Ickleford
ICKLEFORD: Temporary aerodrome (Known as ICKLEFORDBURY in 1929)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The second item, the advert, was published in the Beds and Herts Pictorial on the 24th September 1929. The third picture was copied from The Comet, to illustrate a DVD about to be launched by the Hitchin Historical Society.
This fifth item was published in the Beds and Herts Pictorial on the 8th October 1929. As was the picture in the seventh item above.
Note: In the tenth item, the local area map, Mike Holder has given us the flight route Cobham took for his local flights for local dignitaries. The eleventh item, a picture, was also published in the Beds and Herts Pictorial on the 8th October 1929. The ninth and twelth items are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Sir Alan Cobham’s 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign, and his 1933 National Aviation Day No.1 Tour
Location: W of the A600, just W of Ickleford and about 1 to 1.5nm N of Hitchin town centre
Period of operation: 4th October 1929 and 18th April 1933
NOTES: The 95th venue for Alan Cobham’s 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign Tour in this area.
The first picture above shows a large group of 'worthies' lined up in front of Alan Cobham's de Havilland DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV, and named 'Youth of Britain'. Cobham started a tour of the U.K. in May 1929 and visited one hundred and seven towns and cities, before ending the tour in October. The main purpose was to get the country 'air-minded' and to promote the establishment of aerodromes and regional airports.
Typically after landing he would take the local dignitaries for an aerial tour of the vicinity. This would be followed by a civic reception and luncheon after which Cobham would make his case. Getting back to the Landing Ground he would take a number of selected schoolchildren for a local flight, this being sponsored, free of charge, by Lord Wakefield who owned Castrol Oils, (who preferred to remain anonymous). A most generous gesture indeed as he offered Cobham to pay for 10,000 schoolchildren throughout his six month Tour.
This tour by Cobham did have some success, and several local authorities did rise to the challenge - but not Hitchin. Clearly the majority of these 'worthies' saw no future in backing aviation. Luton however did, and just look what became of that!
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