"David E. Belcher" wrote in message
om...

To build on the last-mentioned point, surely a lot of air travellers
from Essex & East Anglia would be better off going from Stansted
rather than Gatwick?

Provided they can get a flight to their destination of choice, yes.
Likewise, those from Sussex and Kent would prefer to fly from Gatwick,
although Southampton can be an alternative. Heathrow is undesirable, and
Luton and Stansted are last resorts.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

Terry Harper wrote:
"David E. Belcher" wrote...

To build on the last-mentioned point, surely a lot of air travellers
from Essex & East Anglia would be better off going from Stansted
rather than Gatwick?

Passengers would be better off with a choice of airports. Since those
people who live near airports have a higher propensity to fly, improving
access to other airports is worthwhile. The alternative is to increase
the range of destinations served from the local airport, but that would
require more runways, which I strongly oppose.

Provided they can get a flight to their destination of choice, yes.
Likewise, those from Sussex and Kent would prefer to fly from Gatwick,
although Southampton can be an alternative. Heathrow is undesirable, and
Luton and Stansted are last resorts.

From Sussex maybe, but from Kent Heathrow is still a good option (though
not as good as Gatwick), and Southampton isn't. There is Manston, but
AFAIK it doesn't have many flights yet.

In message
"Terry Harper" wrote:

"David E. Belcher" wrote in message
om...

To build on the last-mentioned point, surely a lot of air travellers
from Essex & East Anglia would be better off going from Stansted
rather than Gatwick?

Provided they can get a flight to their destination of choice, yes.
Likewise, those from Sussex and Kent would prefer to fly from Gatwick,
although Southampton can be an alternative. Heathrow is undesirable, and
Luton and Stansted are last resorts.

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...
In message
"Terry Harper" wrote:

Provided they can get a flight to their destination of choice, yes.
Likewise, those from Sussex and Kent would prefer to fly from Gatwick,
although Southampton can be an alternative. Heathrow is undesirable, and
Luton and Stansted are last resorts.

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

Terry Harper wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 1 Dec 2004:

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.

Honestly, for much of Sussex, except those parts east of Chichester,
Gatwick is a lot nearer - it's only about 35 miles from where my parents
live, between Worthing & Arundel, but So'ton is at least 50 miles and
the traffic can be atrocious around Arundel & Chichester, although a
good road between the two.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 28 November 2004

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
Terry Harper wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 1 Dec 2004:

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.

Honestly, for much of Sussex, except those parts east of Chichester,
Gatwick is a lot nearer - it's only about 35 miles from where my parents
live, between Worthing & Arundel, but So'ton is at least 50 miles and
the traffic can be atrocious around Arundel & Chichester, although a
good road between the two.

Very true, but Gatwick involves a lot of time-absorbing actions, unless you
have a taxi to the airport. We are about 20 miles from Gatwick and about 70
from Southampton, so given a flight from Gatwick, the choice is obvious.
However, we've been to Guernsey from Southampton, and the journey is very
easy with very little fuss at the airport. Arundel and Chichester can be
avoided from our place, using the A272 and the A3, although at some times of
day the A27 is free-flowing.

The annoying thing is the lack of Coastway trains without a change in
Brighton.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

In message
"Terry Harper" wrote:

"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...
In message
"Terry Harper" wrote:

Provided they can get a flight to their destination of choice, yes.
Likewise, those from Sussex and Kent would prefer to fly from Gatwick,
although Southampton can be an alternative. Heathrow is undesirable, and
Luton and Stansted are last resorts.

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

Yes, I should have qualified it as Southampton for most of Sussex and
Manston (or Lydd) for the rest.

Even for Sussex, Southampton is not the easiest place to get to, by road
you've basically got just the congested A27, and by rail it can be quicker to
go into London and out again rather than use the coast-line, neatly passing
both Gatwick and Heathrow on the way.

--
Graeme Wall
This address is not read, substitute trains for rail.
Transport Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html

"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

From time to time we get lost souls looking for the airport at Stansted,
Kent (a village between Meopham and Wrotham). They usually have 10 minutes
left to check in, and express disbelief when they're told they're in the
wrong county and need to get themselves through the Dartford Tunnel.
Peter

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004, Peter Masson wrote:

"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
...

For parts of Kent I would have thought Stanstead was possibly closer than
Southampton, the latter is 120 miles from Maidstone for instance.

From time to time we get lost souls looking for the airport at Stansted,
Kent (a village between Meopham and Wrotham).

Maybe they're confusing it with Stanstead?

The nearest one to the action would seem to be in Suffolk, between
Long Melford and Bury St. Edmunds, a mere 5.5 miles from (obRail)
Sudbury railway station.

They usually have 10 minutes left to check in, and express disbelief
when they're told they're in the wrong county and need to get
themselves through the Dartford Tunnel.

Well, I have to admit that I once lost my way to Harwich, and turned
up 30 minutes late for checkin: but as the ferry (to Hamburg - anyone
remember the Hamlet, popularly nicknamed the Omlette?) was several
hours late, they didn't seem to mind.

"But I digress".

Peter Masson wrote:

From time to time we get lost souls looking for the airport at Stansted,
Kent (a village between Meopham and Wrotham). They usually have 10 minutes
left to check in, and express disbelief when they're told they're in the
wrong county and need to get themselves through the Dartford Tunnel.

That reminds me of the people who are alleged to turn up in Yorkshire,
looking for Leeds Castle.

--
John Ray