Trevor’s Stickies.
Trevor’s Stickies.
Trevor and I.
Bertie: “Ere Trev, owd you fancy presenting my blog next week? Trevor’s Stickies, we could call it!”
Trevor: “Do you mind! My name is Trevor. Maybe I should be grateful to you for running the naming competition. But, let’s be honest, it was partly your acquiescence to my anonymity that left me a Bear Without a Name for twenty years.”
Bertie: “Or you being bleedin miserable”.
Trevor: “Oh dear. Do I sense a little paranoia?”
Bertie: “I was twice as dear as you.”
Trevor: “And twice as common. Quality before quantity, say I. Let’s desist from this bearish argument and concentrate on your request.”
Bertie: “Gawd. Luv a duck. Give a dog a bone and this is what you get. Do you want to present or not mate?”
Trevor: “I am not your mate and unlikely to be your friend, given our cultural differences, but I must express a nascent interest in Bobby’s boyhood hobbies. The ones shewn in the blog about me. www.mindfullybertie.org.uk/little-white-bear. You may also note that Kristian from Calimesa, California has not been pictured with his prize for his inspired choice .
Bertie: “Fair dos Trevvvvor. Here’s Kristian.”
Kristian with his prize.
A “Bobballs” horse. Named by him as Gertie. A filly, to you and I!
Trevor: “Well done, Kristian. I really like ‘Trevor’. Suits me.”
Bertie: I suggest you start with some of Bobby’s sticky labels. And tell my beloved followers what they are all about.”
Trevor: “Thank you. You could have said that from the start!”
Trevor’s First Presentation.
Bobby grew up in the fifties. A time when all schoolboys seemed to be collectors. There were girls around, but they were avoided at all costs. Especially sisters. The first universal collecting hobby was postage stamps. Most boys had their albums and you could buy packets of assorted stamps from all over the world from WH Smith and other shops. Carefully sticking them in the right pages of your album with special stamps stickers. But this was indoors. Those who sort adventure went out on buses and trains (and trams) with their Ian Allan notebooks (a future Trevor blog). Collecting train numbers and names. Buses and their depots. Even tube trains had a limited appeal for some. Trains, of course, had a massive following and some erstwhile trainspotters can still be encountered all over the heritage railway network. In their seventies and still with their notebooks. Rucksacks instead of satchels. Bobby wants it made clear that he is an enthusiast of trains now. Not a trainspotter.
But one day, after just a couple of years on the stations the dirt and grime of railways were totally wiped out by the glamour of aircraft. He became an obsessive plane-spotter, until the day his girlfriend gave him that ultimatum. “Planes or me”. And he made the wrong choice. The hectic years were between 1957 and 1961. During that time he collected everything he could get his hands on to do with aeroplanes. Including a piece of an Indian Air Force Hunter jet that he has to this day. In his shed. Who would guess what it was?
Tailplane Hinge. Acquired at an aircraft scrapyard in Mitcham.
Indian Air Force Hawker Hunter. Britain’s most successful fighter jet. Sold all over the world.
He went to the airline offices in London. He wrote to airlines and manufacturers all over the world, expressing a need for material for a project he was writing. Always addressed as Master Robert Ball, he received back an amazing amount of goodwill literature. Photographs, badges and, for the purposes of this blog, sticky labels. That’s why we are calling it “Trevor’s Stickies”. But they’re not mine – there’s his! He also exchanged (and even sold) spares on the terraces of Queen’s building London Airport. Or simply pinched them from the airline desks.
And he still has more or less all of it. More than anything, he would like to share it with you as, one day, it could land up on a skip or, if Andrew is listening, be offered to enthusiasts clubs.
Sticky labels were a phenomena back then that were an art form in themselves. Designed for baggage, he also has cardboard tie on labels.
The Sticky Labels
Some of Trevor’s Stickies.
For this first presentation, the airlines featured no longer exist. None of them.
Aquila Airways, London. This is the best and the last…
Pan American World Airlines. Later known as PanAm. Possible the most famous airline of all. Bankrupt and ceasing operations in 1991. A very long story.
Trans World Airways. TWA. Bobby’s favourite, for its simply beautiful Super Constellations. And the wonderful sound of four Wright radial engines as they floated down to land at Heathrow. Another long story. But bankrupt. Ceased operations in 2001.
British Overseas Airways Corporation. Since 1939, BOAC was Britain’s most famous airline. Ironically, formed by a merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. Especially overseas. It joined with BEA (British European Airways) to form today’s British Airways in 1974. Famous for its rather stuffy, elitist imagery, its sticky labels followed suit. But then it flew the world’s first jet airline. The Comet. And later, of course, Concorde.
BOAC Coronet Tourist Services.
BOAC Majestic Luxury Services.
BOAC Monarch Luxury Transatlantic Air Services.
British European Airways. BEA. Had a much younger image. Bobby nearly worked for them. Passing examinations, right up to the last interview. Air traffic control doesn’t sound good for a GAD sufferer! The airliner outline is the Vickers Viscount, which should get its own story. Merged with BOAC to form British Airways in 1974.
BEA – The Ulster Flyer.
BEA Air Cargo.
BEA The Clansman.
BEA The Chieftain.
Sabena was Belgium’s national airliner from 1923 to 2001. It seems inconceivable that such a famous airline should go bankrupt. Like many others, it wasn’t just its own fault, but the victim of world events. Ceased operations 2001.
For sticky label collectors Sabena had very colourful artwork
To Switzerland by Sabena.
Sabena Super Service.
To Greece by Sabena.
To Italy by Sabena.
To Spain by Sabena.
To the French Riviera by Sabena.
Export/Import Sabena Belgium Airlines.
Trans Canada Air Lines was Canada’s flag carrier from 1937 to 1965, when it became Air Canada.
Seaboard & Western Airlines was founded in 1946. Taken over by Flying Tiger Line in 1980. Eventually became part of FedEx.
Central African Airways was formed in 1946. The upheaval of that part of the world led to it ceasing operations in 1967.
CAA “Wanted Overnight”.
Union Aeromaritime de Transport. A short-lived French airline. 1949-1963.
They actually flew Comets 1’s until they were grounded.
North Central Airlines. An American regional airliner. Bobby loved the logo, known as “Herman the Duck”, and nearly painted it on his van. 1944. Ceased operations 1979 through merger.
Continental Airlines was a big American player from 1937-2012, when it merged with United Airlines. They bought British Viscounts in 1958, which Bobby saw at Wisley Aerodrome pre delivery.
You can still buy a model and I can see Bobby “thinking”.
Here’s some British ones from the past….
BKS. 1951. Ceased operations 1976.
Early days Viking airliner.
Danair. Formed 1953. Flew lots of jets, including Comets, from Gatwick. Merged with British Airways 1992.
Eagle Airways 1949. Ceased operations in 1968.
Eagle Airways – early Vickers Viking.
Small “I don’t believe it.” This airline was based at Blackbushe aerodrome on the A30. The hangars and operations were either side of the A30. When they wanted a plane they closed level crossing gates and towed it across a main road.
Skyways of London. 1946-1962.
For a while used Avro Yorks that were based on the Lancaster bomber.
Don Overall Aviation. Short lived.1957-1961. Nice label.
Silver City. 1946-1962.
Just think. Drive to Lymphe in Kent. Your car is driven into the Bristol Freighter. Room for three cars and 20 passengers. Flown to Le Touquet and off you go.
Bertie: “Trevor! Time to declare. There are masses more. And he really wants to finish on this…”
Aquila Airways. The rarest and most impressive label. Formed in 1948. It only lasted ten years. But years in which the final hoorah of a once great method of transport was played out. By flying boat from Southampton Water to Madeira and the Canary Islands. Carrying just 24 passengers with day and night accommodation, or 36 daytime. One day we may well write a flying boat blog.
Short Solent.
I Don’t Believe It!
I Don’t Believe It!
Caption: “The Vickers Viking cabin, with the main wing spar running right through it… A popular area to choose to sit to watch the mountaineering efforts of their Air Hostess…
The Vickers Viking airliners shown earlier were “a quick fix” to get an airliner into production pending the arrival of the world beating Viscount. Like many post war airliners, it was based on a bomber. The Wellington. This slightly saucy cartoon shows that in their haste to build and operate this small airliner they could not redesign the spars for the wings. As you can see, you had to climb over them! Once again there is an example at Brooklands Museum.
Lighting a Candle for Diddley.
How appropriate that Trevor should light the candle this week in the company of that British masterpiece. The Vickers Viscount. Brooklands has one you can go in.
www.mindfullybertie.org.uk/category/brooklands
You may wonder about Trevor’s new apparel. To stop his droopy countenance we have fitted him with a belt. Almost a corset. And it works! Do we leave it as it is. or get him some trousers?
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Those “stickies” took me back! My mother has a case with them at home. (Same case as in “Call the Midwife” the other week). My first flight was Lympne to Beauvais in March 1974. Flew with Dan Air. A prop job. Anything I’ve flown in since has oozed luxury!! Wonder if itwas a Vicars Viscount?
They did have Viscounts. First aircraft I ever flew with. Memorable with wonderful big windows and the whistling engines
Wonderful graphics from a passed era. The cartoon of the hostess crossing the wing spar brought back memories. A school skiing trip I didn’t go. When I asked my pal about the trip all he could recount was the air hostess having to cross the wing spar on the DC4 and showing her knickers.
and you have never forgotten it. ! Thats the slight worry with all this Harvey inspired woman power we are witnessing.
Catherine Deneuve got slaughtered for speaking up for men in suggesting we are heading for puritism.
Great collection of ‘stickies’ and associated history. Like Fliss my parents had a suitcase with them on…only a few !! But was this in part a case of some people just showing off their suitcase to everyone else that they are very worldly travelled …the more the better…one up so to speak on others.
Bernard…obsessive natures cling onto the memorabilia and memories of our childhoods. So much stuff that could all be lost were it not
for blogging. Brilliant. Inexhaustable supply
My Dad was a train spotter when he was young, I didn’t realise it was such a common young lad hobby along with stamp collecting…thanks for the wonderful insight into suburban middle England of yesteryear.. always makes a great read.
more to come. This is becoming on occasions an autobigraphy
I think you have beaten Brooklands museum in your collection very interesting.
My ex boss at Redhill Aerodrome now ‘owns’ Imperial Airways!! I have to introduce you two – what a brilliant piece – thank you 🙂
I’d like to meet him! And you soon