Diary: Hewlett aircraft factory expands

 

Stories from The Luton News, Thursday, February 25th, 1915

Luton Rural District Council's Surveyor reported the receipt of a letter from Messrs Hewlett and Blondeau in connection with an extension of their aeroplane works at Leagrave.Hewlett and Blondeau aircraft works 1918

The firm stated that they had proceeded with the erection of the buildings under pressure from the War Office, and hoped that under the circumstances the Council would excuse them. They had put the buildings in hand before the plans were ready.

The Council not only excused the firm but, in the circumstances, approved the extensions.

  • A wages dispute at Commercial Cars was settled on Saturday, the day the men went out on strike. After a mass meeting on the Moor on Saturday morning it was reported that there were no prospects of a settlement, but in the afternoon a report by a deputation sent to meet the management of the firm reported. The men had asked for a 1d an hour increase,Commer had offered ½d. A compromise was agreed with an increase of ¾d and the employees returned to work on Monday.

  • The first big assembly of the troops now in training in Luton (the North Midland Reserve Division) took place on Monday, when there was an inspection by Sir Ian S. M. Hamilton, the General Officer Commanding the Central Force. For this inspection the use of Luton Hoo Park was lent by Lady Wernher, and with the exception of one brigade the whole division paraded for the inspection, General H. B. McCall being in command.

  • The opening of the Primitive Methodist Schools at High Town as a YMCA Centre promises to be a great boon to troops billeted in that busy locality. Three bagatelle tables, draughts, chess and other games are already provided. There are the usual facilities for reading and writing.

  • Lieut Stonehurst, of the 5th (Reserve) Battalion Leicester Regiment is at present a patient in the Luton Bute Hospital as the result of injuries sustained by being run over while gallantly attempting to stop a runaway horse attached to a mineral water van with a broken shaft in Castle Street on Monday morning. Driver Edward Marriott, of 62 Cowper Street, hung on as the horse went along Park Street and Lea Road to Crawley Green Road before managing to stop it.

  • Cpl Large and Pte Goodall, of the 5th Battalion Notts and Derby Regiment, who had come to Luton on the mobilisation of the Territorial Force, distinguished themselves on Sunday when German aeroplanes dropped bombs on Colchester, Braintree and other places in Essex. Finding one of the bombs in a field, they placed a stick through the handle and proceeded to carry the missile to the river. On the way the bomb burst into flames but the men carried on and put it in the river.

  • A Belgian officer will return to the fighting line from Luton today after a week's leave in England. He had been fighting continuously since the first attack on Liege. He had stayed at a cottage in the neighbourhood of Luton with refugee friends from Antwerp.

  • Luton Rural District Council Medical Officer of Health Dr John Rollings said that in view of its housing conditions and water supply Sundon was an unsuitable village in which to billet soldiers. Colonel Clarke, Chief Medical Officer at the Army Headquarters at Luton, assured him that men of his division were not to go there and no troops had yet arrived.

  • The case of an RAMC member using a motor car without an identification mark in Upper George Street, Luton, was dismissed with costs by Luton magistrates at an adjourned hearing yesterday. The court had heard that there were four or five ambulance cars used to carry troops to hospital that had not had registration plates attached. The military authorities had now complied with the regulations.

  • Three cases of scarlet fever in one house at Stopsley and one case at Leagrave were notified at a meeting of Luton Rural District Council on Tuesday. There was also one case of diphtheria at Chaul End.

  • Mr J. H. Staddon, elected to the board of Messrs Vyse, Sons and Co Ltd, had been appointed manager of the firm's modern Luton factory in 1909, the Drapers Record magazine pointed out. A native of the Channel Islands, had come to Luton to acquired a practical knowledge of the manufacturing side of the straw trade and has been connected with this branch of the industry for 28 years.

  • "Blow up Barton" was Luton Rural District Clerk Mr William Austin's solution to the village's housing problems. Barton had 190 houses of which 168 had an annual rental of under £16, the Medical Officer of Health and the Surveyor said in a report on unsatisfactory sanitation. The report did, however, say that Barton people were healthy and happy enough.

  • The 94th half-yearly ordinary general meeting of the Luton Water Co heard there was a balance at the end of the period of £6,836 1s 11d and a reserve fund amounting to £16,660 4s 2d.

  • An interesting find has been recently made by Mr Allen, the owner of tithe cottages at Stopsley. Making some renovations it was found that some of the rooms were beautifully panelled with old oak, with a carved centrepiece dated 1593. Conjectures have been made as to whether Lord Mayor Starling, the Sheriff Starling of Samuel Pepys' diary, which describes him as being in a highly worried state of mind during the great fire of London [1666], did reside here or not. Documentary evidence proves him to have once owned the Manor Farm.