BEA property around London
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: ascot berks uk
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Airways housing association
My father worked for Imperial Airways / BOAC from 1929 to 1963 through the war etc ,and after the war both BEA and BOAC found they were scattered at different locations and housing was at a premium with as in our case stationed at Bovingdon with no housing to be had at all ,they took over an abandoned ex USAAF billet huts made them habitable and after Bovingdon closed and every thing moved to LHR in 1946 by this time the Housing Association had foreseen this and starting building estates around LHR for both Corporations and we ended up in Ruislip around 1949 I as a electrical improver was put into “digs”( no apprenticeship in those days) during the changeover, all the housing was rented and you were asked to move if you “empty nested”,my parents moved to Stanwell and stayed there until they died at a great age.
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Interesting topic in the late 80's I was a Security Surveyor based in the new Vanguard House. Our Director was David Hyde who wore a number of hats including Head of Safety and Security, also he had a hand in the property portfolio. Ceasing the moment at the monthly meeting I volunteered to review off airport property security. I was able to get 52 pages of A4 paper with World wide property of that nearlt 30 pages of it were in the UK. At that time we had a hotel/conference centre in Chesham but of real interest was a farm and golf course in Essex. When I said to him one day I was off to inspect our Essex property he said there is no such thing as BA owning that. Anyway I showed him my paperwork and he checked and confirmed we indeed were the owners. I was told it wouod be disposed of but I never recall hearing about it again or finding any reference to its sale. At this time we also had the 1-11 club at BHX and the Clansman at GLA. A very nicely placed sales/reservations office in St Helier to name a few. Wish I had kept the list>
Crazy to think that there were properties unknown to the company, off the radar so to say! I'm reminded of this
Perhaps the bean counters knew of the properties and the salaries and outgoings and maybe even profits ?
Perhaps the bean counters knew of the properties and the salaries and outgoings and maybe even profits ?
BEA's Reservation Department moved to Dorland Hall, Lower Regent Street, in 1948.
Some discussion of The Heston Hilton here:-
"The Heston Hilton" BA Training Centre - What Went On There?
"The Heston Hilton" BA Training Centre - What Went On There?
BEA property around London
Leeds Based Viscount FO with Northeast posted to LHR and within weeks transferred to Trident 1E. Course was at Heston. I was in the middle of house search .Ground-School Instructor told me that BEA had rooms, at Heston, where one could stay short or long term. I booked.in, had a comfortable room for next to nothing. Ate in the Canteen. Still failed the ARB though !
Company I worked for, non-aviation, took on in the 1980s a lease from BA at Heathrow House, on the A4 next to where the DoubleTree is now. Probably built 1970s - still there. Had all five floors, BA had completely moved out.
Phoned a colleague up one day, all normal and we were having a technical discussion. Suddenly there breaks in a stroppy woman "Hello there, this is British Airways Switchboard SUPERVISOR here at (some location). We regularly have your company coming in on OUR lines like this. Give me the phone number you are on, I will have it traced. Yes ... and yes ... Good day".
Presumably some phone line connection not completely severed when they moved out.
Phoned a colleague up one day, all normal and we were having a technical discussion. Suddenly there breaks in a stroppy woman "Hello there, this is British Airways Switchboard SUPERVISOR here at (some location). We regularly have your company coming in on OUR lines like this. Give me the phone number you are on, I will have it traced. Yes ... and yes ... Good day".
Presumably some phone line connection not completely severed when they moved out.
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I have heard BA had lots of property here and there on Bath Road/A4.
Do you know anything else about other property?
I am ever so intrigued at the scale of BA back in the day!
