Nostalgia at BHX

[Ray Finkle]

I think that it was called The Blues Bar. It has a great view over part of the apron and the runway.

I also remember the Panini's, delicious.

 

[wolfheze]

Bought an book that has a few images of the old terminal building. The three here are one of the main concourse and two of the viewing lounge with the bar which I could only ever remember with the shutters down. The furniture looks somewhat more luxurious than the cheap plastic chairs we used to sit on. View attachment 3726 View attachment 3727 View attachment 3728

 

[wolfheze]

View attachment 3730 View attachment 3731 View attachment 3732

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Great pictures. If I had to make a guess, I'd say they were early 1960s.

 

[wolfheze]

Yes.book was from 63

 

[Derwent Dale]

Am I the only one who remembers the architects model of the planned runway extension (the one to 7,400 feet in 1967) ?- it was located in the far corner of the photo above showing " The main concourse with passengers waiting to proceed to HM Customs "- When I flew in 1966, we boarded through the door on the left - no security check - straight out to our Dakota taking us on our hols to Sandown / Isle of Wight - At this time BHX called their departure gates ' Channels ' and if memory serves me well the two in the photo were Channels 6 and 7.

 

[wolfheze]

Am afraid it was too early for me to have seen. I didn't start going until 75/76. From what I can remember the side of the building with the glass panels which is uncluttered in the photo was lined with ticket and car hire desks. There is another photo in the book of the international terminal extension showing the link tunnel to the main building. I didn't realise that the departure lounge (with the pay to view tvs) was obviously added at a later date.

 

[wolfheze]

View attachment 3733 View attachment 3734

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Look how passengers were more formally dressed then.

 

[Derwent Dale]

My guess is they were off to Jersey - that lad in the cap could have been me !

 

[jfy1999]

Look how passengers were more formally dressed then.

Does anyone else here somehow get the impression that the weather was colder back then because so many people in old photos are clad in coats and hats?

 

[wolfheze]

Does anyone else here somehow get the impression that the weather was colder back then because so many people in old photos are clad in coats and hats?

I think we had proper seasons back then. Winters were definitely colder. I can remember ice forming on the inside of my bedroom window as a child. Much more fog as well but that might have been as much about coal fires as anything else.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Smog (smoke and fog) was certainly a feature of life, especially in London in the early 1950s. Coal fires everywhere and the lack of a Clean Air Act contributed to this.

I lived in a cottage in the country through the 1950s. We had no central heating, no bathroom and the toilet was in an outhouse with a bucket lavatory whose 'harvest' had to be emptied and buried in the garden after every use. It led to wonderful vegetables being grown. Because of the lack of central heating our windows regularly froze on the inside in winter but I suspect they still would without central heating.

I sometimes wonder if we look back at our childhood and youth with heavily rose-tinted spectacles. I used to 'remember' warm summers every year in the years before I was old enough to sit the Eleven-Plus school exam. However, a few years ago I borrowed a library book about weather patterns and found to my almost disbelief that the early 1950s hosted a series of exceptionally wet summers in the South West where I lived. I had obviously remembered those days when the sun did shine and got it into my memory bank that they were typical days when clearly they weren't.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Nick Price ✈ ‏@NicktheSaddler 1h1 hour ago
Brought these postcards of @bhx_official today at a fair in Nottingham @BHX_Ambassador #bygoneera #elmdon #airport

https://twitter.com/NicktheSaddler/with_replies?lang=en-gb

 

[wolfheze]

Lot of greenery in the first one!
Any idea when it was drawn?
I haven't seen a photograph of the terminal during the war but assume it's correct showing it camouflaged?

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Lot of greenery in the first one!
Any idea when it was drawn?
I haven't seen a photograph of the terminal during the war but assume it's correct showing it camouflaged?

I've certainly seen the first picture before. To commemorate the opening of the (then) new terminal, the Express & Star had a pull out section (which I still have somewhere) devoted to the new development. I'm fairly sure that is where I first saw the picture. That should give some indication of when it was drawn, as the terminal opened in 1984.
I believe that the old terminal was camouflaged during the war years.

Regards

Kevin

 

[Butty]

I remember the pull out when the new terminal opened. I kept it for years. Even had the picture on my wall at one point. At that time the new terminal was so impressive. Two storeys with the wonderful atrium. Airbridges for the first time! It was a very exciting period in the airports history and led to a period of incredible growth. Suddenly we we're being taken seriously. Happy memories.

 

[Ray Finkle]

If only the Eurohub had been built further south where the car park is, T1 could have retained two piers both which could have been upgraded to the standard of the one we have now.

Hindsight really is a wonderful thing. I suppose with Birmingham averaging circa 3.5 mppa between 89 and 91 and having what is often reported as less than ambitious ownership they probably never dreamed of being where we are today.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Any news on this please.

E.

Just bumping this as no reply so far

E.

 

[wolfheze]

Is the bit of video showing someone Iistening to their father or grandfather's recording?