BOURNMOOR:  Temporary aerodrome venue          (Aka BURNMOOR)

Note:  Also known as CHESTER-le-STREET, FENCE HOUSES, HOUGHTON GATE and LAMBTON


Operated by:  Sir Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day displays

Location: Just N of the A1052, roughly 2nm E of Chester-le-Street town centre


Periods of operation:  30th June 1933, 22nd May 1934 and 5th July 1935 



A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for investigating this location and providing these maps, press items etc.



Article One was published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 1st July 1933.






The excerpt is from All Things Burnmoor. The advert was placed in the Chester-le-Street Chronicle and District Advertiser on the 11th May 1934.






The short article was published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 23rd May 1934.





The advert above was placed in the Chester-le-Street Chronicle and District Advertiser on the 28th June 1935. And, on the same day, this article in six parts also appeared in the same newspaper.

























The picture of the Dun Cow was obtained from Google Street View. The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.






THE COBHAM TOURS INVOLVED HERE

1933
In 1933 Sir Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day organisation arranged two seperate Display Tours. The No.1 Tour commenced at CENTRAL PARK, Dagenham in ESSEX, on the 14th April and was planned to visit 116 venues, including twenty venues in the Republic of Ireland. It terminated at CHERTSEY LANE, Staines in SURREY on the 8th October.

The No.2 Tour started at HOLT FARM, Southend in ESSEX, also on the 14th April. This remained on the mainland, was planned to visit 161 venues, including Wales and Scotland, BOURNMOOR being the 71th venue on the 30th June. This tour finished at MAYLANDS AERODROME, Romford in ESSEX also on the 8th October.   


1934
The 1934 season saw just one Tour being organised with 159 venues planned to be visited, all on the mainland. This tour started, once again on the 14th April at CENTRAL PARK, Dagenham, ESSEX, and this time BOURNMOOR was the 36th venue. Here again this Tour also terminated at MAYLANDS AERODROME, Romford, ESSEX, but on the 30th September. 


1935
In 1935 another approach was taken. It started out as a single Tour planned to visit 72 venues, but starting on the 12th April at TITCHFIELD ROAD, Fareham in HAMPSHIRE. This first part finished at GRAVESEND aerodrome, KENT, on the 30th June. Then, commencing on the 1st July, it split into two Tours, No.1 Tour being planned to visit 88 venues. The No.1 Tour kicked off at PENSHURST aerodrome, Tonbridge in KENT, whereas the No.2 Tour departed from the OLD RACECOURSE, Portholme Meadow near Huntingdon with the aim of visiting 84 venues. 

In this case BOURNMOOR was the 5th venue for the No.2 Tour, arriving, coincidentally, on the 5th July.


PERHAPS SOMETHING FORGOTTEN TODAY?

Sir Alan Cobham's name will be forever associated with the 'Flying Circus' era in the 1930s, during the time of the Great Depression. Although he detested the term 'Flying Circus', the Tours his National Aviation Day company organised were way ahead in scope, and ambition. So, whether he cared for the accolades or not, he was the 'Ring Master', the 'Maestro', the 'Major Domo' of this fascinating era.

However, his Tours were not the first, nor the last. Typically, (argue amongst yourselves please), 1931 seems to be when the first display fleets appeared on the scene with, for example Aviation Tours, North British Aviation Company and C D Barnard Air Tours. The first Cobham Tour was in 1932 and the last in 1935 - so, just four in all. It seems the era petered out in 1937.