NAMING OF INNS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21178, 27 October 1938, Page 8

NAMING OF INNS

INFLUENCE OF AIR TRAVEL That the Canopus Inn near Rochester, England, was the first inn to derive its name from air travel was the statement made in a news item from London published in yesterday morning’s issue of “The Timaru Herald.” It appears, however, that there are in England inns which were re-named and given names indicative of the influence of air travel before the Canopus was named after the Empire flying boat, for a correspondent of “The Manchester Guardian” wrote as follows in the issue of that paper of September 29:—“Sir,—May I point out that Sir John Reith was in error in suggesting, as you reported the other day, that the Canopus Inn was the first to derive its name from air travel? An inn named the Comet, erected at Hatfield near the aerodrome, was opened nearly two years ago. It is named after the aeroplane in which Mr C. W. A. Scott and the late Mr Campbell Black made their record-breaking flight Irom Mildenhall to Melbourne. The first inn to derive its name from any form of aircraft must have been the Air Balloon at Oxford. The name commemorated the first ascent made in a balloon—at Versailles more than 150 years ago.— Yours faithfully (sgd.) L. R. N. Percey. London, September 27."