The Queens Building (LAP/LHR)

[Jeff]

Since this forum started over a year ago now every mention of “The Queens Building” seems to have resulted in a lot of posts and rekindled memories, as such here is a day at LHR in pictures.

First stop for most of us was Heathrows bus station, although Ive never been interested in buses the mid 70s still saw regular RT buses on the 140 route, Im not sure why but I always noticed these on passing through, actually come to think of it it was probably because of their dated look at the time





I on the other hand used the 285



Once off the bus there was the stroll along the walkway to the QB







And then after paying your money you made your way round the edge to the viewing deck, where the first sight of the aprons was visible....trident tridents and more boring tridents !! lol (with they were still there now)





the QB back then was a huge area, the one thing I remember were the seats sort of buried into the wall, these can just be seen in this old photo



then there was the sunken garden area....which, after spending a couple of hours on the highest balcony in the wind always seemed almost tropical



Further down was the T2 cul de sac, I dont however ever remember tridents parking there





This is more the view I remember



and last but not least...a trip to the far end to see the more exotic long range jets which could seen from the very end viewing pier

[zz]

Love it! Great pics- brings back memories of the 80s for me!
Was just thinking ain't the Queens Building yesterday!

[keefyboy]

OMG Jeff!! What wonderful memories. I was so into train spotting and bus spotting till 1967 when my mum took me to QB for the first time. I still have the 1967 Ian Allen?? log book that she got me that day from the shop on the QB terrace. I started collecting plane numbers from that day on. By 1968 I recall myself and about 10 mates were regulars to the QB and we used to sit in a kind of restaurant area below QB that had pretty good views of the tarmac - I particularly recall the demise of British Eagle and looking across the pan at all their redundant aircraft. There were days when all the 707's and DC8's got a bit boring and we'd hop on the 140 bus over to Northolt.

For my part, I always got the 285 from Clapham which always with great eagerness took us through the hanger area - ALHJ from memory was always there. In the 70's I could easily cycle from where I lived in Battersea to Heathrow on a very user friendly cycle path. I doubt it exists these days.

What really gets me is that I lived and went to school directly under what was then 28L and R as a kid. I wonder what I saw - I definitely raised my head when the jets started coming over!!

Cheers

[Dylan]

Wow, Jeff. Nothing else to say. Simply outstanding pictures mate, love it! Always looking at my Grandad's old pictures, blimey, spotting used to be so much more... what's the word... better in a way?

[graham]

What a superb set of shots Jeff, very nostalgic and they certainly took me back to a time when I would be there most Saturdays atop the QB. I also recall the restaurant area that Keefy mentions, at the end of a long, cold day on the QB we would often go down there to warm up before the long walk back through the tunnel to catch the bus back to Reading. The other overriding memory is of that first whiff of aviation fuel as you exited the tunnel on the way in. What a superb resource for spotters the QB was.

[davidallum]

Feb 5, 2016 7:47:00 GMT graham said:

What a superb set of shots Jeff, very nostalgic and they certainly took me back to a time when I would be there most Saturdays atop the QB. I also recall the restaurant area that Keefy mentions, at the end of a long, cold day on the QB we would often go down there to warm up before the long walk back through the tunnel to catch the bus back to Reading. The other overriding memory is of that first whiff of aviation fuel as you exited the tunnel on the way in. What a superb resource for spotters the QB was.

Too true Graham,it was either Thames Valley or Alder Valley which ran the 'B' service from Reading to London Victoria and stopped outside the airport and as you state it was the long walk through the tunnel (kept us fit).

I also think that with a little more thought they could have put a viewing area on top of the new Terminal 2 and charged a couple of quid for the privilege but then again most UK airports do not care about us enthusiasts or Joe Public (unlike a lot of airports in Europe).

[graham]

It took an age Dave too, followed the A4 all the way and stopped at every stop. Always started to get excited when it got to the roundabout at Colnbrook where the M4 went over the top of the A4. They might still be there but do you also remember the linked set of about a dozen traffic lights in what was "Slough Safety Town"? Hit one right and as long as you kept to 30mph, then in theory they were all green by the time you reached them

[denwil189]

Well done Jeff Excellent pictures certainly brightened up my day. Brought back all the memories of LHR when you could get to see everything that was going on airside, let alone take 35mm pictures of reasonable quality. Bring back the viewing decks,!!!

[bobbystreet56]

thanks jeff , brings back some memories of getting the early train to brighton then up to gatwick ,where a quick trip to see what was in then on to the greenline 727 bus to heathrow .memories of playing football on top of the QB and the guys below only to happy to throw your ball back if it went over the edge. ah halycon days!