was always interesting to visit the vast BOAC maintenance base, the 'Kremilin', and cast an eye over the different aircraft there - remember the redundant Argonauts(?) lined up with nowhere to go? I had a friend who worked for the old CAA on planning, and he showed me original drawings for Terminal 2 which indicated parking spaces for no more than fifty cars. How did they imagine people would arrive and depart? Chauffeur driven limos, perhaps.
There were of course taxis, whose charges were not as ruinous as nowadays, and some off-airport garages made a living from providing parking spaces. A garage, not just a car park. That meant they had a mechanic to get cars started again if needed.
Jack Bamford, UK manager for Air France both pre- and post-war, wrote that in the 1930s those travelling direct to Croydon airport were few and far between; they mostly came out in the airline bus from Park Lane, and were delivered to a comparable point in Paris.
Even Autair operating schedules out of Luton during the late 60s had a terminal in North London (North London Air Terminal) at Finchley and run a bus service to the airport.
I assume they still used it to Heathrow when the schedules moved to Heathrow in about 1969, but was then closed down when they became Court Line.
I assume they still used it to Heathrow when the schedules moved to Heathrow in about 1969, but was then closed down when they became Court Line.
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Actually, by airline coach from the town terminal. This was the accepted mode worldwide, people were not expected to make their own way to the airport. Most travellers were anticipated to be in central hotels, both before and after the flight. Few departures before 0900, where you likely are going straight from home, and not a high proportion at that time had a car available. Those that had them would find them unreliable after several days standing; UK airport parking provision still made the distinction between open and under cover (ie didn't get wet) into the 1970s.
There were of course taxis, whose charges were not as ruinous as nowadays, and some off-airport garages made a living from providing parking spaces. A garage, not just a car park. That meant they had a mechanic to get cars started again if needed.
Jack Bamford, UK manager for Air France both pre- and post-war, wrote that in the 1930s those travelling direct to Croydon airport were few and far between; they mostly came out in the airline bus from Park Lane, and were delivered to a comparable point in Paris.
There were of course taxis, whose charges were not as ruinous as nowadays, and some off-airport garages made a living from providing parking spaces. A garage, not just a car park. That meant they had a mechanic to get cars started again if needed.
Jack Bamford, UK manager for Air France both pre- and post-war, wrote that in the 1930s those travelling direct to Croydon airport were few and far between; they mostly came out in the airline bus from Park Lane, and were delivered to a comparable point in Paris.
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TWA = South Kensington
With the help of Google ("filming locations"), near the corner of Russell Road & Kensington High Street
.
With the help of Google ("filming locations"), near the corner of Russell Road & Kensington High Street
.
Last edited by seafire6b; 24th Jul 2017 at 19:01. Reason: Googled it!
N4790P
You're quite right, I'd forgotten about the grey BEA/BOAC double-decker coaches and baggage trailers which brought pax down from the West London air terminal, wasn't it on the Cromwell Road?, which I never visited. And of course there weren't the airport hotels. Wasn't the round Skyways Hotel on the Great West Road about the first?
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Thinking back, I'd guess both hotels were opened around the very early sixties. The Skyway Hotel (now the Radisson Park Inn?) is across the Bath Road from the Three Magpies.
Then still on the Bath Road about a half-mile east, the circular-shaped Ariel Hotel, quite close to the Air Hostess pub opposite. If still there, I trust that's since been PC-renamed "The Cabin Attendant"!
Then still on the Bath Road about a half-mile east, the circular-shaped Ariel Hotel, quite close to the Air Hostess pub opposite. If still there, I trust that's since been PC-renamed "The Cabin Attendant"!
Don't recall a Stanwell pub called the Three Crowns and I grew up in the village there were several pubs for a small place .
Wheatsheaf, Five Bells, and Swan in the High Street , Happy Landing in Clare Road on the BA staff estate and the Rising Sun right by the perimeter road /cargo terminal . All go back way way beyond the airport except for the Happy landing which was built along with the estate
PB
Wheatsheaf, Five Bells, and Swan in the High Street , Happy Landing in Clare Road on the BA staff estate and the Rising Sun right by the perimeter road /cargo terminal . All go back way way beyond the airport except for the Happy landing which was built along with the estate
PB
Even Autair operating schedules out of Luton during the late 60s had a terminal in North London (North London Air Terminal) at Finchley and run a bus service to the airport.
I assume they still used it to Heathrow when the schedules moved to Heathrow in about 1969, but was then closed down when they became Court Line.
I assume they still used it to Heathrow when the schedules moved to Heathrow in about 1969, but was then closed down when they became Court Line.
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttima...68/ou68-03.jpg
North London Terminal was not only kept but expanded when they became Court Line, with charters only. They even bought out their Luton-based coach contractor and painted up the vehicles the same way as the Court aircraft fleet.
Britannia and Monarch also had road vehicle terminals in the same area, not sure if they were shared premises. In those days, for the significant number of leisure passengers without their own cars, airports like Luton or East Midlands were pretty difficult to access.
London air terminals
British eagle was in knightsbridge
and for LTN airport
i think monarch shared either court or Britannia's
Air Spain Aviaco and Dan Air used Court Line's KX air terminal
British eagle was in knightsbridge
and for LTN airport
i think monarch shared either court or Britannia's
Air Spain Aviaco and Dan Air used Court Line's KX air terminal
The Ariel Hotel, that's a blast from the past. I knew the long time manager very well and spent many pleasant evenings dining amongst the 'international jet set' feeling very grown up indeed.
J. Lyons & Co.
As an aside, if anyone wants to see one of the BOAC buses that used to bring passengers from London to Heathrow, there's one sitting outside the bus museum at Brooklands, where there's the odd aircraft as well :-)
J. Lyons & Co.
As an aside, if anyone wants to see one of the BOAC buses that used to bring passengers from London to Heathrow, there's one sitting outside the bus museum at Brooklands, where there's the odd aircraft as well :-)
Isn't there a check in facility for Virgin flights out of Gatwick at Victoria Station?
SHJ
The Bath road Hotels did indeed lend a touch of jet set glamour to lads and lassies from the LHR area . As you say the Aerial with a nice bar was one and the other was the Sheraton (?) which had an internal tropical styled swimming pool along with suitable themed bar . My brother worked there and saw someone actually manage to do the classic accidental step backwards into a swimming pool in full business attire. It was a good place to impress young ladies on a wet misty February evening, especially as many of the traditional hostelries of the area were more suited to a game of darts or a bit of agro (in the vernacular of the day) than romance.
The Bath road Hotels did indeed lend a touch of jet set glamour to lads and lassies from the LHR area . As you say the Aerial with a nice bar was one and the other was the Sheraton (?) which had an internal tropical styled swimming pool along with suitable themed bar . My brother worked there and saw someone actually manage to do the classic accidental step backwards into a swimming pool in full business attire. It was a good place to impress young ladies on a wet misty February evening, especially as many of the traditional hostelries of the area were more suited to a game of darts or a bit of agro (in the vernacular of the day) than romance.