Taking a break from buses, fbb has accumulated an eclectic collection of weekend bits and pieces on a theme that takes its title (but not its content) from an iconic film (?).
This poster popped into fbb's in-box a few days ago.
Memories of the "good old days" when you could fly to the Isle of Wight from Heston Airport.
Heston is just north of Housnlow in London and the airport hit the headlines when Neville Chamberlain flew in with the "Peace in Our Time" message from "nice" Mr Hitler!
The airport was, not surprisingly in the 1930s, not much more than a field with the addition of the first cast concrete hangar in the world.
If you venture to Heston, you will find the tree-lined access road ...
... with its appropriate name.
Just beyond the brick building (left centre) you can espy the hangar still standing as a reminder of the pioneering days of international air travel.
The plane in the poster is approaching the Isle of Wight via the River Medina with Cowes and its sea front "Parade" below. You can just glimpse a rather fuzzy Victoria Pier (long gone) ...
... and, if you know your Cowes, the equally fuzzy Royal Yacht Squadron (far end of The Parade).
The plane would land at Ryde Airport (another field), just a short distance from the former fbb residences.
All signs of the former "international" terminal have long gone, now buried under light industry and a mega Tesco.
In the post WW2 période, Ryde Council had big plans to extend the airport with a new "terminal" and three runways to assist with landing and take-off in windy weather.
The new Brading Road is shown dead straight on the left of the plan, with the old alignment running past the old terminal (at the end of the east-west runway) and veering round to join the new. It never happened; but for a while, long after closing, the old building was Ryde's trendiest night club. (Opinions may vary on how trendy was trendy!)
It was called La Babalu.
Exciting trivia department - Ryde Karting, which used to be on part of the airfield but, ousted by the latest and bigger Tesco, has now moved nearby, has a bar that is called ...
La Babalu ... happy memories!
Exciting trivia department - Ryde Karting, which used to be on part of the airfield but, ousted by the latest and bigger Tesco, has now moved nearby, has a bar that is called ...
Trains Trivia
Thanks to various sources for three entertaining pictures.
1. Splendid Subway Surprise
Glasgow's intriguing "circular" underground is due new automatic trains soon - where soon is an indeterminate period of years rather than months. In the meantime one of the current Electric Orange units has been shopped out in a traditional livery.
fbb guesses that the maroon and cream was the original from opening day ...
... later replaced with a boring all-red paint job.
Queen Street Quality?
From the cars and the ancient bus, a view probably from the late 50s. Later the entrance area was filled with an extension to the hotel just peeping in far right ...
... soon to look very different.
Tickled by a Tuesday Train Trick
How was your shriving last Tuesday?
Having shriven on Shrove Tuesday, we could apply sackcloth and ash on the eponymous Sackcloth Wednesday and, for the whole of Lent, prepare ourselves for the consummate Joy of Easter Sunday. The two days are not really taken seriously any more, which is a pity. It doesn't do any of us any harm to do a bit of shriving!
But the departure board was a joyous thing.
And An Astounding Automobile
Arguably, the hit of the recent Geneva Motor Show was an electric car called "Nobe 100". (Pause for readers to yawn, "not another electric car."). But this one is really - erm - indescribable. But fbb will have a go.
It looks a bit "sixties" but it is brand new and it has only got three wheels. This means that you can, in theory, register it as a motorbike!
It is produced in Estonia and if you want one you will have to collect it from Tallinn. Maybe some keen entrepreneur will import a few.
It has two batteries ...
... one for the wheels' electric motors and one for the other stuff. With only a 25 mile range it might be worth keeping a spare in the boot. But there isn't a boot.
The manufacturers have gone for luxury ...
So the tiny limo comez at an appropriate price of approx £26,500!
A basic mini will cost a bit less.
The fbb's Fiat Multipla cost just over four grand second hand a good few years ago and seats six.
More of the same (plus a bit of bus) : Sunday 10th March
The Glasgow Subway train looks very nice. But I think it's a "made-up" composite livery in the style of the original but used the Strathclyde PTE colours. The older livery (as seen on cars in the Transport Museum) had the lower panels in brown rather than maroon; the cream looks much the same, as does the lining-out.
ReplyDeleteThe Nobe100 has more than 40km range. That's the range on just the portable battery. It also has a main battery. From their website "Range: 260 km combined: 210 on main 21 kwh battery, 50 km on additional, portable suitcase battery, or 310 km combined: 260 km main battery + 50 km on portable" Still too expensive though. I'll stick to buses.
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