The estuary Speke

[lynjo]

Hi can anyone tell me what use to be built, or this land was used for before all the new builds
maybe early 1930's 40s or earlier.
thanks

[Kevsy]

Is that the Estuary retail or business park? The business park was the old Speke airport and grounds,it was RAF Speke before that.

[123dave]

The Retail Park used to be railway sidings

[Norm NZ]

If you're talking about the area opposite to the entrance to the airport.(other side of Speke Road) it was also a timber storage area ,as well as the railway sidings. Timber was stored there until railed away to various destinations around the country.

[az_gila]

Is that the Estuary retail or business park? The business park was the old Speke airport and grounds,it was RAF Speke before that.

..and it was Liverpool (Speke) Airport for 9 years before it was RAF Speke.

Wiki has a good history - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_John_Lennon_Airport#History

[Norm NZ]

True , Az! As far as I know, the RAF only occupied part of the airfield, and that was during the war!.

[ChrisGeorge]

..and it was Liverpool (Speke) Airport for 9 years before it was RAF Speke.

Wiki has a good history - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_John_Lennon_Airport#History

I always knew it as Speke Airport and never as Liverpool Airport.

[Norm NZ]

Re Speke Airport. just found this paragraph in one of the old 'Echo's of Yesterday':-
"Farmland at Speke was eventually acquired by Liverpool Corporation in 1928 and developed as a aerodrome. Originally the control tower was a converted farmhouse. Liverpool Airport was officially opened on July 2nd 1933, by the Marquess of Londonderry, Secretary of State for Air."

I agree with Chris! It was always known as Speke Airport! In the quoted paragraph above, the 'Echo' refers to it as Liverpool airport! but this is only a 'souvenir' Echo dated Nov 3 1987.!!

[az_gila]

Re Speke Airport. just found this paragraph in one of the old 'Echo's of Yesterday':-
"Farmland at Speke was eventually acquired by Liverpool Corporation in 1928 and developed as a aerodrome. Originally the control tower was a converted farmhouse. Liverpool Airport was officially opened on July 2nd 1933, by the Marquess of Londonderry, Secretary of State for Air."

I agree with Chris! It was always known as Speke Airport! In the quoted paragraph above, the 'Echo' refers to it as Liverpool airport! but this is only a 'souvenir' Echo dated Nov 3 1987.!!

I think back in the 30's there may have been other airports in the Liverpool area... back then any large, smooth grass field would qualify - hard runways were not required.

If that was the case, then Liverpool (Speke) Airport would have made sense.

[Norm NZ]

I agree Az! The old Echo also mentions 'Waterloo Sands' and the old Polo ground at Childwall, being used by enthusiastic aviators, also states:-"Liverpool an District Aero Club was formed May 18 1928, and it's first base was Hooton Park"

[az_gila]

I agree Az! The old Echo also mentions 'Waterloo Sands' and the old Polo ground at Childwall, being used by enthusiastic aviators, also states:-"Liverpool an District Aero Club was formed May 18 1928, and it's first base was Hooton Park"

UPDATE

This history link now makes sense...

In 1930, Hooton officially became Liverpool Airport, a position it held for three years until near neighbour Speke took over in 1933. During the inter-war years Hooton was a thriving industrial complex.

http://www.hootonparktrust.co.uk/history.html

[Norm NZ]

Thanks AZ! the 'near neighbour' bit amused me! they forgot to mention it's the other side of the river!!!!:PDT_Xtremez_12:

[ChrisGeorge]

UPDATE

This history link now makes sense...

In 1930, Hooton officially became Liverpool Airport, a position it held for three years until near neighbour Speke took over in 1933. During the inter-war years Hooton was a thriving industrial complex.

http://www.hootonparktrust.co.uk/history.html


News to me. Mickey Doolan might want to tune in here because he told me that some of his masters at Rose Lane School which he started to attend in 1948 were "ex-fighter pilots" who "used to do the weekend flying from Hooton, which is where Vauxhall motors is now."

Chris

[az_gila]

News to me. Mickey Doolan might want to tune in here because he told me that some of his masters at Rose Lane School which he started to attend in 1948 were "ex-fighter pilots" who "used to do the weekend flying from Hooton, which is where Vauxhall motors is now."

Chris

That could certainly be true...

On 10 February 1936, No 610 (County of Chester) Squadron was formed at Hooton as a light bomber unit in the Auxiliary Air Force taking possession of one of the Belfast hangars to house its Avro Tutors and Hawker Harts when flying commenced in the May.

From the Hooton history link...

Interesting bit on RAF Sealand, near Hooton and the eventual home of 610 Squadron.
The Spitfire "gate guard" that we all saw on display outside RAF Sealand has been restored and is now flying...:)

http://www.touchdown-aviation.com/flying-legends/plane/spitfire-ltd/supermarine-spitfire-lf-mk-xvie-g-oxvi.php

I know whenever I was near there we always made a side trip "to see the Spitfire"....:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

On a side note, IIRC the physics teacher at Quarry Bank was an ex-Hurricane pilot who lost his leg in a flying incident.

Like my father, a lot of WWII returning soldiers/sailors/airmen where trained as emergency teachers with a rapid 6 month training course...:PDT11

[lynjo]

Thanks guys. I work on the estuary ( business park the one with the bm wharehouse on,) its just that someone took a photo in the canteen were i work and in the background of the pic, is what looks like a victorian man, staring through the window!! And was just woundering if maybe it had houses or the like on many yrs ago.

[Norm NZ]

I can't quite 'pinpoint' the Estuary site. but the oldest houses near to the airport on Speke rd was around the Burnsall/Wharfdale/ Meredith Streets area, opposite the top end of Banks road. N earest house on the other side of the airport would have been 'Speke Hall'!!! then 'Poverty Nook' houses on the farmland towards Oglet shore.

[Ged]

Post the pic up lynjo if you can.

[ChrisGeorge]

I agree with Chris! It was always known as Speke Airport! In the quoted paragraph above, the 'Echo' refers to it as Liverpool airport! but this is only a 'souvenir' Echo dated Nov 3 1987.!!

Thanks, Norm. Whomever interprets history has to be careful not to bring their own "modern" ideas and assumptions to it. It's like the mock World War I chalkboard I saw in the Museum of Liverpool that had prices for sandwiches etc in "p" rather than "D" which I think would have been the case back then.

---------- Post added at 03:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:46 PM ----------


Thanks guys. I work on the estuary ( business park the one with the bm wharehouse on,) its just that someone took a photo in the canteen were i work and in the background of the pic, is what looks like a victorian man, staring through the window!! And was just woundering if maybe it had houses or the like on many yrs ago.


Post the pic up lynjo if you can.

I encourage you to do so as well, lynjo. I will get my friend, the ghostbuster, to look at it.

Cheers

Chris

[underworld]

The original Airport building was just a house. But the Estuary Business park is built now on what was the airport runways. Aircraft came in from over Hunts cross and over the junction of Speke Boulevard and Speke Hall Avenue hence the disaster at Mothax on the corner.

[collegepudding]

The previous posts have opened my eyes to the interesting origins of our Airport, thanks !

btw. lynjo I too, would like to see that Shot of the Ghostly image......maybe the building originally occupyng that site was the old Departure lounge...;)

collegepudding

[mickeydoolan]

News to me. Mickey Doolan might want to tune in here because he told me that some of his masters at Rose Lane School which he started to attend in 1948 were "ex-fighter pilots" who "used to do the weekend flying from Hooton, which is where Vauxhall motors is now."

Chris

Thank you chris.
Yes we had 2 teachers Mr Cambell & Mr Patterson (Tarbuck's nemesis) at Rose Lane. They both spent many hours keeping up their flying hours at the weekend.
Vauxhall Motors was built on the old airfield. The press shop was built on the end of the runway which was then used for temporary storage of the finished vehicles.
There was some building extension work going on when a man with a pneumatic drill lost into a forgotten air raid shelter.

[az_gila]

The original Airport building was just a house. But the Estuary Business park is built now on what was the airport runways. Aircraft came in from over Hunts cross and over the junction of Speke Boulevard and Speke Hall Avenue hence the disaster at Mothax on the corner.

I did my first solo in a power plane at Speke in 1969 - as I was landing and crossing Speke Hall Ave. I remember being amazed that they switched the traffic lights at the end of the runway to red and the cars were waiting for me in my little 85 HP Piper Champ...:shock:

[123dave]

The previous posts have opened my eyes to the interesting origins of our Airport, thanks !

btw. lynjo I too, would like to see that Shot of the Ghostly image......maybe the building originally occupyng that site was the old Departure lounge...;)

collegepudding What is now David Loyyd Fitness Club used to be Cambrian Airways hanger and there was talk of the ghost of a stewerdess who walked into the propellor of a plane walking about there