Croydon Airport

A bit of history for you now. Info from here.

Croydon airport was London's first commercial airport. It started life during World War I as two separate airfields. Then afterwards they were combined and expanded to create the commercial airport which opened in 1920. Apparently it was the first airport in the world to introduce air traffic control (I dread to think what happened before that!). In the 1920s and early 1930s the airport played a huge role in the burgeoning air travel sector, including also taking air mail and being used by flying pioneers including Charles Lindbergh and Amy Johnson.

In the Second World War, Croydon airport played a huge part in the Battle of Britain and was a strategically important site which the Germans bombed, damaging nearby factories and killing a number of civilians and airmen. Post-WWII, the airport came under increasing competition from other London airports and there wasn't the space needed for expansion to take larger aircraft. Local residents also complained a lot about the noise. In 1959 the airport closed.

Part of the airport on the Sutton side was developed into the Roundshaw housing Estate where many roads are named after planes, aviators and airlines. On the Croydon side, it has been developed into an industrial estate which now sits at the south end of the larger Purley Way light industrial and retail area. There is still a large area of grass, known as Purley Way playing fields on the Croydon side and Roundshaw Downs on the Sutton side. On the Sutton side of Purley Way is a memorial erected in 1991 to the service people who died.

The airport terminal building was kept and has been converted into serviced temporary offices. The airport hotel has also been kept. The plane in the photo is outside the airport terminal, known as Airport House. It is apparently a restored De Havilland Heron which is the same model as the last flight to leave the airport.

Today I went to a training session held in the area. I walked there through the Roundshaw estate and across the football pitches and grassland of Roundshaw Downs. The training itself was pretty useful, about assertiveness. I feel more able to argue my point and persuade people who are rational and prepared to listen. However it doesn't help so much with people who are unreasonable. Sometimes avoidance is the best tactic.

It was lovely and sunny (but windy) much of the day but started to pour with rain mid afternoon. I got out of the course earlier than I'd normally leave work but the sudden downpours weren't all that inviting to do much. My housemate's boyfriend is staying but he has come down with a stomach bug so I am trying to avoid the public areas which he might have contaminated and mostly staying in my room. I'm very glad it's Friday tomorrow. Having a day out of the office today has helped.