Wednesday 7 July 2021

Croydon Airport



Croydon Airport Terminal building


and again




The Control Tower

The building is now converted into offices but the Historic Trust gives free tours on the first Sunday of the month (all donations gratefully received) so I booked last minute via Eventbrite and went last week (I suspect in normal times you can just rock up, but at the moment you have to book). I had plans to walk all the way there (via the Wandle Path and then Beddington Park before I had to pavement walk) but hopped on a bus for the last bit because I was a bit worried about time and the most direct route - the Purley Way - is not a joy on foot.  

It's well worth going. There are a number of original or restored features (you do get to go up the control tower, if anyone's wondering) and you get a potted but not tediously long history of Croydon Airport and early aviation and see all sorts of things - old models and radios, the silver service crockery from when flying was a luxury, uncomfortable wicker chairs from when it was extremely basic, menus, posters, aerial photographs.  We were told that sometimes the cafe is open (pre Covid, I suspect) - but there's a retail park with Costa and the other usual suspects opposite if it isn't. 

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