Telegraph Hill
Note: This map only gives a rough position of the site within the UK. If anybody can kindly give advice regarding a more location, this will be most welcome.
TELEGRAPH HILL: Early gliding site
NOTES: The information regarding this site comes from the excellent book, British Aviation - The Pioneer Years by Harald Penrose, first published in 1967. This is in respect of Tom Sopwith establishing his fledgling aircraft manufacturing company based at both BROOKLANDS and Kingston-upon-Thames.
To quote: "On October 21st, the day on which the Hybrid was sold, (My note: The first Sopwith aircraft built at the Kingston-upon-Thames factory), his first draughtsman reported for duty at No.1 shed at Brooklands. (My note for younger readers. Hangars were called 'Sheds' prior to WW1). He was R.J. Ashfield, a school teacher at Tiffin's earning £60 a year, who was a keen aeroplane model-maker and had also built a glider with his pupils which they tried at Telegraph Hill, Thames Ditton."
It appears to date, that no record appears regarding the success of these gliding trials?
"As a devotee of Hendon and Brooklands at week-ends, he was commissioned by C.G. Grey to write a short desciptive article on the Hybrid, and at the Sopwith establishment was asked to hand Grey an advertisement for a draughtsman. So he immediately decided to abandon teaching, applied for the job, and got it at what seemed the princely salary of £3 per week."
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