White Mare Pool
WHITE MARE POOL: Temporary aerodrome?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
The newspaper article, (Part One and Two), was published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 9th April 1931. I was interested to see the comments from a highly experienced pilot familiar with this area. Not that his opinion was taken much notice of. Although global warming has been taking place, it hasn't much affected both the UK and much of western Europe. Being largely influenced by what happens over the Atlantic, very little has changed. The overall weather patterns are much the same as they were for at least the last hundred years. In other words - volatile - mostly subject to huge changes over short periods of time. One aspect seems to remain constant throughout, at least on the northeast coast of England - the threat of sea fog - even in summer. I've experienced the problem when flying in this region.
Note: The first three items, (plus the fifth to eight items) have also been kindly provided by Mr Mike Holder. The advert was published in the Sunday Sun (Newcastle) on the 2nd April 1933. The newspaper article was also published in the Sunday Sun (Newcastle) but nearly a month earlier on the 5th March 1933. The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Note: It seems well worth adding this article published in the Sunday Sun (Newcastle) on the 28th May 1933. Grand ideas indeed.
Note: The fifth and sixth items, the advert and the article, were published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 3rd September 1934. The eight item, The announcement, was published in the Shields Daily News on the 5th September 1934.
Operated by: North Eastern Aviation
Flying Circus operation: Sir Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day display tour. (9th September 1934)
Location: Just SSE of Wardley, just S of the A184, about 3nm ESE of Gateshead town centre and roughly 4nm SE of Newcastle city centre
Period of operation: Unknown? Certainly in April 1933 but for how long?
NOTES: This is a very interesting listing in at least a couple of ways. Firstly I can find no information about North Eastern Aviation, who perhaps only operated from this site during the 1933 season? Possibly 1934 too? It seems this company bore no relation to North Eastern Airways, formed in 1935.
Secondly, the newspaper article appears to infer that this was an established aerodrome? Understandable if used for prolonged periods for joy-riding during a season lasting from the spring to autumn. Interesting also to see the reference, (mis-spelt), to WOOLSINGTON, which did indeed become a regional aerodrome/airport, formed in 1935. Later to become NEWCASTLE airport.
A VISIT BY COBHAM
Although the term 'Flying Circus' has become generic, especially for the massed displays and joy-riding flights held mostly during the 1930s, Sir Alan Cobham himself detested the term. Almost without exception (?), these were all one day or two day events. The tours arranged by the Cobham organisation during 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1935 were without equal, arranged on a scale which today surely seems nigh on impossible?
For example, the 1932 tour was planned to visit 174 venues. Incidentally Cobham arranged a winter tour of South Africa during 1932/33 with 26 venues in late 1932 and 48 venues in early 1933. Back in the UK the 1933 tours, of which there were two, were planned to visit 277 venues. The 1934 tour had a schedule for 159 venues. The 1935 tour split into two tours on the 1st July, and in total some 244 venues were planned to be visited. Incredibly, at nearly all these venues, the displays were held on time!
His 1934 tour started on the 14th April at CENTRAL PARK, Dagenham in ESSEX, and terminated at MAYLANDS aerodrome, Romford, also in ESSEX, on the 30th September. WHITE MARE POOL, (usually listed as GATESHEAD), visited on the 9th September, was the 140th venue.
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
