Nostalgia at BHX

[wolfheze]

Not directly related to the airport but does anyone recall a company that had a compound right on the corner of Bickenhill lane where it met the A45, which would have been opposite the clock pub? It might have been called SGB or similar and the compound used to contain yellow double decker buses. Also does anyone remember the old shadow factory building further along Bickenhill lane towards Marston Green, was used during the war to assemble Stirling and later Lancaster bombers which were then towed across the railway line for flight testing from Elmdon? I have a feeling it was still there after the new terminal was built and was still painted in its wartime camouflage paint

 

[Brummiegem]

I remember the compound opposite the clock pub.I think you could be right with SGB.
I don't remember buses,I think I remember trucks/vans or maybe both.
What work did they do?
I might remember the building if I saw a picture of it,otherwise I'm not so sure.

 

[JENNYJET]

Wolfie, I recall the SGB farm as it was informed to me,....by the Police . ...well back in the day just after New Airport was up and running I was a keen spotter on the Coventry Road just where the landing light are just by the Clock pub. It was cold, VERY cold and I waiting for a ALITALIA A380 to arrive. I got a bit bored and annoyed by traffic and decided to explore the surrounding area, and found myself in land that was separated by a recognizable fence and settled down.

I got camera out with a very long lenses in the hope a B setting on the shutter would get a picture of all pictures.

Regrettably, someone in the tower spotted me and informed the resident Police of my location and their Land Rover with searchlight found me and I was summarily detained on site whilst investigations were followed up.

This not so long after the bombing of Birmingham pubs and I was just a tomboy looking for own interest not thinking the bigger picture.

My bona fides were checked and cleared but was given a warning never to set foot upon airport land ever again upon pain of arrest and charges.

SGB to me means armed Police and a terrifying night at my favourite Airport.

I missed the Alitalia A300, that is what bothered me the most.......

 

[JENNYJET]

I apologize folks but using tablets to type means serious errors.......

Alitalia A300 not 380.

 

[wolfheze]

Remember doing something similar before the new terminal was built when us three lads got off the bus at Birmingham international and got through a barbed wire fence to start walking across a frozen ploughed field (where the current terminal is) towards the runway and terminal. We lost our bottle halfway across because we felt terribly exposed and were sure the tower would have spotted us and sent the police after us. In those days we were very respectful of the law!

 

[JENNYJET]

Yes sir and those airport Police had machine guns, I am sure I wet myself when I realized they were serious given the recent activities of the Irish in the city.....to this day I venture with fear upon the BHX site should the Police retain details of my arrest, thankfully I have had no problems but it only needs one inquisitive individual to dig deeper and hey ho, de ja vu!!!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Not directly related to the airport but does anyone recall a company that had a compound right on the corner of Bickenhill lane where it met the A45, which would have been opposite the clock pub? It might have been called SGB

Did they have anything to do with fencing? I remember my cousin getting a summer job with a company of a very similar name. He told me that he did some work very close to the airport.

Kevin

 

[Derwent Dale]

It was SGB - Scaffolding GB - still going today providing platforms and the like to the building industry.
Cheers DD

 

[wolfheze]

Thank you

 

[JENNYJET]

It therefore suggests they took upon land upon a farm or designated farm land and settles a problem I have been burdened with for 40 years.

The SGB farm being that land occupied and defended by the Police so vigorously and for the protection of all.

I am satisfied that the Control Tower not simply watch aircraft movements but any mammal that enters the airfield with malice or pleasure but hopefully my inner idiot has grown up sufficiently not to trouble the Police.

 

[JENNYJET]

I received a 'forbidden' message when trying to access your given link Mr. Wolfie sir....

Is it so sensitive by chance?

 

[wolfheze]

Don't know. Maybe a copyright thing. I will take it off. Shame is an interesting picture.

 

[wolfheze]

If you Google camouflage factory Marston green Bickenhill and search images as you scroll down you will see an aerial photo of elmdon showing the factory and the crossing over the railway line to the airfield.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I thought the excellent pictures from Kevin Farnell would also benefit from being here.

Well, I finally managed to get my old Nikon LS-40 slide/negative scanner up and running. It wasn't easy, as I had to dismantle it in order to clean a very delicate mirror that had become coated in dust. Also, I had to get software written for Win Xp 32 bit to run on Win 7 64 bit. Fortunately, some clever chap had written a software update and a guide to installation.
So, as you may have guessed, I've been busy scanning my old negatives.
If you like BHX nostalgia, you may enjoy these -

Kevin

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Cheers, Ray.

Would you rather that I post old photos here in future? They seem to have been very well liked and I'm sure I can find more in the future (it just takes an age to scan them).

Regards

Kevin

 

[Ray Finkle]

Would you rather that I post old photos here in future?

I'm easy either way. It's up to you but if it was me I'd post them in both threads, they're pictures and they're nostalgia and both will give them maximum exposure

 

[Elmdon80slad]

A great new selection of pics love them - A bit of trivia behind the Highland Express 747 and the Birmingham Exec Gulf 1, when I worked at the airport in 88 doing the summer season there, after taking the pax off the Highland Exp Jumbo, I had the chance to fly with them upto Glassgow/Prestwick? as an employee type thing be put up in a hotel then brought back to BHX the next day by less interesting aircraft type than 747.
Also while working at the airport I was on escort duites(putting folks on the planes either from the man gates or airbridges) and we had the band UB40 going with Birmingham Exec to Belfast, they where in a rush and dashed for the plane without it being ready, i ran forward to stop them and was told in quite stiff language to stop by a Special Branch man holding a rifle aimed at me, as my ID badge was not noticable enough, this was resolved by showing my pass.

Interesting times

E.

 

[wolfheze]

Looks like i missed out on quite a bit in the 80s. Old Alitalia colours are great.

 

[JENNYJET]

Looks like i missed out on quite a bit in the 80s. Old Alitalia colours are great.

At least someone got a picture of Alitalia but I honestly believed or had been misinformed that the Highland Express B747 never actually entered into revenue service!

Wardair and CP Air gave us something to look forward to each week instead of the current Air Transat offerings.

Thank you for those images, brings back nice memories of when BHX was small enough to be exciting!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

At least someone got a picture of Alitalia but I honestly believed or had been misinformed that the Highland Express B747 never actually entered into revenue service!

The Alitalia A300 pictured, I believe was a diversion. Although they did operate through summer months, for student exchange.

After many false starts (believe me, I had many early weekend starts to eventually see it), Highland Express did operate for a short period. It was even said to be 'operationally profitable', when it ceased flying.

Kevin