By: David_Kavangh
- 20th November 2012 at 14:09Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not so! They expanded to specialise in scale models, particularly Travel Agent type models and moved a few hundred yards up the road to Noble Corner and kept the name 'VHF Supplies' for a few years, later being renamed Collectors Aircraft models. Then they moved into the basement of one of the large hotels. They final went bust only a few years ago due to the present economic climate,high overheads and poor customer service. Their remaining stock was bought up by Aviation Retail Direct at Hillingdon.
Never realised that, I stand corrected. Apologies to them.
Marvellous film. I had to double take and replay the first few seconds because my green Anglia was identical the one at 21" and I made many visits in it during 1963/4 until I exchanged it for the first of many Beetles.
By: pogno
- 20th November 2012 at 16:49Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
VHF Supplies on the A4 Great West Road. That takes back a bit. Went out of business in the early 80s when they decided to only sell their World Airline Fleets book and the monthly update that went with it. Out went the kits, radios, other aviation magazines and display models. Probably not the best business plan.
In the late 60's early 70's VHF Supplies sold an A4 photocopied sheet listing all the interesting LHR arrivals and departures. I cannot remember if it was a weekly or monthly thing but I would regularly buy it.
Richard
By: connie freak
- 21st November 2012 at 19:10Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not so! They expanded to specialise in scale models, particularly Travel Agent type models and moved a few hundred yards up the road to Noble Corner and kept the name 'VHF Supplies' for a few years, later being renamed Collectors Aircraft models. Then they moved into the basement of one of the large hotels. They final went bust only a few years ago due to the present economic climate,high overheads and poor customer service. Their remaining stock was bought up by Aviation Retail Direct at Hillingdon.
Brian Tomkins once told me that his family lived on the Bath Road opposite the A4 and LAP Northside and they could see the tails of the aircraft parked up there from the front windows of their house. It was from the front room of this house that he first started selling spotter's lists and and I guess a few specialist magazines. Then he moved to Noble Corner and operated VHF Supplies. He went bust at Noble Corner because the business allegedly breached the copyright of another aviation publisher and was successfuly sued for damages. During the last few years at Noble Corner, Brian imported and stocked the 1:250 Aeromini range, and set about copying a Peter Nelson 1:72 metal super connie model and started his own range of executive display models. I think these may have only appeared after the airport hotel premises were secured and he had begun trading as Collector's Aircraft Models. He was always a bit cheeky which was reflected in his own range of AIROMINI MODELS 1:250 heavy solid metal look a likes to the Aerominis. Quite rare now. The business at CAM seemed to do quite well until Brian passed away. The link should take you to a page of adverts. VHF Supplies is near the bottom and is dated 1971
By: longshot
- 5th December 2012 at 16:40Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
conniefreak....Sorry, lost the thread a bit there! :)
Got the Green Dragon pic, now....think its the one which went into Air Pictorial a few years back, and I think the sunlight streaming in is why it's not how I remember the Dragon....couple of budding Buddy Holly's there with the specs!
As I recall it VHF Supplies were still operating out of the premises opposite LAP North till 1969...I remember it because I bought myself an airband radio there whilst recuperating from a car smash...the move to noble Corner (Lampton) must have been in the very early Seventies.
If you talk to Ms Fostekew at White Waltham ask her if Blossom Miles was into plywood furniture...FG and Blossom Miles had a stylish 1930s ('Art Deco') house called Land's End near Woodley airfield and they used a lot of plywood in the Miles factory.......
By: ianwoodward9
- 6th December 2012 at 23:32Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Connie freak, I think I used to know you. Did you once work for an insurance broker near the North Feltham trading estate, opposite the Crown & Sceptre?
I was around LAP from about 1958 to 1963, latterly spending most of my time on the south side, near Cains Lane, Bedfont.
I was also a member of the West London Aviation Group and still have some old WLAG newsletters somewhere or other.
By: connie freak
- 18th December 2012 at 23:11Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Connie freak, I think I used to know you. Did you once work for an insurance broker near the North Feltham trading estate, opposite the Crown & Sceptre?
I was around LAP from about 1958 to 1963, latterly spending most of my time on the south side, near Cains Lane, Bedfont.
I was also a member of the West London Aviation Group and still have some old WLAG newsletters somewhere or other.
Well Ian, I never worked in insurance and never worked in Feltham. Apart from a few weeks washing up in the dragon I worked exclusively in the Maidenhead area when I'd left school. If you spent a few evenings at WLAG at the White Heart Cranford our paths have crossed. Never went spotting over the South Side....too rural for me ! I liked strolling through the North Side terminal buildings during the quiet periods.
By: ianwoodward9
- 20th December 2012 at 01:23Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes, connie freak, it is very likely that our paths crossed at the WLAG meetings at the White Hart.
On some nights there, I used to operate the epidiascope that was used in the aircraft recognition competitions. It was a rather basic and cumbersome beast but served its purpose. It was also used to illustrate talks, especially showing photos of recent LAP visitors or taken at airshows and on (what I might term) field trips.
Indeed, I have a vague recollection of someone who went off to Schipol to view the KLM Connies and brought back some photos. Was that you and were they shown at a WLAG meeting on that ancient bit of kit?
By: connie freak
- 20th December 2012 at 10:59Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes, connie freak, it is very likely that our paths crossed at the WLAG meetings at the White Hart.
On some nights there, I used to operate the epidiascope that was used in the aircraft recognition competitions. It was a rather basic and cumbersome beast but served its purpose. It was also used to illustrate talks, especially showing photos of recent LAP visitors or taken at airshows and on (what I might term) field trips.
Indeed, I have a vague recollection of someone who went off to Schipol to view the KLM Connies and brought back some photos. Was that you and were they shown at a WLAG meeting on that ancient bit of kit?
I DID do Schipol in August 1961, and photographed the stored connies at great personal risk (i.e. arrest !). A sweet trip, I potted LKG,H,P,S,V,W; all the ones that didn't come in to LAP at that time. 2 x California Hawaiin 6901C & 05C, and 2 FTL's all over 7 days. IL14's and IL18's that were scarce then too. Could have been my pics but it is a long time ago. Was not too focussed then as girls, drainpipes and winkle pickers had arrived in my life. I was in a sort of "twilight zone". Can you post a pic of yourself at that time-ish ?
By: ianwoodward9
- 21st December 2012 at 01:23Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A photo from that time? Not sure if I've still got one. We moved house a year or so ago and quite a lot of stuff is still in boxes. This is not a good time of year to go searching through those boxes, what with Christmas almost upon us.
I do seem to recall a photo of me (a fairly smart me, at that) taken in a hangar at Gatwick. I was skinny enough to squeeze through the gap in the hangar doors to photograph an unusual visitor. If memory serves, it was VR-SEJ, if that is (was?) a Commanche. I think I was there with Brian Stainer and he passed his camera to me as he couldn't get in. I slipped in to take a few shots, with different exposures.
It would be preferable, connie freak, for you to PM me your e-mail address and, if I find a suitable photo, mug shot or whatever, I'll send it along.
By: connie freak
- 7th February 2013 at 11:57Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That's good....Pakistan International flag up so 1955-1956?
I have done some Sherlock Holmes research on the contents of this pic. I’ve been trying to work out the date myself.
The light blue Ford 100E Popular was in production from 1958 – 1962, so pic is not pre 1958. It looks either dirty (or even rusty) so its not brand new. So probably pic not taken in 1958, but a bit later. Note its a left hand drive model ?
The flags would also suggest the building is still in its prime The TCA flag is still flying which suggests TCA have not yet moved out to Central. The TCA bus is a beauty too! TCA super connie ops moved over to Central late 1959/early 1960.
(All TCA connie flights ceased around Jan 1961. I saw TCA connies parking only in the Central area during summer,autumn & winter 1960/61. So I’m guessing the pic of the concrete terminal is not summer 1960.)
I reckon summer 1959 is spot on for the date of the photo. Shadows under cars show sun is high in the sky and not low in the South so definitely mid summer. Would you agree ?
By: longshot
- 7th February 2013 at 12:44Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That square shape unitary body Ford was in production from 1953 under various names Prefect/Anglia? I thought TCA moved over to Centre when T3 opened like all the long-haulers 13Nov61 (so their DC-8s were seen Northside?). But 1959 could be right as photos are usually later than one thinks!
By: longshot
- 7th February 2013 at 17:39Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If you zoom in on the Ford Anglia you see very basic tail lights which suggests an early model (strangely, seems to be LH drive) http://www.simoncars.co.uk/ford/100e.html
has a photo of a grey 1955 1st left,2nd row. with those early lights
By: Tango Charlie
- 7th February 2013 at 18:20Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think the sign writer who painted the LONDON AIRPORT letters got his sizes
slightly wrong! A common feature of all type fonts is that the curved letters ie OCQ etc drop lower and sit higher then letters with flat elongated strokes ie FTLE etc.
If I had set out to write the name I would have painted the L starting just below the cill line beneath the windows above, and stop short of the feature line seen below with the curved letters just touching the line. The effect here is that the O next to the L of London looks shorter in height. Obviously long before the corporate signage industry became saturated with computer aided technology, nonetheless what a great picture.
By: connie freak
- 7th February 2013 at 19:42Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That square shape unitary body Ford was in production from 1953 under various names Prefect/Anglia? I thought TCA moved over to Centre when T3 opened like all the long-haulers 13Nov61 (so their DC-8s were seen Northside?). But 1959 could be right as photos are usually later than one thinks!
Silly me, I googled up only Ford Pop which was only 58-62 but didn't think to check out Anglia as well which as you say was 53 onwards. Accounts for why it doesn't look "new".
Regarding the TCA move, they were the first Long Haul operator to vacate Northside and use Central. They parked in the area that was to be overshadowed by the first multi storey car park (see my awful photo taken with an Ilford Sporti camera on a wet saturday in 1960). The DC-8 services started on 1st June 1960, but some schedules were still operated by super connie for a further 6 months. The last TCA 1049 gracing the Heathrow tarmac 28th December 1960. (Last ever TCA 1049 Atlantic crossing departed Zurich & Paris for Montreal 31st December 1960, Arriving in Canada the following year, 1st January 1961). Info from Peter J Marsons Lockheed Constellation, Air Britain.
In the central area, TCA used the old original terminal 1 (as the new term 2 and term 3 were not built at this time).
TCA DC-8's were never seen on the North side.
But back to the pic. So the dating of the Anglia/Popular is now not applicable, but must be before the TCA move to Central (prior to June 1960 or earlier)
Posts: 985
By: David_Kavangh - 20th November 2012 at 14:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Never realised that, I stand corrected. Apologies to them.
Posts: 11,141
By: charliehunt - 20th November 2012 at 14:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Marvellous film. I had to double take and replay the first few seconds because my green Anglia was identical the one at 21" and I made many visits in it during 1963/4 until I exchanged it for the first of many Beetles.
Posts: 1,224
By: pogno - 20th November 2012 at 16:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
In the late 60's early 70's VHF Supplies sold an A4 photocopied sheet listing all the interesting LHR arrivals and departures. I cannot remember if it was a weekly or monthly thing but I would regularly buy it.
Richard
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 21st November 2012 at 17:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That's weird. I can open it from the thread. It has word document icon.
Try this one.
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 21st November 2012 at 19:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Brian Tomkins once told me that his family lived on the Bath Road opposite the A4 and LAP Northside and they could see the tails of the aircraft parked up there from the front windows of their house. It was from the front room of this house that he first started selling spotter's lists and and I guess a few specialist magazines. Then he moved to Noble Corner and operated VHF Supplies. He went bust at Noble Corner because the business allegedly breached the copyright of another aviation publisher and was successfuly sued for damages. During the last few years at Noble Corner, Brian imported and stocked the 1:250 Aeromini range, and set about copying a Peter Nelson 1:72 metal super connie model and started his own range of executive display models. I think these may have only appeared after the airport hotel premises were secured and he had begun trading as Collector's Aircraft Models. He was always a bit cheeky which was reflected in his own range of AIROMINI MODELS 1:250 heavy solid metal look a likes to the Aerominis. Quite rare now. The business at CAM seemed to do quite well until Brian passed away. The link should take you to a page of adverts. VHF Supplies is near the bottom and is dated 1971
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1971/1971%20-%202032.html
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 5th December 2012 at 16:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
conniefreak....Sorry, lost the thread a bit there! :)
Got the Green Dragon pic, now....think its the one which went into Air Pictorial a few years back, and I think the sunlight streaming in is why it's not how I remember the Dragon....couple of budding Buddy Holly's there with the specs!
As I recall it VHF Supplies were still operating out of the premises opposite LAP North till 1969...I remember it because I bought myself an airband radio there whilst recuperating from a car smash...the move to noble Corner (Lampton) must have been in the very early Seventies.
If you talk to Ms Fostekew at White Waltham ask her if Blossom Miles was into plywood furniture...FG and Blossom Miles had a stylish 1930s ('Art Deco') house called Land's End near Woodley airfield and they used a lot of plywood in the Miles factory.......
Posts: 346
By: nibb100 - 5th December 2012 at 16:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
their move to Noble corner must have been in 1970, I remember buying my first airband there,
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 6th December 2012 at 23:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Connie freak, I think I used to know you. Did you once work for an insurance broker near the North Feltham trading estate, opposite the Crown & Sceptre?
I was around LAP from about 1958 to 1963, latterly spending most of my time on the south side, near Cains Lane, Bedfont.
I was also a member of the West London Aviation Group and still have some old WLAG newsletters somewhere or other.
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 18th December 2012 at 23:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well Ian, I never worked in insurance and never worked in Feltham. Apart from a few weeks washing up in the dragon I worked exclusively in the Maidenhead area when I'd left school. If you spent a few evenings at WLAG at the White Heart Cranford our paths have crossed. Never went spotting over the South Side....too rural for me ! I liked strolling through the North Side terminal buildings during the quiet periods.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 20th December 2012 at 01:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes, connie freak, it is very likely that our paths crossed at the WLAG meetings at the White Hart.
On some nights there, I used to operate the epidiascope that was used in the aircraft recognition competitions. It was a rather basic and cumbersome beast but served its purpose. It was also used to illustrate talks, especially showing photos of recent LAP visitors or taken at airshows and on (what I might term) field trips.
Indeed, I have a vague recollection of someone who went off to Schipol to view the KLM Connies and brought back some photos. Was that you and were they shown at a WLAG meeting on that ancient bit of kit?
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 20th December 2012 at 10:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I DID do Schipol in August 1961, and photographed the stored connies at great personal risk (i.e. arrest !). A sweet trip, I potted LKG,H,P,S,V,W; all the ones that didn't come in to LAP at that time. 2 x California Hawaiin 6901C & 05C, and 2 FTL's all over 7 days. IL14's and IL18's that were scarce then too. Could have been my pics but it is a long time ago. Was not too focussed then as girls, drainpipes and winkle pickers had arrived in my life. I was in a sort of "twilight zone". Can you post a pic of yourself at that time-ish ?
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 21st December 2012 at 01:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A photo from that time? Not sure if I've still got one. We moved house a year or so ago and quite a lot of stuff is still in boxes. This is not a good time of year to go searching through those boxes, what with Christmas almost upon us.
I do seem to recall a photo of me (a fairly smart me, at that) taken in a hangar at Gatwick. I was skinny enough to squeeze through the gap in the hangar doors to photograph an unusual visitor. If memory serves, it was VR-SEJ, if that is (was?) a Commanche. I think I was there with Brian Stainer and he passed his camera to me as he couldn't get in. I slipped in to take a few shots, with different exposures.
It would be preferable, connie freak, for you to PM me your e-mail address and, if I find a suitable photo, mug shot or whatever, I'll send it along.
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 6th February 2013 at 22:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I had this lovely photo of the North Side terminal passed on to me recently.
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 7th February 2013 at 01:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That's good....Pakistan International flag up so 1955-1956?
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 7th February 2013 at 11:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I have done some Sherlock Holmes research on the contents of this pic. I’ve been trying to work out the date myself.
The light blue Ford 100E Popular was in production from 1958 – 1962, so pic is not pre 1958. It looks either dirty (or even rusty) so its not brand new. So probably pic not taken in 1958, but a bit later. Note its a left hand drive model ?
The flags would also suggest the building is still in its prime The TCA flag is still flying which suggests TCA have not yet moved out to Central. The TCA bus is a beauty too! TCA super connie ops moved over to Central late 1959/early 1960.
(All TCA connie flights ceased around Jan 1961. I saw TCA connies parking only in the Central area during summer,autumn & winter 1960/61. So I’m guessing the pic of the concrete terminal is not summer 1960.)
I reckon summer 1959 is spot on for the date of the photo. Shadows under cars show sun is high in the sky and not low in the South so definitely mid summer. Would you agree ?
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 7th February 2013 at 12:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That square shape unitary body Ford was in production from 1953 under various names Prefect/Anglia? I thought TCA moved over to Centre when T3 opened like all the long-haulers 13Nov61 (so their DC-8s were seen Northside?). But 1959 could be right as photos are usually later than one thinks!
Posts: 346
By: nibb100 - 7th February 2013 at 13:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think 59 is favourite the Ford looks a 100E with the earlier side valve engine,
the doormobile looks early although the did go on well into the 60s,
all in all it has feeling of the late 50s,
Posts: 1,707
By: longshot - 7th February 2013 at 17:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If you zoom in on the Ford Anglia you see very basic tail lights which suggests an early model (strangely, seems to be LH drive)
http://www.simoncars.co.uk/ford/100e.html
has a photo of a grey 1955 1st left,2nd row. with those early lights
Posts: 308
By: Tango Charlie - 7th February 2013 at 18:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think the sign writer who painted the LONDON AIRPORT letters got his sizes
slightly wrong! A common feature of all type fonts is that the curved letters ie OCQ etc drop lower and sit higher then letters with flat elongated strokes ie FTLE etc.
If I had set out to write the name I would have painted the L starting just below the cill line beneath the windows above, and stop short of the feature line seen below with the curved letters just touching the line. The effect here is that the O next to the L of London looks shorter in height. Obviously long before the corporate signage industry became saturated with computer aided technology, nonetheless what a great picture.
Posts: 70
By: connie freak - 7th February 2013 at 19:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Silly me, I googled up only Ford Pop which was only 58-62 but didn't think to check out Anglia as well which as you say was 53 onwards. Accounts for why it doesn't look "new".
Regarding the TCA move, they were the first Long Haul operator to vacate Northside and use Central. They parked in the area that was to be overshadowed by the first multi storey car park (see my awful photo taken with an Ilford Sporti camera on a wet saturday in 1960). The DC-8 services started on 1st June 1960, but some schedules were still operated by super connie for a further 6 months. The last TCA 1049 gracing the Heathrow tarmac 28th December 1960. (Last ever TCA 1049 Atlantic crossing departed Zurich & Paris for Montreal 31st December 1960, Arriving in Canada the following year, 1st January 1961). Info from Peter J Marsons Lockheed Constellation, Air Britain.
In the central area, TCA used the old original terminal 1 (as the new term 2 and term 3 were not built at this time).
TCA DC-8's were never seen on the North side.
But back to the pic. So the dating of the Anglia/Popular is now not applicable, but must be before the TCA move to Central (prior to June 1960 or earlier)