Nostalgic memories of Southend Airport's local history
Share your own memories of Southend Airport and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying all 8 Memories
I remember going down Snakes Lane to the airport as children and playing in the shelter by the bridge. Later in my early twenties when my husband was working at the airport and we had a frogeye sprite which he raced we would go on to the apron to practice hands brake turns! I lived in Cockethurst Ave which later became Bridgewater Drive. I remember my mother telling us that they used to stand at the back door and cheer and count the planes in when they came back from sorties.
I remember in the late 50s and early 60s playing in Priory Park and following the brook from Priory Park all the way to Westcliff, including going under the roads, and playing along the brook and swinging across on ropes, constantly falling into the water, lol, good days!!!!
Yes I can remember in the 50's as kids in Snakes Lane, racing down to the airport on our bikes if we viewed any aircraft out the ordinary on it's flight path to land.
One day in the fifties I rember an aircraft broke the sound barrier nearby and broke several windows in the town - that definitely would not happen now.
Later on in the early to mid 60's I worked, for a local tea company delivering ...see more
Edward and his brother Bernard were my original flying instructors - two real gents. Edward took my test which I passed. On the test we had a hairy experience recovering a spiral which, without doubt, had Edward not been there I would not be offering this article.
Now I'm in the twilight years I decided to revisit the more exciting times in the past and just found out the man had passed away. He was a ...see more
Coincidentally Colin (Hayes) I lived near by you in St. George's Avenue! And around the same time I used to regularly cycle over to Southend Airport with a friend. Here we used to plane spot - do you remember the 'sea' of Auster planes parked up in the middle of the field? Also like you we used to sneak in under the fence at the far side of the field and crawl Indian style along to the ...see more
In the late 50's I moved to Rochford Road, just a few hundred yards from the airport. My dad, had learned to fly in Canada during the war and was now back working as a booking clerk for British Rail at Prittlewell. As a youth, there was nothing to do but explore 'the prarie' or wander over the 'greasy spoon' cafe at the airport. Most of us lads would take up plane spotting out of boredom. In those days ...see more
I did my basic flying (ppl) at s.l.a.c with Ted Clack and Stan Diggings in 1969 then returnedto instruct at southend aero club in 1970 the Great Freddy Laker was at A.T.E.L then and Jack Jones Chanel Airways I often wonder what became of other great characters of that era Laddi Marmol Mike Abbot Clive Wren the ATC chaps Paul Cavanagh Dave Dunlop Dave Thompson "Welky" Winch and Mike Tuson to name but a ...see more
Ok, so it may have been a little later than 1955, but we used to live in Southbourne Grove, and used to thrash our bicycles across the fields (over the arterial road) and make our way to the back of the airport where the old engines were laid out in rows. If we were lucky, we could creep about amongst them without being caught! Probably my earliest memory was seeing the Tiger Moths flying around, ...see more