Beddington and Wallington's Place in Flying History

11.11.48am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 4th Oct 2005

Tom Brake MP, Cllr Joan Hartfield and Cllr Roger Thistle were treated to a personal tour of the Croydon Airport Visitors Centre by Frank Anderson, Chairman of the Croydon Airport Society, on Monday.

Tom Brake, who is the Liberal Democrats' Transport Spokesman said, "You cannot overstate the role Beddington, Waddon and Wallington played in both nurturing our aviation industry and when Croydon Airport became an RAF base at the beginning of the WW2, defending our country. The Airport is a fascinating piece of history right on our doorsteps".

Cllr Thistle who visited the Airport's Control Tower when he was a boy commented, "The Centre reminds us of the romantic days of air travel, when passengers traveled in their best furs rather than tank tops. The Centre should be on every tourist's itinerary."

Cllr Hartfield who represents the Society's interests on Sutton Council said, "The dedicated volunteers who run the Centre have really brought the twenties and thirties to life - a time when the well-to-do ladies of Wallington caught a plane from Croydon Airport to Paris for shopping and dinner before returning home late that night."

The Visitors Centre is open to visitors on the first Sunday of each month from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm, (last admission 3.30 pm). Details on 020 8669 1196.