On Sunday 17 May
1936, passengers
boarded the first
scheduled service
from Gatwick to Paris
- the single fare for the
flight cost four pounds
and five shillings
(equivalent today of
about £160) and
included the first class
train fare from Victoria
in South East London. After qualifying
he worked for a fashionable young
architect, Raymond McGrath, in Conduit
Street which gave him nearly two years
of intermittent work including the interior
of the BBC’s Broadcasting House.
Alan subsequently set up a practice in
Mortimer Street and later at Langham
Street where the partnership was also
based.
The first drawing was finished in June
1935 and the young men were hoping
that their work would lead to more airport
commissions but this did not happen
although Jackaman’s patent application
succeeded.
On Sunday 17 May 1936, passengers
boarded the first scheduled service
from Gatwick to Paris - the single fare
for the flight cost four pounds and five
shillings (equivalent today of about
£160) and included the first class train
fare from Victoria. Air Minister, Viscount
Swinton formally opened the building
in June 1936. During 1936 passengers
were able to fly to Paris, Malmo via
Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen and
the Isle of Wight from Gatwick.
The following February, British Airways
left Gatwick after waterlogging. Their
initial stay at Gatwick had not been a
happy one marred by the late delivery
of aircraft, accidents and friction with
the airport company. Within weeks of
opening the services there was a merger
problem with British Continental Airways
Ltd and British Airways never wanted
to acquire their pilots and radio officers
as they were very unhappy about the
100
changes. After the waterlogging, British
Airways transferred its services to
Croydon.
While it operated as a passenger
terminal, those using the building were
protected by telescopic canopies which
radiated out on rails from the building
to the steps of the aircraft. A tunnel
connected the building to the railway
station.
During the Second World War, the
Beehive became the RAF’s station HQ
and this is when it acquired its name.
It wasn’t until 1946 that civil aviation
returned but the Beehive stopped
operating as an airport terminal in 1956.
Gatwick then reopened nearly a mile to
the north with a new terminal, station
and concrete runway.
It was not until 1996 that the building
became Grade II listed. It also won an
award from the Association for Industrial
Archaeology which recognised the
alterations to the building had given
it an economically sustainable future,
while retaining its original character. The
Beehive was nominated by the British
Aviation Preservation Council.
In 2000 GB Airways moved its offices
to the building after £2million was spent
by BAA Lynton which is the property
division of BAA (the British Airports
Authority, now known as Heathrow
Airport Holdings) on restoration and
conservation work on the building.
Today the building remains a hive of
activity with a number of businesses
operating out of its stylish offices.
By Liza Laws