Imperial Airways Empire Terminal

[TobyV]

Passed by the National Audit Office this afternoon:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42993044@N ... otostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42993044@N ... otostream/

For those that havent come across this before, its just down the [Buckingham Palace] Road from Victoria station and then Victoria Coach Station. Was originally the Empire Terminal of Imperial Airways, opening in 1939 and was connected by rail (!) to Croydon airport and the flying boats at Southampon docks. It remained with British Airways until 1980. Apparently you could still checking there and then be driven to LHR by bus.

If only we had an airport in this country with something this nice as a terminal (admittedly Liverpool pretty much did until 1986, and then you could argue Shoreham or the Croydon terminal thats now a hotel too....)

[DaveB]

Almost topical Toby. BBC4 did a good job of showing this building and others over a selection of progs one day last week (probably still current on BBC iPlayer or whatever it is the BBC use)

It's nice that these buildings haven't gone to wherever buildings go after they die but many are not suitable for today's traffic and deserve an easy after-life

ATB

DaveB

[simondix]

i was brougfht up my first six years in Westminster and then spent age 19-26 working there, andI remeber it well and the coaches. Also later the routemasters used.

[Garry Russell]

Hi Simon

The Routemasters were BEA...wasn't that a different terminal ??

Garry

[Paul K]

Nice photos Toby, and good to see the building is still in use. I can remember the time when major airlines had offices dotted round central London, and you would check your bags in there and be transported to the airport. For some reason, the Air India one sticks in my mind.

[PeterLumsden]

The BEA terminal, I think was on the Cromwell Road. It is now disguised as a Sainsbury's!!

[DaveB]

Ah.. Cromwell Road.. that rings a bell Peter It was on Kensington High Street at one time but that was during the days of Northolt.

EDIT..
Yes Peter.. the West London Air Terminal it was.. Cromwell Road, SW7 (this in the 70's)

ATB

DaveB

[TobyV]

I'm not old enough to remember (or to have even been born then!) but I believe BEA used these special Routemasters with luggage trailers from the WLAT to LHR:

http://theglorydays.fotopic.net/p46685622.html

[Garry Russell]

They used to drop the trailer and pick up an empty or a prepacked return load.

Note the forward entrance

Garry

[simondix]

It became BA. I'm pretty sure they also operated from there. Quite right about BEA they were painted like the aircraft I seem to remember.