Blackfriars
BLACKFRIARS: Temporary seaplane operations
Operated by: Fairey Aviation Co Ltd on behalf of the Evening News
Location: On the River Thames in central London, just W of the City of London. Between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges
Period of operation: Summer of 1919
The advert, of which a part is shown, was published in The Aeroplane on the 16th February 1921. The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for discovering this advert published in The Aeroplane by the Fairey Aviation Co Ltd. I think they used to stretch of the Thames to the west, between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges because it is longer than the stretch to the east before Southwark Bridge. It is also a tad closer to Fleet Street. (See below for later info.)
This is not the only example I have found of newspapers being delivered by aeroplane shortly after WW1, but certainly the only example of seaplanes being used. Having become something of an 'anorak' over the last twenty plus years, I do wonder exactly where they made the delivery at Margate on the Isle of Thanet? Can anybody kindly offer advice?
THE STORY EXPANDS -
We have Mr James Evans to thank for delving into this subject. It now appears that the aircraft used was a Fairey Campagnia, and the first service was planned for the 4th May 1919. The destination was WESTGATE in/near MARGATE. See seperate listing. The newspaper using this service was the Evening News. Plus, we now know that the pilot was the then well known Australian aviator, Sidney Pickles.
- AND CONTINUES TO GROW
In May 2026 Mike Holder discovered more information and has kindly added a couple of pictures which serve to illustrate just how dramatically the south bank of the Thames has changed, especially since the 1970s/80s. All the wharfs, warehouses and factories now mostly long gone, a few remaining of course but converted to offices and/or apartments.
WHERE DID HE LAND AND TAKE-OFF FROM?
Without much if any doubt Pickles would have easily landed near to his loading point near to Campania House just west of London Bridge. However, taking off heavily loaded would have been another matter entirely and callling for expert judgement as the conditions constantly change. Not least because the Thames is tidal in central London, and much more so then before the Thames Barrier was built. Quite often I expect, he had to juggle the high(er) tide times with the prevailing winds, which would explain the long taxy involved depicting him taking off under the Lambeth bridge.
AN ARTICLE FROM 'THE AEROPLANE' MAGAZINE
Published on the 13th January 1921, I think that calling this a "Scoop" was over-egging it somewhat as it seems clear that the viability of establishing regular air services from the Thames in central London had already been proven to a limited extent at least. What is not mentioned is the considerable amount of commercial traffic on the Thames in those days, which would most certainly have conflicted with air traffic at low tide.
I suppose we should not get too hung up on details, but what does "Below Tower Bridge" mean? I would interpret this as being 'downriver' but, for the first flight illustrated in the photo above, Sidney Pickles decided to go 'upriver' to take off.
There is also the problem of Tower Bridge itself. and if they would be expected to raise the bridge for larger flying boats to pass through? HIndsight is a wonderful commodity of course, but it seems to me that the prospect of using the Thames as an aerodrome/airport was a non-starter.
The 1946 picture compared to the modern picture of the MI.5/MI.6 building is a graphic illustration of the type of changes made over fifty plus years.
The photo of Pickles flying under Lambeth Bridge was published in the Evening News on the 6th May 1919, and the chain-link bridge built in 1862 was replaced in the 1930s.
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