Gippeswyk Hall Farm
GIPPESWYK HALL FARM: Temporary Landing Ground
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The sixth item is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Henri Salmet
Location: Just SW of Ipswich town centre
Period of operation: The 10th and 12th August 1912
NOTES: Quoting partially from a newspaper and another report; "Henri Salmet, one of the 'Daily Mail Airmen', arrived at Ipswich during the evening of Saturday, 10 August 1912. Large crowds watched as he landed in one of the meadows belonging to Gippeswyk Hall Farm, situated between Stone Lodge Lane and Gwydyr Road, having flown from Clacton via Felixstowe. At seven minutes to eight, he took off again and demonstrated his Blériot aeroplane to the assembled multitude until it was almost dark."
"The Blériot was then bedded down for the weekend but M. Salmet did not stay in Ipswich. Having 'parked' his machine for the weekend, he gave over its security to the Stoke Police Constable. On Monday 12 August, he returned to the town by train and left for Gravesend in his monoplane at about five minutes past six that evening."
Quite probably Salmet took the train to London where he would have been féted, without much doubt, in a very lavish style. We need to remember that in those days, the most famous aviators such as Salmet, Gustav Hamel and Claude Grahame-White, had a 'super-star' status which the later 'stars' in the entertainment industry can only dream of. Indeed, in many cases, when an exhibition of flying took place on a weekday, the town council declared a public holiday!
A BONUS PICTURE
Mike Holder has also found this great picture of Salmet at GIPPESWYK HALL FARM, which we believe is free of copyright? It is of some interest that the propeller design on this machine, is now being adopted for the most advanced aircraft using propellers some hundred years later. Those early pioneers in aviation, certainly knew a lot more than they are credited for.
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