Air Wingate & C Claridge Ltd

[jy]

I was a balcony boy back in the day and eventually got my dream job working on sales initially for C. Claridge air freight
before moving on to Air Wingate in the early 1980's. I then went to Manchester, Ascot and Heathrow.
When I search on the above two companies (pre internet) it's almost like they never existed.
They were based in between the Terminal and the old Cambrian hangars. I remember it was a thriving community
often based in the airport bar!
Are there any photos of the above buildings still in circulation?
thanks a lot
John

[mooneyncp]

was that to the right of the building behind the security gate , or left behind the curve of the ncp carpark in the portacabins
?

[jy]

Jul 5, 2024 22:34:48 GMT 1 mooneyncp said:

was that to the right of the building behind the security gate , or left behind the curve of the ncp carpark in the portacabins
?

When I was there it was 1980/1 as you face the terminal it was to the right Air Wingates wasn't far from the end of the terminal , Claridge's was a bit further around
I think they were there for many years prior to my arrival

[mooneyncp]

ah, behind the car hire vechicles, taxi rank, and fencing, then
i must of been thinking of the travel agents by the spectators balcony entrance area

[jy]

Jul 6, 2024 18:17:01 GMT 1 mooneyncp said:

ah, behind the car hire vechicles, taxi rank, and fencing, then
i must of been thinking of the travel agents by the spectators balcony entrance area

Yes was that Dowie and Marwood ?

[mooneyncp]

sorry to say i do not know,used to work in the n.c.p. car park there, and as a spotter before that, knew of them, but not the names.
sorry

[viscount]

Go looking for something else (shots taken inside the terminal building) and get distracted finding a long-forgotten shots to partly fulfill "JY's" request!

Possibly taken from the Control Tower, or more likely an upper roof level of the terminal, looking down on the NCP Car Park and "MooneyNCP's" yellow office/place of work. The 'hard' area was enlarged in the mid 70's to cope with greater demand following the conversion of Hangar Two as an International Terminal June 1971. Certainly, a summer shot and not a great many vacant parking slots evident. Initially my guess was a late '70s/early '80s date, however, I have dated another colour photo with the same bright colour cast with certainty as 1973/74, so take your pick!

Of interest to this thread is that the wooden office block to the right has the sign 'Air Wingate Limited' in pale blue on the white board (readable when I zoom-in on my photo-editing programme). That is No.2 hangar, the International Terminal from June 1971, beyond (upper right), and used by Cambrian engineering until the end of the '60s.



Very likely from the same roll of film; is that a Claridge Air Freight wagon just turned into the Airport? The yellow signboard by the entrance directs UK, IoM, Irish and CI passengers to the main building, International passengers to the International Building, so certainly at the earliest summer 1971 or up to several years later, so the 1973/74 date noted above would work. Edited in later: may well not be same roll of film at all, as one is in mid-summer, the other winter (no leaves on the tree!).



When I first read the question, my first thought was 'highly unlikely', however I've somewhat unexpectedly found two images that are at least close! Anyone else found images hidden away unseen for donkeys years?

"JY", you could try asking the question to the Facebook 'Liverpool Speke Airport Nostalgia Group' and see if they can come up with more than I have.

[vanguard]

Don't forget Brian that our club room was also in No.2 hanger.