Holly Hedge Field
HOLLY HEDGE FIELD: Temporary experimental flying site (Aka PRIESTLEY FARM)
THE STORY SO FAR
The excerpt is from Richard Shuttleworth by Kevin Desmond.
Having briefly commenced his flying experiments at POSTERN PIECE, (see seperate listing for more history and info), Albert Grimmer moved his base here with his rebuilt second-hand Blériot XI, and didn't fare much better.
Location: Roughly 1.5nm SW of Flitwick town centre
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Here, once again, we have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for providing so much extra information, maps etc.
The photo shows Albert Grimmer standing next to his Blériot X1 after he'd crashed it. The map of the farm is from Farm of my Childhood by May Roberts.
NOTES: As explained before in the POSTERN PIECE listing, this is a most remarkable story. Albert Edward Grimmer, who was running a bicycle and automobile business in Ampthill, and taking a great interest in this then new fangled enterprise involving aviation, decided to purchase a damaged second-hand Blériot XI, rebuild it and then teach himself to fly it! All this going on when, by 1913, there were many flying schools, the nearest being HENDON, (unless I am mistaken?), where no doubt much valuable advice about repairing and rigging etc, would have been available.
But, as I know so well, being self-unemployed as I call it, and not having a summer holiday for forty years or more, until my sixtieth birthday, and then only for eight days, running a successful small business very often means being very dedicated. Time off invariably coming in small snatches of time at short notice, which I imagine was also the case for Mr Grimmer.
For the remainder of the story please see the POLO FIELD listing.
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