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Sutton Park History

  • Thread starter Thread starter O.C.
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Big Gee when our lads were very young we would walk to the park Banners gate entrance till we came to the model planes and we saw a few crash the times we were there. Our two used to make model planes but never flew them. Jean.
 
Paul they used to have some old fair photo's on the wall at Wyndley when I worked there will phone up and see if they still have them. I can't find my photo's with my dad on the up and down horses screaming my head off reckon someone in the family borrowed them. Bye. Jean.
 
Interesting Baron, when we left Aston we moved to Mere Green but no car track in those days. Banners Gate was one I infrequently used so I can't visualise it like Sutton, Four Oaks Streely and Boldmere so would have missed the planes anyway on my last sabatical down memory lane. Regards, David
 
Reading oldmohawks tale of woe makes me realise why I never built model planes. Wasn't rich enough but it does raise one question there must be thousands of lost planes lying in the woods of Sutton Park and elsewhere, does any one ever find any?
Big Gee said:
Hi Mohawk

Mills 75...hmmm...I could never afford one of those, and had to be content with cheaper engines that were pigs to start. The Mills was in a class of its own, and change hands these days for silly money. I remember the KK Pirate - nice model. First model I really got to work was a Mercury Magna with a DC Dart 0.5cc. Although I now fly carbon-fibre FF models (rubber-driven international class Wakefields), I still have a soft spot for the old days, and one day when I get the time I'll build another Magna.

Been flying control-line today at Nuneaton - glorious sunshine, flight after flight, only packed up when it began to get dark.

Big Gee
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Hi Jean
Thanks for the reply, that would bring home so many memories for me if you did find some photo's, by the way it was'nt 40 years but 50 odd how time flies when you are having fun!!!
regards
paul
 
Hi Baron totally fascinating. Couldn't find the up and down horses that I hated so much though. Pete had a brows through and he remembered Chrystal Palace but I can't even after looking at it. He is four years my senior though. Thanks for heading us in the right direction. Jean.
 
I recently walked past the area in Sutton Park where they fly the model aeroplanes. I got shouted at because I walked near the end of the 'runway' in use. These days they start the engines with 'starter motors', no risk of bruised fingers we use to get starting engines by hand. Technically the models are brilliant, and they certainly don't lose them like we used to, but no one seemed to be having fun !
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Hi OldMohawk,

electric starters for model aircraft engines are by no means new. I first had one more than 30 years ago. The metallurgy and porting of some modern engines means that they can be very difficult to start by hand.

The thing about modern radio-control is that it is so reliable it has ceased to be a challenge. I remember R/C when it was single-channel hard-valve receivers (McGregor kits) and rubber-powered escapements. If you got one decent flight in during a day's relentless effort you were doing well. It was certainly a challenge in those days.

The other point to make is that the vast majority of R/C models you'll see at Sutton Park and elsewhere are bought ready-to-fly. Scratch-building of R/C aircraft is almost a lost art. I happened recently to have a look at a modern ready-to-fly R/C model (a big one, too) and at a distance it looked great, the real business. Close-up it was quite obviously thrown together by unskilled labour in some Far East country. I could no more put my name to something like that than fly to the Moon.

Big Gee
 
Hi Big Gee,
Yes I think you are right about it ceasing to be a challenge. I built a single valve radio for my 'Skyscooter' model with only rudder control. I had a large access panel on the side of the model. It came off during the flight and the batteries slipped out and hung on the wires. It flew on but looked a bit funny. Also I might have mentioned in another thread, that while I was flying a model, a cow decided to eat the plastic seat of my BSA Motor Scooter. I can't remember whether that event stopped me aeromodeling, or was it when I got married ?
oldmohawk
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hi all
Just read Cromwells history of Sutton Park, I always knew there was a feeling of great history there but never knew how much most illuminateing and interstesting reading thak you cromwell.
regards
paul
 
oldMohawk said:
Hi Big Gee,
Yes I think you are right about it ceasing to be a challenge. I built a single valve radio for my 'Skyscooter' model with only rudder control. I had a large access panel on the side of the model. It came off during the flight and the batteries slipped out and hung on the wires. It flew on but looked a bit funny. Also I might have mentioned in another thread, that while I was flying a model, a cow decided to eat the plastic seat of my BSA Motor Scooter. I can't remember whether that event stopped me aeromodeling, or was it when I got married ?
oldmohawk
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Hi OM,

bad luck about your scooter! And your Skyscooter! A friend of mine was flying a large glider in Sutton Park, and it came down close to some cows. By the time he got to it all that was left of it was the nose-weight and a few metal bits. Plus one contented-looking, belching, cow. Balsa and doped tissue must taste very, very good....if you're a cow.

Big Gee
 
Jennyann what a great site. The first photo wizzed me straight back to my childhood, most of it spent in Gills toy shop about where the first photo was taken! I will have a closer look later.
 
In the paper at the time, to mark the 50th anniversary of the world Scout Jamboree, 50 Oak trees have been planted, known as Jamboree Avenue, from near the Jamboree stone and extends towards the parks Streetly Gate
 
Glad you liked Mike`s site Wendy. I knew you would since you grew up around there. It`s amazing how much info there is about Sutton online these days.

David M. Thanks for the info about the Oak trees being planted in
Sutton Park to remember the 50th Scout Jamboree. I have great memories
of the Jamboree and hopefully I will be able to see the Oak Trees very soon.
 
Paid a visit today, Two of the Jamboree stone, and one, of the 50 Oak tree`s that was planted marking the 50th Anniversary of the World Scout Jamboree
 
Paul also today I took some video, in between the stone and Streetly gate way, having a few problems downloading to U Tube Dave
 
Sutton Park Sunday near the Jamboree Stone (time into video 59s)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gW1e6bfoZc"]YouTube - 4th October 2009 Sunday 2 007[/ame]
 
lovely pics dave..i really must find the time to go and find this rowtons well..aint got a clue where it is..well ive a rough idea but knowing me i would get lost...

lyn
 
Awww these are making me so nostalgic.......I was a lucky child I think to have a playground like this!
 
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