Nostalgia at BHX

[wolfheze]

Quick question for anyone that used to use the newsagents in the old terminal. Have been trying to remember the name of a confectionery bar we used to buy there and that I can't recall seeing anywhere else. I think it was soft airy type of nougat with a very thin chocolate coating and may have been in a blue/brown wrapper. Not likely anyone will know but then I never thought anybody on here would have seen the Comet smoke drama either!

 

[Creguk]

Quick question for anyone that used to use the newsagents in the old terminal. Have been trying to remember the name of a confectionery bar we used to buy there and that I can't recall seeing anywhere else. I think it was soft airy type of nougat with a very thin chocolate coating and may have been in a blue/brown wrapper. Not likely anyone will know but then I never thought anybody on here would have seen the Comet smoke drama either!

It wasn't a Secret bar was it? Soft in the center with a criss-cross topping?

 

[wolfheze]

No. It wasn't made by a well known maker and like I said I never saw them for sale anywhere else. They were nothing special but made the perfect accompaniment to a cup of nescafe from the machine in departures! This has been bugging me for months, think I need to get out more. Talking of which I cycled from Catherine de Barnes down to the multi storey the other Sunday, got there in time to watch the A380 depart on 15, as it started to roll it disappeared behind the old terminal except for the top of the tail, reminded me of the opening of the airplane movie.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

You are quite correct about Flybe's lineage, Barry. The first aircraft they used into BHX was the Embraer Bandeirante.
Birmingham European however started out life as Birmingham Executive Airways, initially operating 3 x J31's and then adding Gulfstream 1's and a SAAB 340.

They then went on to become Birmingham European operating One-Elevens. They had a brief spell as Brymon European operating One-Elevens and then became part of Maersk using 737-500's and F50's. Finally they became Duo following a management buyout after Maersk sold their interest. Duo operated Canadair regional jets before the airline ceased operations.

Kevin

I wonce put UB40 on one of the Gulf 1's when they came through the airport.

E.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Courtesy of vickersviscount.net with credit to the photographer.

 

[wolfheze]

Any idea when BEA adopted the red square livery ?

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Any idea when BEA adopted the red square livery ?

From what I can gather from the internet, it was introduced in 1959. Then in 1960, the size of the red square on the tail was increased -

http://yesterdaysairlines.weebly.com/bea-liveries-1946-1974.html

I really like the red wings - no mistake who's aircraft was flying over.

Kevin

 

[wolfheze]

Thanks for that, would have been red square that I flew on. I had for many years a small BEA travel bag which must have been bought on that trip. Nice livery and better IMHO than the speedjack version

 

[Jon Dempsey]

My first flight was on one of these. The return flight from Guernsey had the Jack on a blue background.

 

[58terminus]

My first flight was also on one of these Bham Dublin.I still remember being surprised that the seats were the same material as the coach seats we used for school trips At the time i thought all aircraft seats were white leather like
in the films.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Thanks for that, would have been red square that I flew on. I had for many years a small BEA travel bag which must have been bought on that trip. Nice livery and better IMHO than the speedjack version

To be honest, I like both colour schemes. My first flight was aboard a BEA Airtours Comet 4B, wearing the 'Speedjack' colour scheme (as can be seen from a photo I posted previously, showing me descending the steps) -

Obviously, this colour scheme has significant memories for me. I can still remember looking out over that red wing, and watching the airbrakes operate.
My personal opinion, is that the 'red square' best suited the prop driven aeroplanes, whilst the 'speedjack' was more suited to the jet aircraft. The swept lines of the logo matching the swept wings and tails.

Incidentally, the little case that I was carrying was from Matchbox. It was dark blue and made in a padded plastic. Internally, it had sections to store individual Matchbox cars. Does anyone else remember these?

Also, does anyone else remember seeing the 'BEA Scottish Airways' Viscounts at BHX ?

Kevin

 

[wolfheze]

Although I had literally hundreds of Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky cars I never had the luxury of a padded box to keep them in. Mine were thrown unceremoniously into one of those large wicker ottomans with the padded hinged lids!. I was a year or so too late to see a BEA aircraft at Birmingham, do remember a trident diversion in the hybrid crossover livery (speedjack tail and cheatlines with British Airways titles and grey wings)
If there's one photo that captures the atmosphere of Elmdon in the 70's for me it's probably the one of the BOAC and Ghana VC10S on the apron with other diversions lined up on the short runway on a misty freezing cold day. Talking of cold I rode the Pan European over from Rugby to the end of 33 on Saturday and parked up to watch a couple of arrivals, after 20 minutes of seeing nothing the cold got the better of me and I returned home. Felt just like the old days!

 

[58terminus]

Is anybody old enough to remember the arrivals/departures board that used to be situated to the right
as you walked into the Elmdon terminal?It was made of a kind of velcro and each evening they would
put up the next days arrivals and departures one by one picking plastic letters and numbers from drawers built into it.
We would watch them do it.They started with the airline so for example if a B(ea) was the first letter you were disappointed,as we were 95% of the time.
Still remember one evening when the first 2 letters for an arrival were PA.Older readers will get that.
I hope somebody might have a picture of it because i think younger readers will think i've lost it.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Is anybody old enough to remember the arrivals/departures board that used to be situated to the right
as you walked into the Elmdon terminal?It was made of a kind of velcro and each evening they would
put up the next days arrivals and departures one by one picking plastic letters and numbers from drawers built into it.
We would watch them do it.They started with the airline so for example if a B(ea) was the first letter you were disappointed,as we were 95% of the time.
Still remember one evening when the first 2 letters for an arrival were PA.Older readers will get that.
I hope somebody might have a picture of it because i think younger readers will think i've lost it.

Yes, sad to say that I'm that old.
From what I remember, the board was not Velcro, but a black material that had horizontal grooves in it. White plastic letters were pushed into these 'grooves' to make up the arrivals/departures board.

PA... Pakistan Airlines?

Kevin

 

[58terminus]

Yes, sad to say that I'm that old.
From what I remember, the board was not Velcro, but a black material that had horizontal grooves in it. White plastic letters were pushed into these 'grooves' to make up the arrivals/departures board.

PA... Pakistan Airlines?

Kevin

Pan Am

PA... Pakistan Airlines?

Pan Am

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Pan Am

Pan Am

Kevin

 

[wolfheze]

Certainly remember the arrivals/departure board at the information desk. first thing we did after getting off the 159 was go and have a look at it. Don't know why we bothered really as scheduled arrivals were the same 99% of the time.
Next stop was the newsagent for 'supplies'.
ie crisps,chocolate and maybe a copy of aircraft illustrated or air pictorial before picking up a coffee from departures on the way up to the viewing lounge.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Is anybody old enough to remember the arrivals/departures board that used to be situated to the right
as you walked into the Elmdon terminal?It was made of a kind of velcro and each evening they would
put up the next days arrivals and departures one by one picking plastic letters and numbers from drawers built into it.
We would watch them do it.They started with the airline so for example if a B(ea) was the first letter you were disappointed,as we were 95% of the time.
Still remember one evening when the first 2 letters for an arrival were PA.Older readers will get that.
I hope somebody might have a picture of it because i think younger readers will think i've lost it.

If anyone has access to an archive copy, there's a photo of that board and the old information desk in a yellow and black brochure that the airport would send if you wrote to them and asked them for information.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

The good old days on the Elmdon site 81-82 I think, its curtosy of the BHX twitter site, wow the spiral stairs near the right in the pic - used to be my second home.

E.View attachment 4090

 

[wolfheze]

Nice old picture Remember drop off zones ?. Once had an x Reg mini just like the one between the Triumph Acclaim and the Range Rover.