The Athletic Ground
THE ATHLETIC GROUND: Temporary aerodrome
Operated by: B C Hucks
Location: Just S of the A39 and A371 junction, roughly SSW to SW of Wells city centre
Period of operation: 11th and 12th July 1913
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for both discovering this venue and researching what information might be available, plus the maps and pictures.
The advert was placed in the Wells Journal on the 30th May 1913.
Article One was published in the Wells Journal on the 11th July 1913.
THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
This article, in six parts to make it easier to read, was published in the Wells Journal on the 18th July 1913.
No radio let alone television in those days. Press reporters covering a major event such as this were expected to provide a comprehensive 'word picture' to the readers.
The table of costs etc was published in the Wells Journal on the 8th August 1913. Well worth a look, seems that the event more or less broke even.
It is of course impossible to draw direct comparisons, but, a reasonable estimate is that £165 in 1913 would be roughly the equivalent of £24,000 in 2024. Which means in turn that B C Hucks was paid roughly £12,000. Pretty good result for two days work!
NOTES: I find it fascinating just how quickly the bravest of pilots in those days could so quickly progress to being national heroes. The basics of how aeroplanes actually flew was not understood, that took many more years of research to even get to the elemental principles. But, they obviously knew that these new fangled machines can of course fly, and fly them they did. Almost always learning the arts of flying on pretty much every time they took to the air.
Bentfield Charles Hucks (1884 - 1918) is an exemplary example. He gained his Royal Aero Club certicate (No.91) in May 1911. And here he was, feted as a famous pilot, just two years later. However, his main claim to fame in our aviation history came about just two months later when he was the first Briton to perform a loop in the UK at HENDON in September 1913. Flying his favourite type - a Blériot monoplane.
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