please empty your brain below

After the airport closed, but before the Roundshaw Estate was built, the perimeter track was still intact and could be used by motor-cyclists (with or without permission I'm not sure).

Mick Hutchings, a fellow sixth-former at Selhurst Grammar School in 1962 had a Triumph 750cc Bonneville and asked if I'd like to 'do the ton'.

Do the ton we did. Over 100 miles an hour as a pillion passenger on what was by then a fairly rough track - but we came to no harm and it remains one of life's enduring memories.
I love those packing lists. Gents: no space for underwear.
Just to be clear, as far as I am aware, the runway was entirely grass throughout its period of operation. I have always presumed that the tarmac either came later or was a hardstanding for stationary planes.
Wikipedia says that Neville Chamberlin landed at Heston. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_for_our_time
Further corrections awaited, thankyou.

I should read the information panels more carefully.
Second time I've come across to the name Amy Johnson, recently.
In March I went to a speedway meeting at Iwade in Kent, at a track on the site of a WW2 anti-aircraft battery.
While there, a local told me about the 'Amy Johnson downed by friendly fire' story and that the Iwade battery (much of which can still be seen) is the one understood to be responsible.
re packing lists, the gents might have no underwear, but the ladies have no "toilet accessories" although they seem have require an inordinate number of knickers
A dozen handkerchiefs - and no knickers :-)
Blogging about airports, DG? Far too political :-)
^ Indeed...it about time that plans were put in place to find a new location for the current London airport. The idea that it o.k for large aircraft to be flying over central London 365days a year almost 24hrs a day is madness. There are cleary two choices...either reduce air-travel or keep expanding. Odd, is it not, that hardly any talk of it lately by any of the "parties"?
A lady can never have enough clean knickers! Especially if it's a bumpy flight! 😉
I was bought up in Purley at the south end of the runway in the 1950s. I certainly don't recall any planes, but Dad said he used to get woken up at around midnight by the always heavily loaded mail plane to Jersey. He said it used to stagger over the house at 100 feet or so.
Re-reading the posts Ray may wish to know that 10 years after his escapade I nearly got up to the ton (well, 80!) on Purley Way in my Morris Minor.

The throttle return spring broke and I was off. I still remember the look of amazement on the Merc driver's face as I whizzed by him!
Did you see the Purley Gates, Chris?
Excellent.

As I went past the Merc I managed to actually think and turn the ignition off and came to a halt at the lay-bay where the changing rooms used to be. Quite startling at the time!

And that's reminded me of another thing about Purley Way, the coldest place ever to play football. How the planes managed to take off in those crosswinds, I'll never know.
"spring broke" ...put foot under pedal and lift up that way? or de-press clutch? turning ignition off could have made the problem worse. Though perhaps in "the heat of the moment" it what first came to mind.
Morris Minors don't have steering locks.
Or power steering. Or servo-assisted brakes.
The mens' wardrobe includes "1 pair suspenders"

Obviously not in the American sense as the British English equivalent "1 pair braces" is listed further up. Are these sock suspenders?
@ Malcolm, timbo

And no clutch?
I presume in the Poirot TV series they are flying from Croydon when he and Captain Hastings or Japp are visiting the continent. One scene shows people being weighed on large scales and the weight recorded before they are allowed on the flight.
"a sparkly gentleman" - love it!
And re sock suspenders: my father always wore them. No elasticated sock-tops in those days.










TridentScan | Privacy Policy