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MORE FLYING MEMORIES

Recent mention of the proposed landing strip at Netherwood Farm for executive-type planes, has sparked ? many memories in local people’s minds about the flights from Towneley Holmes during the twenties.

An airman called Gustav Hamel, who was reported to have disappeared just before the outbreak of the 1914-18 war, was thought to have landed in Burnley in about 1910 or 1911.

Mr. H. Rutter, of 74 Mitella Street remembers the occasion, because the landing was not a forced one and he was not allowed to leave Todmorden Road School, where he was a pupil, to see it.

FOR 60 YEARS

My query about balloons has also stirred up memories for him, and he believes he saw one on the old athletic ground at Fulledge, but cannot recollect if it left Mother Earth or not, as he was chased away from his viewing point at the boundary wall railing along Mitella Street.

Seventy-nine-year-old Mr. Pilkington, of ? Brougham Street, used to be a freelance photographer for the “Northern Daily Telegraph,” and when he was 29 he took four pictures of an aeroplane he saw landing on the Co-op fields at Towneley.

He took the pictures with a quarter-plate reflex camera, but is not quite sure of the speed he used. And he doesn’t tell me the type of plane in the picture. He has been taking pictures for 60 years, and some have been reproduced in the Burnley Express.

One of the first people to be given a free flight ticket by the management of the Burnley Express was the sister of Mrs. Gwen Suthers, of 63 Brownhill Avenue. Mrs. Suthers says her sister, then called Lillian Cowell, is married and lives at Anchorsholme, Cleveley.

The Sisters went for a flight in the plane sometime in 192? and Mrs. Suthers remembers that the Burnley Express wrote an article to the effect that free tickets would be given away to selected people who visited the field and carried a copy of the paper.

“ ? sister was mad keen to fly in a plane, so her employer in the shop where she worked made her a fairly large card-board aeroplane pasted all over with strips from the headings of old Burnley Express papers, and dared her to take it on the field for the occasion on a Sunday afternoon, “ Mrs. Suthers writes.

“So off we went with the cardboard plane in a large hat bag, which was discarded when we arrived on the Holmes. My sister walked around holding the cardboard Express plane, and you can imagine that it was not long before an Express reporter spoke to her and gave her the first flight ticket of the day.”

SO MANY BOOKINGS

Unfortunately, there were so many people booking flights that afternoon that it was dark before the sisters, together with about half a dozen other people, got an opportunity to go up. The pilot asked if everyone could come back on Monday when he would take them up at dinner time, and all agreed except for one young man who was unable to come. He had already paid for his ticket, but he gave it to Mrs. Suthers, and she was able to go up in the plane with her sister.

“We flew over Towneley Hall and were sat in bucket seats in the plane. My legs were draped around the pilots seat and my sister’s legs were behind me round my seat. I know I was gripping her ankles hard and I hardly dared look over the side.”

The following week there was a picture in the Burnley Express of the cardboard plane and although both were teenagers at the time they remember the incident well.

READERS RECALL BURNLEY FLIGHTS

I found your photos and story of the aircraft arriving in Burnley interesting.

However I am sure this wasn’t the first aircraft to land in Burnley. Unless my memory is playing tricks I am positive we once had joy flights on Towneley Holmes on the Co-op dairy side.

I think the price was about 7s 6d. It must have been years since, for I couldn’t afford it.

FRANK HOLMES, Healy Wood Road, Springhill, Burnley.

Burnley reference library tell us they had no record of any aeroplane either landing or taking off in Burnley but they do have details of the first aircraft in Burnley – back in 1919?

This was the Burnley monoplane, built by the Burnley Motor Pleasure Company, whose managing director, Mr. W. E. Cooke, was a local man.

Though it was intended to fly the plane in the area, it never got further than being on exhibition at the Fulledge athletic ground.

And repeated engine failures doomed it to the ground in other parts of the country too.

FLIGHTS

A former Burnley grocer, Mr. Lynn Millard, recalls flights in the Crow Wood area of Burnley, near Ightenhill, in the thirties.

“I remember one very hot day – I think it was 1934 – my father took me to Crow Wood Farm, where there were definitely pleasure flights taking place,” he says.

“They went on for a number of days and when we arrived there was an enormous queue of people waiting to go up. I am sure many people will remember them.”

My Grandad Tatham had a trip in one, he was quite dissappointed as it did'nt loop the loop, he was 65 at the time!


Stephanie.

"proposed landing strip at Netherwood Farm for executive-type planes"

Where have you read that Kris?

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Gloria, I think this article is from the Burnley Express, circa 1979.

Oh right, I thought it was recent. We know the people who have it now and I couldn't imagine them wanting to open an air strip.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

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Mel

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