Dursley
DURSLEY: Temporary flying site
Note: All four of these maps and pictures were provided by Mr Michael T Holder
Operated by: Midland Aviation Syndicate
Location: Just NW of Dursley, W of the M5 motorway, about 7.5nm SW of Stroud town centre and roughly 20nm NE to NNE of Bristol city centre
Period of operation: 15th July 1911
NOTES: All the credit for this entry has to go to Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'.
For example he found this report in the Gloucester Echo published on Thursday 13th July 1911:
DURSLEY FETE
SATURDAY, JULY 15th, 1911.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Programme to commence at 3 o.clock
________________________
AEROPLANE EXHIBITION
By the MIDLAND AVIATION SYNDICATE
A "Bleriot" Monoplane will be on Exhibition during the day. The Aviator and Mechanics will be present to explain the working of same.
During the Evening (wind, weather, and other circumstances permitting) the Aviator will give
SHORT FLIGHTS
___________
He also found a mention in the Bristol Times and Mirror, published on Monday 17th July 1911:
AVIATION AT DURSLEY
"Dursley took place on Saturday, in the cricket field. The chief attraction this year was an aeroplane exhibition, the aviator being Captain Clayton, of the Midland Aviation Syndicate, and, besides explaining the workings of his Blériot monoplane to interested persons during the afternoon, he made two very successful flights across the ground."]
Today of course we need to assess what this amounts to? In effect just not much more than a couple of 'hops'. But of course we need to remember that very few people had ever seen an aeroplane, let alone one being airborne, even if only briefly.
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