Hatfield shoppingcentres "Comet"

I hate to bring pubs into this but what state is ‘The Comet’ hotel in these days.
When I was a kid it was a great landmark on the road to London, last time I went that way it looked like a wine bar or something had taken it over.
Andy

It is owned by the Ramada Jarvis hotel chain.

I hate to bring pubs into this but what state is ‘The Comet’ hotel in these days.
When I was a kid it was a great landmark on the road to London, last time I went that way it looked like a wine bar or something had taken it over.
Andy

PaulR. Thanks for that.

I have been communicating with Herts Constabulary for a few weeks just to ensure that they spelt de Havilland correctly!! They are planning a forum to ensure that the restoration is handled sensitively. I’m planning on being part of that movement. I’ll be getting a trained eye to check over the plans once they become available to the public.

Any input you folk have will be taken into consideration. Let me know your thoughts.

By the way, there are plans for a wind turbine to go on the airfield. I think I will suppress my thoughts on that here. Someone thought it would be lovely to see a propeller back on the airfield!

The whole story of the demise of Hatfield is very sad. That is history now and I am enthusing over the preservation of what we have left.

The main hangar with the integrated control tower is now Europe’s largest gym and leisure centre. They have preserved it very well, I think. The tower itself is a hotel and you can stay in the penthouse with those wonderful glass walls for about £99 a night, I believe.

The two main buildings (offices and ‘canteen block’) are indeed listed. They will be restored in the very near future. A third smaller building at the old entrance will become a KFC (sacrilege). They knocked a part of that down last month. We kicked up a fuss. More on that later.

If you fly over the airfield, right now, only a very tiny part of it has been taken over by bricks and concrete. The runway has disappeared. The land is still scarred from the making of Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. There is a small part of the southern tip of the taxiway left, but an abundance of land is still rough grass.

Just had a look at Janie’s local paper and found this…

TWO listed buildings will be transformed into a new police headquarters.

The state-of-the-art station will take shape in the old administration and canteen blocks built by the former de Havilland aircraft company in Hatfield.

The plans have delighted ex-workers, who remember the buildings in their heyday.

Good news all right, the rest of the article is here.

Thanks for answers everyone:-). Im looking forward to start up some warbird activities.My plan is to let my girl fly some old aeroplanes like the Dc 3 and certanly the Max Holste Broussard:-)

You may be interested to know that the local Welwyn & Hatfield newspaper will be making an announcement this week about the future of the old de Havilland offices on the old airfield site.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some good news. I’ll keep you informed, if you are interested.

I was lead to believe that along with the tower they had been listed.

I was in the Galleria today and had a good look at the Comet replica. Although I’ve been working in Hatfield the last couple of months, I’d not previously ventured into the “Gonorrhea”!
Looking out from the upper floor of the place you get a good view of the area that was once the airfield and I have to say I’m stunned by how quickly the various buildings have shot up on the old airfield site. You’d deserve a prize for guessing it was ever an airfield.
Janie,I’d be very interested in hearing about any development plans for the old DH offices, please do pass on any info.

You may be interested to know that the local Welwyn & Hatfield newspaper will be making an announcement this week about the future of the old de Havilland offices on the old airfield site.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some good news. I’ll keep you informed, if you are interested.

How many replicas are there? Theres a lovely one in america…

I’m surprised that no-one else has mentioned that locally the Galleria is known as the “Gonorrhoea”.

I’ll get me coat…

ADrian

Its mostly fibreglass. The company that own the galleria looked at the one that we now have, but there were significant health and safety implications with slinging that aircraft, so they commissioned their own.

Its been there for a good ten years; in fact more like twelve – Hatfield was still open when it was first positioned!

Bruce

This has been hanging in there for a few years now, at least 5 years maybe even 10

Certainly more than 5… 🙂

This has been hanging in there for a few years now, at least 5 years maybe even 10

This is a full-scale model, but is not, I think, the same one as seen 5 miles away at Salisbury Hall, not unless it has all been stuck together since Feb.

Regarding construction, I would guess there is plenty of fibre-glass in there.