It was about 10 years ago now that myself and a fellow wannabe aviation archeologist went scrummaging around in the trees to see if anything was left of the old aerodrome, and found a few uprights of an old metal fence, from which position we deduced (from looking at what few photos are available of the airfriend when active) could have been some sort of boundary fence. We would have investigated further, but you would be surprised at the looks we attracted - two middle-aged men in suits burrowing into bushes on Hounslow Heath one lunchtime....

Either way, i agree with the above - a visit would be a good thing. I grew up in Heston and like some of the posters above have memories of the airfield in the 60s. My mother attended Berkley School and has a lot of stories. My father worked at the maintenance depot at Hanworth in the war, where they repaired the electrics on all sorts of aircraft. His trade was gunnery systems.

I too would be up for a bit of exploring.....I live in Worcester but get down to London frequently.... and my dog is getting fed up of Perdiswell, Throckmorton and Defford!!

Oldandslow...I would be very interseted in any recollections (or pictures) of Heston during the 60s...

My Father was taught to fly at Hanworth in 1938 on Blackburn B2's (one of which is still at Old warden). I have some photos of B2's lined up outside the Hanworth house and a course photo which I think is next to the House. My Dad ended up flying Spitfires from Heston in September 1940 with the experimental Photo Reconnaisance Unit PRU. There is a good 1938 aerial photo of Heston taken from the northwest

Heston Airport Image from the AirTeamImages Picture Library

I think the M4 now cuts across the bottom left hand corner of the phot.

My father is now dead, but does anyone know where the PRU was based at Heston?

WS

Not much, i am afraid. Let me have a dig around.

"There is a good 1938 aerial photo of Heston taken from the northwest"

Indeed it is!! The arched hanger to the left of the control tower is still there, as is the main approach road -although today the trees have grown somewhat!

Part of this is Heston services on the M4.

WHBM -thanx for your mail! Will reply!

Way back in the late'70s, there was what I remember to be a T2 or Bellman type hangar just north of the M4 where the western boundary road crosses it on the airfield side. My first wife, who worked for BA, took me to a dance there in about '76 or '77 when it was a BA staff club, possibly the Speedbird Club mentioned at #40. Doesn't seem to be there any more, but I can remember in previous years (mid-late '60s) passing some distance away in a coach and seeing 'Fairy Aviation' in big letters possibly on the roof of the same hangar.

I was just once, some years ago, inside the restaurant of the westbound Heston services (which I pass regularly) and noticed they had a number of good photographs of the airfield from the 1930s up on the wall. Don't know if they are still there.

The services date from the 1960s and the eastbound side is still the original one. The westbound side was destroyed by fire in the 1980s and rebuilt to a completely different design. The photos were maybe added after the rebuilding.

The pill box is located nearer to Hanworth Park House in the middle of the Airpark, link below

http://www.multimap.com/s/ivc9aA1O
The Pill Box is to the left of the red circle or select Birds Eye and face South. The pill box is now to the right of the red circle


I think the structure at the Horse and Groom crossroads you are talking about is an old Ice House, the area is named after it, The Mount.
It was built around 1865 by Algernon Perkins who resided at Hanworth Park House, and used it as an Ice House or Cold Store.

http://www.multimap.com/s/jqhCPotk

Again select BirdsEye and face South and you can just make it out in the trees to the right of the Red Circle.

If you know where to look (and I do.....) you can find the floor of one of the old hangars. Clue: Stand on the steps of the Officer's Club, and look left!

16Gth Hounslow Air Scout Group in Denmark 1971
 

Hi All.
Long time ago back in the summer 1971 the 16Gth Hounslow Air Scout Group went to Denmark to visit scouts from Herlufsholm Scout Group, in a town named Naestved. I learned from this thread that some of you have been scouts and perhaps have participated in this?

In Denmark the two scout groups among others participated in a Jamboree at Dehnshytten located at the south coast of Sealand. Later on the Danish Scout Group went to London.

We had a scout named Rye living in our home for some days. My older brother Per where the exchange scout with Ryan and have often talked about it could be funny to have some contact again and to share pictures etc.

Is it possible that you know some of the scouts from that time and could make a contact?

Best regards

Jes

KFUM-Spejderne Herlufsholm Gruppe, Næstved

http://www.herlufsholm.org/wp-conten...-1-624x414.jpg