London Photo Gallery - Ealing (Heathrow: The Journey)

Located in London's western suburbs, Ealing was once on the main road out of the city to Oxford. The villages grew after the railways arrived in 1838, and Ealing became a borough in 1901. The exhibition Heathrow: The Journey opened in 2018 at the University of West London showcasing the airport's 70+ year history. It is not a big gallery although is free to visit after checking in for a guest pass at The Park's entrance. In 1929, British aero-engineer Richard Fairey investigated Heathrow to be his aircraft-building business' new home. He paid 14,000 pounds in 1930 for 150 acres of farmland for his new aerodrome. This is the departure lounge in the 1940s with a cablegram desk which transmitted messages abroad using undersea cables. The airport opened in 1946 and its tent terminal was soon replaced by prefabricated buildings. By 1948, 400,000 passengers used the airport. The new terminal opened in 1955. Aviation grew rapidly in the 1950s and 60s, although flights costed a lot more than today. Flying was for the rich and glamorous, but the debut of package holidays in the late 60s started to change that. Terminal 1 opened in 1968. Concorde's first flight in the UK took place in 1976 with British Airways and Air France operating the fleet of 20 supersonic aircraft. The London Underground was extended to the airport in 1977 while Terminal 4 opened in 1986.