London Airport - 1950's
Feb 1, 2022, 9:51 am
#1
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London Airport - 1950's
Mods please remove this post if you think it is too far from the topics usually discussed on this forum. I visited London Airport on holiday with my parents as a 3 or 4 year old in 1958 or 1959. The memories of that visit remain with me to this day as such a thrilling day out. My elderly mother (97 years old) has just been admitted to a care home and while clearing her house out I came across a London Airport Guide priced at 1 shilling and 6 pence described on the front page as a "complete guide for aircraft spotters" and contains details of all the airlines using the airport, including BEA and BOAC, and also the registration numbers and types of aircraft that could be spotted. There is also a lovely article about the rooftop public enclosure and a variety of adverts and columns about businesses etc. located there. From the description it is clearly Heathrow although the pictures look nothing like what we see today - obviously! However, the airport map does have a vague resemblance to today's Heathrow runways etc. The magazine really took me back in time to my memory of that visit and I would love to share it's contents with anyone interested.
Last edited by charlesrhona; Feb 1, 2022 at 11:48 am Reason: spelling
Feb 1, 2022, 10:59 am
#2
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Wonderful archive item … switch on your scanner and bring it on!
Hmmm … 1958 I would have been cycling to Heathrow from home in Richmond for a day of plane-spotting from the roof of Queen’s Building. BEA Viscounts all over the place.
Hmmm … 1958 I would have been cycling to Heathrow from home in Richmond for a day of plane-spotting from the roof of Queen’s Building. BEA Viscounts all over the place.
Feb 1, 2022, 11:43 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
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If you would like even more memories evoked, here’s a video of that rooftop and playground at Heathrow!
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLNqbV99/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLNqbV99/
Feb 1, 2022, 11:50 am
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Posts: 526
If you PM me with an e-mail address I will scan the magazine and send it on to you.
Feb 1, 2022, 12:15 pm
#5
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Feb 1, 2022, 12:32 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: 16 Miles From ABZ
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 526
Feb 1, 2022, 4:35 pm
#7
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Location: London
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Feb 1, 2022, 4:39 pm
#8
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I was there at the same time and have the same memories. But, oh the excitement when the revolutionary new T1 was opened and the modern world arrived at LHR !
Feb 2, 2022, 12:24 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2005
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In the days when we had "London Airport" and "Gatwick Airport" serving the SE. That was changed sometime in the 60s as pre-internet etc, no one overseas had a clue where "Gatwick" was in the UK. It could have been anywhere.....so naming was changed to London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
