fletcher aviation corporation was an aircraft manufacturer founded by three brothers , wendell , frank , maurice fletcher , in pasadena , california in 1941 .

the initial aim of the company was to produce a wooden basic trainer aircraft ( the fbt-2 ) that wendell had designed , but despite brief interest by the army in the type to use as a target drone , nothing came of this aircraft .

after relocating to rosemead , california , later projects involved a family of related designs , including ( the fu-24 ) with 296 produced in new zealand as an agricultural aircraft with many still operating today .

during the korean war the company purchased rosemead airport from bob and jack heasley .

the roughly triangular property is located south of the 10 freeway , although the airport pre-dates the freeway .

the property extended from rosemead boulevard on the west to the rio hondo river basin on the south and east .

in 1953 , the same year the fu-24 debuted , they also produced a prototype amphibious vehicle known as the fletcher flair .

the vehicle was powered by a 4-cylinder porsche 356 drivetrain , modified to make it a four-wheel drive .

the company hoped to sell the vehicle to the us army but the vehicle performed poorly in the water and the army passed .

purchased by aj industries , it changed its name to flair aviation in 1960 , and produced aircraft fuelling equipment , including drop tanks and hose reels for inflight refuelling .

moved to el monte , california , its name was changed back to fletcher and then sargent fletcher in 1964 before abandoning aircraft manufacturing in 1966 , with rights to the fu-24 going to pacific aerospace .

fletcher aviation

fletcher aviation consulting is a premier international aviation , management , professional and technical consulting firm .
fletcher aviation lapel pin ; one piece stamped brass aircraft depicted with red and blue enamel fletcher aviation globe logo depicted on center disc ; embossed text
fletcher aviation
on wings of aircraft .
he brought one of his ideas developed during his lockheed time to fletcher aviation .
fletcher aviation’s first cougar – ga - 7 . 1977 dealer’s meeting in tulsa , oklahoma
according to bob falcon , the fletcher aviation plant “ was built in the early 1950s .
fletcher aviation located off the south ramp on runway 12 - 30 at houston hobby airport .
fletcher aviation – moved from next to the main terminal at hobby airport to the south ramp in about 1979 .
one was the fd - 25 fletcher defender , and based upon it the fu - 24 fletcher utility agwagon .
wendell fletcher , born in illinois in 1899 , had founded fletcher aviation with his brothers . wendell had worked as a design engineer for lockheed aircraft in burbank as they were moving into all - metal airplanes .
what scared him ? i don’t know . just another day in aviation . ”
the new owner was james most of most aviation co . , los angeles .
the latest development for the fletcher family is a new 200 acre residential airpark for aviation enthusiasts . this community is on the fabulous guadalupe river in the middle of the beautiful texas hill country ! fletcher airport will sport a 4500 foot runway and brings with it - - a long history in aviation !
in 1935 , fletcher opened the fletcher school of aviation in burbank to teach metal aircraft construction practices . out of this came a manual , the “standard aircraft construction manual , ” which was revised and reprinted for many years .
these other sites are non - aviation related but are a part of my history .
there was no aviation traffic that i can recall ; but the diner was in operation .
ross field was where aviation legend pancho barnes ( see barnes airfield ) learned to fly .
john thorp had traveled far and wide as an aeronautical engineer in the aviation back ground of california , with his associations with boeing and lockheed . he brought one of his ideas developed during his lockheed time to fletcher aviation . fletcher built two planes based upon thorps designs . one was the fd - 25 , fletcher , “defender , ” and based upon it the fu - 24 fletcher utility , “agwagon . ” the planes were very similar having the same engine cowling , wing , and empennage .
fletcher sold the agwagon to cable price corporation , a new zealand company . ”
llloyd continued , “at this same show fletcher showed its ' jeep ' offering .
maybelle fletcher in front of a tri - gear beechcraft d - 18 . 1965
fletcher has dealt exclusively with grumman aircraft and their parts for over 30 years .
this short - lived little general aviation airport was evidently established shortly after the end of ww2 .
these were ` drop tanks’ made by fletcher aviation corp . pictured here is the tank assembly line in pasadena , as shown in a hawkins photo from the pasadena museum of history collection .
just about the time fletcher bought the airport bill bought a beautiful beechcraft twin bonanza .
it depicted fletcher as a private airfield having a 2 , 500 ' unpaved runway .
eben & edna montgomery agreed to first flight lessons for their youngest , maybelle fletcher .
the owners were 2 brothers , maurie & stan fletcher . they were nice people . ”
my brother ernie & i saw hardwick opening fletcher’s back entrance gate to their factory property .
according to lloyd duke , “fletcher wanted to get into the aircraft business with a passion .
larry and maybelle fletcher work on hangar repair at the new business . nov 5 , 1945
in 1952 , fletcher left pasadena to buy a large site in rosemead , with an airstrip near the rio hondo . this was known as the rosemead airport or the fletcher airport .
also in 2004 maybelle was presented with the lloyd p . nolen lifetime achievement in aviation award by wings over houston . this award is given to individuals , organizations or companies dedicating their efforts to the advancement of aviation .
david fletcher takes some instruction from his mother maybelle in a cessna 310 . march 5 , 1959
as of 2006 , the sargent fletcher company was still located at the site of the former airport .
grandma montgomery with her two pilot son’s - in - law , larry fletcher and ernest maferd hunt .
fly - in breakfast on chincoteague island , va . 1948 . maybelle and larry fletcher watch landings .
it is said that fletcher was the largest user in the country of a certain type of aluminum sheet metal . fletcher also designed airplanes , including the fu - 24 , used for crop - dusting .
dick morris reported , “a november 1952 ad for j . l . most aviation , bellflower airport , 10451 e . center
the other was that crazy floating porsche jeep thing thing up top . called the fletcher flair , it was a response to an army desire for a new , floating jeep and wendell fletcher’s obsession with porsche .
after a move to houston , texas , in 1956 , maybelle founded and promoted the southwest flying club at what was at the time hull field in sugarland ( now sugarland regional airport ) . she took over a small flight school on that airport where she handled flight training for the va students and also started one of the early cessna pilot centers . and , fletcher aviation had begun ! it was here that larry and maybelle ' s son , david fletcher , soloed on his 16th birthday . this was the beginning of another career in aviation ! maybelle formally founded fletcher aviation in 1968 . in 1972 she relocated the business to hobby airport next to the west end of the main terminal .
lloyd recalled , “fletcher had a show & tell & flight demonstration that i was lucky enough to witness .
it depicted fletcher airport as having a paved northeast / southwest runway & a paved east / west taxiway .
located on the south ramp of hobby , the business included a flight school specializing in grumman american aircraft , parts department , maintenance department , aircraft storage , and fbo - chevron aviation fuel center , later an exxon avitat . they operated on 14 acres with over 140 , 000 square feet of hangar space . fletcher aviation was sold to wilson air center in 2005 .
the fletcher brothers had a habit of creating great things that just didn’t quite work out . they formed their company , fletcher aviation , to try and win an army contract for a basic trainer aircraft in 1941 . the army only showed brief interest in the plane , but their intention would be to use it as a target drone . insulting .
visit us in washington , dc and chantilly , va to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history .
the last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of fletcher airport was on the 1960 la local aeronautical chart .
january 5 , 1949 parksley , virginia - sandy fletcher is bundled up to assist her mother with flight instruction .
maybelle fletcher july 29 , 1952 next to her aeronca champ . the door was removed for taking aerial photos .
fletcher started to produce the drop tanks in pasadena in 1945 . a fletcher innovation was making tanks with a cylindrical center section so capacity could be increased by lengthening the tank although this type is not shown in the photograph .
* * * when fletcher aviation was located on the west end of hobby’s main terminal , sky king stopped by to visit in his famous cessna 310 - b , songbird n5348a which was made famous by the sky king tv show the late 1950’s .
maybelle is active in the ninety nines ( a member since 1947 ) , a women ' s aviation group founded by amelia earhart as well as many other aviation related projects . she has participated in numerous air races including the powder puff derby ( transcontinental race ) , air race classic , angel derby ( international races ) , café 400 and other local races . during her 20 years of racing she placed first and second many times . she is sought after as a speaker encouraging young people in their pursuit of aviation careers - especially women in aviation .
a circa 1950s photo ( courtesy of lloyd duke ) of a fletcher fu - 25 defender prototype at rosemead airport .
the fletcher plant building was first built with the main entrance located on the south side which was the airfield side .
a 2017 aerial view looking north showed the fletcher airport site does not bear any recognizable traces as a former airport .
the heasleys sold the airport to fletcher aviation company . the company built droppable aircraft fuel tanks and napalm bombs for the fighter planes used in the korea war . the war was still going on and their products were in high demand and they needed more manufacturing space .
and there was quite an open space between hardwick’s , fletcher’s new factory construction & the west side of the airport apron .
larry fletcher on right , 1944 standing next to bevo howard’s vintage clipped wing cub . nx on wing means experimental airplane .
ron most recalled , “jimmy most was my uncle & owned j . l . most aviation company at the bellflower airport [ in ] 1950 . ”
the 1962 aopa airport directory described
fletcher
airport as having a single 2 , 500 ' turf runway 4 / 22 .
larry fletcher flys a 1946 beechcraft d - 18 for tuboscope . it was purchased from gulf oil for $ 20 , 000 .
maybelle fletcher , sandy & student taking off in the new 1946 taylorcraft purchased for $ 2 , 400 - 1947 parksley , virginia .
the last photo which has been located of fletcher airport was a 5 / 24 / 60 aerial view ( from the ucsb library ) .
was probably a fletcher aircraft crop duster of which they built a few in the early days & then went strictly to fuel tanks . ”
according to bob falcon , “the very last pilot to make a landing & takeoff [ at fletcher airport ] really was dick weis . ”
he was the owner of utility metal products in pasadena . at the time he had a contract to build the wings for north american aviation ' s f - 100s .
fletcher aviation sold its houston fbo and flight school in 2005 . this required fletchair to choose a new location from which to operate and it was decided to move out of the houston area into a more pleasant environment . after a long search , the perfect property was found nestled in the popular texas hill country .
i was there early on testing day . fletcher had set up a canapé tent & parked next to it was the instrument & communications truck .
larry fletcher had ( at last count in 1955 ) 17 , 000 + hours in various types of single and multi - engine aircraft and an atp rating . he has also participated with maybelle in cross country and international air races . larry fletcher is one of the longest standing members of the aircraft owner’s and pilot’s association ( aopa ) and sports a 60 year plus membership pin . in 1996 larry and maybelle were inducted into the international forest of friendship in atchison , kansas , a
living , growing memorial to the world history of aviation and aerospace
. both larry and maybelle have been champions of general aviation for decades .
dr . c . m . brackensick , who with fletcher delk & eugene lieppert , is drawing up plans for the port , accounced today . ”
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just looking thru old 8mm tape from my father on the fletcher racing team . this current video is i ' m mexico . anyone have info and addil interest . would like to get some stories . father was a porsche factory rep . great images from fletcher race car # 55 . including plane captures .
our team ' s vast diversity as well as cumulative years of experience in managing various aviation specialties and functions are what make us the right experts to successfully address your organization ' s needs .
fletcher selected bob downey to be the experimental test pilot . there were two famous bob downey ' s flying at the time in los angeles and both were experimental test pilots .
james lawrence
larry
fletcher and maybelle montgomery fletcher have been continually active in the general aviation community since the early 1940 ' s . larry received his pilot ' s license in 1941 while training for the military in virginia . after submarine hunting on the eastern shore with the civil air patrol , he was later in the army air corps . maybelle , a native texan , learned to fly in 1941 and received her pilot ' s license in 1943 . they were married in 1945 and flew their first aircraft , a piper j - 3
cub
, on their honeymoon trip .
in the 1950 ' s the fletchers moved to waco , texas . larry began his career as a corporate pilot and maybelle became chief pilot at waco aviation . she worked at instructing , teaching acrobatics , and flying charters .
in the early 1950s , porsche had been working with us company fletcher aviation to develop and test a jet cooling system for porsche’s new 1952 356 cabriolet . the jet cooling was an interesting scheme that saved the power required to drive a cooling fan . porsche did a great deal of development work with the cooling system for several years , trying it out on the early 550 spyder before concluding that the exhaust noise was excessive and abandoned the program for jet cooling .
fletcher wanted to get into the aircraft business with a passion . there were several tries before my entry on the scene . in 1951 they had partnered with an aeronautical engineer by the name of john w . thorp .
the company changed ownership and is now known as sargent fletcher inc . , a subsidiary of cobham . el monte has annexed the site , and a variation of the company name is retained in flair park and flair drive .
fletcher ' s future plans were to build a porsche powered jeep for the army , an agriculture plane and a spin - off of that plane as a small close ground support aircraft for the army , air force and marines . the owners were two brothers , maurie and stan fletcher . they each owned mercedes benz 300 - sl gull wing coupes as personal cars . they also owned a third gull wing that they raced in the mexican road race .
in 1951 larry and maybelle fletcher got their multi - engine ratings in this bamboo bomber at - 17 , cessna uc - 78 , t - 50 . wwii trainer . could buy a nice one for $ 1 , 500 .
the relationship between porsche and fletcher aviation , who manufactured porsche industrial engines under license from the stuttgart automaker , created a unique opportunity of company sponsorship in motorsport , something never considered or seen before . mexico’s carrera panamericana race in november 1954 saw the porsche factory enter two 550s – chassis 550 - 03 and 550 - 04 blazened with sponsor logos across the bonnet . additional sponsors castrol and telefunken radio , whose radios were fitted in the 356 , also joined the support of the team with logos on display , which helped finance the expensive journeys off shore .
fletchair fleet support maintenance and modifications & technical support * ( ts36 ) silver wings fly - in ranch 1409 aviation loop , fredericksburg , texas 78624 . about 12 miles north of kerrville 265 degrees out of stonewall vor , 3 degrees out of centerpoint vor . n 30 . 1294 w 99 . 837 .
one of maybelle’s most significant contributions to aviation was her development of the plan for class b airspace for houston’s hobby airport which the faa accepted without revision . she drew up the plan and developed consensus among the operator’s at hobby before presenting it to the faa . her unique design has positively impacted all air traffic — vfr and ifr , private and commercial , arrivals and departures at hobby airport ever since . in 2001 she was inducted into the texas aviation hall of fame located in the lone star flight museum on galveston island , texas . in 2004 she was the first woman honored with the wright brother’s master pilot award .
i received an interesting email from a person who was researching an aviation project and stumbled across the newspaper accounts of the crash of the 4 aces . he did a
google
on the
4 aces
and came up with this site and forwarded me the information with some pictures of the crash site .
our extensive personnel are readily available to provide a wide range of expertise and support as needed in areas involving aviation research , training , airport executive requirements , airport operations , airport planning , project management , airspace design , air traffic management , uas integration , rpas pilot training , procedural design , regulatory compliance , etc .
flight testing day come , fortunately it was during summer vacation . i was there early on testing day . fletcher had set up a canopy tent and parked next to it was the instrument and communications truck . there were several of those folding directors’ chairs set around there .
of the two planes the agwagon was the most successful . the military apparently did not want a cheap , utility , close ground support spotter plane . in that i was disappointed . i thought it was a great idea . fletcher sold the agwagon to cable price corporation , a new zealand company .
fletchair , inc . is known worldwide as the single largest manufacturer and distributor of parts for american , american general , grumman - american , and gulfstream - american aircraft . david fletcher , president of fletchair , has grown up with the grumman family of aircraft and has been a stocking grumman dealer since 1974 .
their first aviation business was established on the eastern shore of virginia later that year . the operation , just outside the town of parksley , virginia , consisted of pilot training , area tours , crop dusting , and charter flights . the old photos show vintage aircraft lining the field ! they started a family and soon their daughter sandy logged 200 hours before her second birthday .
fletchair fleet support llc provides maintenance , modifications , and repairs to all the grumman family of aircraft , from the aa - 1 to the twin cougar . located in houston , texas for 32 years , fletchair fleet support is now located at silver wings fly - in ranch 1409 aviation loop , fredericksburg , texas 78624 ( ts36 ) . if your aircraft is in need of maintenance and / or parts , our experienced staff is here to promptly serve you . we are labeled the “grumman specialists” with david fletcher being the on - site “grummanologist” to answer your technical inquiries . in addition to david , garner rice has over 24 years experience exclusively with grumman aircraft and can answer almost any question .
before getting started , i need to express my appreciation to wayman dunlap for running my little ad in pacific flyer for so many issues , all gratis . without that little ad asking for information about the old rosemead airport i never would have gotten the response that i did . i ' m sure that we all miss getting the pacific flyer , the best aviation publication ever to exist .
it was just killing us to ask what happened , but knowing his disdain for kids , we just watched and wondered . hardwick buttoned up the cockpit , popped put the steps , climbed down , tucked up the steps , and replaced the chocks , giving each a good kick . he tied the plane down and drove away . what scared him ? i don’t know . just another day in aviation .
the other was bob downey , the los angeles times aviation editor . i knew him from gus’ flying service he used to rent planes from gus . he was a tall lanky man , always came wearing a suit and flew in his white shirt and tie . he had a full head of hair and as i stated before , had heard rumors that flight testing would be done by bob downey but i did not know which one .
the ford gpas ( aka “seep” ) were becoming scarce by the early 1950s . probably because most of them were sitting at the bottom of canals , lakes , rivers , large puddles in the parking lot , etc . the army , obsessed with amphibious equipment at the time , wanted a replacement . the fletcher boys jumped at this chance to get a lucrative government contract and built the flair .
fletcher would also supply a 190 - mph , single - engine navion aircraft and pilot - journalist - photographer don downie to fly the plane and provide support for the race team . porsche racing director huschke von hanstein who was following the race from the air , called on the drivers to exercise prudence and avoid senseless duels that might send a potential one - two porsche victory up in smoke , especially since the engines on both lead cars were ailing .
it was a cold overcast blustery saturday morning . my brother ernie and i saw hardwick opening fletcher’s back entrance gate to their factory property . some of his planes that were flight worthy were inside the fenced area . he drove his chevy pickup to the p - 38 that was parked close to the east side of the fenced area . we knew this meant some excitement was to be had there . we went over to the fence and found some boxes to set on .
at this same show fletcher showed its “jeep” offering . it was an amphibious four place small car powered by a porsche engine . they built a muddy water pit for it to drive through , they ran it down the runway and turned it on a dime , and they ran it down in the river with generals riding to demonstrate its rough abilities . this was all to no avail . no jeeps were sold to the military . it was a neat combination in my opinion . would have been better than the humvee and a lot cheaper .
later on fletcher had a show and tell and flight demonstration that i was lucky enough to witness . there were a lot of military people in attendance . actually there were generals from the air force , army and the marines , as well as lower officers , all pilot or aviators as the case may be . the highest general was three stars . this picture was taken of that event at rosemead air port . the display was setup in front of the cap hut . in this picture at the background 1 / 3 from the left , is the agwagon next to a c - 47 to the right of it . some of the generals came in the c - 47 .
one other story that gets some confirmation is the one about 3 stearman ' s pulling a single large banner . i was visiting a fellow banner tow competitor at torrance airport back when i was flying the stearman ' s prior to 1980 . at that time bob marks ( marks aviation ) told me that he was towing banners in a stearman out of rosemead airport on a new years day when an accident happened . i tried to contact bob marks at this time ( september 2008 ) only to find out that he passed away last year . but his story as i recall it is that the three stearman ' s were coming in for the banner drop when one of them did not
pickle
it exactly at the same time as the other two did . regardless of why the pilot did not accomplish the release , it would only take a nanosecond for a extra large load to immediately stall an airplane . i know this from flying the giant coors beer can coors we flew with the l19 . any reduction in power was an immediate stall . the following pictures of the new years day crash were forwarded to me by dan rhinehart ( nc14881 ) . the pilot is identified as wayne clark .
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then in 1953 they had two breakthroughs . ok , really just one . that breakthrough was the fu - 24 , which was primarily produced in new zealand as a crop duster . many are still in use today .
the flair used the mechanicals from a porsche 356 . the flat - four engine , transmission and suspension were bolted to the aluminum tub . it was light enough , around 1 , 490 pounds , to be air transportable . a transfer case and front differential were designed to make it four wheel drive . it seemed everything was working in their favor . until they used the aircraft engine cooling setup patented by otto koppen to try to propel the flair in the water . mr . koppen’s system used the exhaust gases to draw cooling air past the cylinder heads of an aircraft engine then out an exhaust exit . it was supposed to be much more efficient in aircraft applications since it did not require large cowl openings , and would work regardless of the forward windspeed . this was a seemingly genius system — it could cool the air - cooled porsche engine and propel the craft all at once !
unfortunately , it did not propel the flair very well . test drivers said you had better luck going anywhere in the water by turning the wheels . and with that , the project was sunk .
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i have written in my home page ( first flight ) about my first time up in an airplane and how significant that was to me . the fact that it was taken at the old rosemead airport has made that airport very special in my memory . and now some years later i have received pictures taken in that era that embellish my memories . on my home page i say that my first flight was in gus gehrig ' s new luscombe silvaire that had
four aces
painted on both sides of the fuselage . i also mention that the
four aces
met up with the nearby krla radio towers one night , ( i mistakenly identify them as the klac towers on my home page ; actually on the 1950 map above they are listed as kxla ) . here are some before and after pictures of the
four aces
sent to me by dan rhinehart . pictured standing next to the
four aces
are bill berry and jim berry .
that airplane , the
four aces
and the one that was to be my second ride ( a brand new 47 stinson ) belonged to gus gehrig , the local fbo at rosemead . gus is working on the aircoupe victor vincent vurpilat iii and i took on a cross - country to mohave airport . the stinson is the one we flew to brackett to visit the pomona fair .
the banner operator was van noble and i am told that the caa banned flying a banner with multiple airplanes after that accident . i have a picture of the flight given to me many years ago by rod worthington , and if i ever find it i will get it on this page .
one of the notables when i was a fledgling was jack hardwick . i had the occasion to fly with him in his bonanza out of old el monte . he was quite a character to say the least . anyway he was one of the crowd at rosemead at the time , and here are some pix of his operation .
i flew with him several times in his bonanza out of el monte . i still remember that he flew it with everything
to the wall
; no reduction in power or propeller . later on in the 70 ' s i visited his place in south el monte and saw among other things , two me - 109 fuselages and wings . for some reason walt podolece had to do the importing because of some kind of block against hardwick . in the 60 ' s when i had my pt - 23 / 26 parked at brackett , hardwick had 3 all black p - 38 ' s on the ramp .
in the late 70 ' s i was in the habit of hiring very young kids to help me with the banners and maintenance . i am still in contact with several of them , and one , dan macpherson , helped me in rib stitching new fabric on my stearman . dan sent me some pictures taken in 1946 at rosemead by william t . larkins .
newscaster clete roberts flew into meadowlark for lunch one sunny day , and i got into a conversation with him about stearman ' s . it ended up with him taking a flight in my two - holer after lunch . when he saw this picture he identified it as being his stearman at rosemead . dan rhinehart sent me the rest of these pictures . the l19 shown parked at rosemead was the very first one i ever flew in . in fact , the 2nd picture is one i took as my unit received the airplane at old camp cooke ( now vandenberg afb ) in 1951 . i believe the pilot is lt . tucker eckenrode . a side note : i got stuck with guarding the airstrip on the weekend while everyone else got the weekend off . however , i made good use of my isolated position by taxiing the l19 back and forth on the airstrip . i do believe i actually got it a few feet off of the ground once .
` a side note : in the 80 ' s when i was running the banner towing operation out of meadowlark i used to start my day off with a donut and coffee at the little shop on the corner of warner and bolsa chica . on one morning i was reading the front page of the l . a . times which covered the story of a crash in which a twin beech hauling skydivers somewhere up near coalinga . apparently they lost one engine and the skydivers panicked and ran toward the open door at the rear . obviously the weight and balance shift was more than the pilot could handle . so this very well dressed guy looks over my shoulder and says
i used to fly those things
. my thoughtful and not said was
yeah , sure , we all did
. the very next day again at the donut shop the same guy was there and i got him into a conversation . one thing led to another and he told me that he once owned two airports in socal . i thought for sure that he was a bs ' er . i pinned him down asking for
what
airports were they ? and he answered
one was in rosemead and the other was in the high desert
. now he had my full attention . yes , this was the real guy , heasley ( see the
h
on the cowl of the pt19 picture ) . he knew exactly every detail including the crash of the racer that left it ' s imprint on the taxiway . unfortunately i did not follow up on this relationship as at that time we were sort of speaking in the present tense . the heasley brothers did own rosemead airport .
after running an ad in the pacific flyer , i received more stories to add to this site . garey wittich wrote :
when i was a kid around 6 years old ( 1947 ) we had family christmas reunions at my aunt ' s house in rosemead . some relative of ours had a piper cub and offered to take me for a ride at rosemead . this too was my first airplane ride like yours . my dad had me sit on his lap and away we went . to this day i remember it well and it inspired me to get my private licence in 1972 and i have been flying ever since . now i am a cfi and mei and am building a rv - 8a in my garage . just a simple ride in 1947 changed my life . now i am
plane nuts
.
don fox and i flew model airplanes and rode motorcycles together in our teen years , but our paths didn ' t cross when he learned to fly at rosemead and later on had an airplane at el monte at the same time that i did . now 60 years later we are in contact .
ross mayfield wrote :
my father , lowell mayfield , used to fly at gus ' s at rosemead and has stories of his days there . he painted the 4 aces logo on the luscombe silvaire in your photos , and also the bugs bunny on another luscombe seen in the background of one of your photos . he also painted a cow jumping over the moon on another airplane . my father also painted the sign on top of gus ' s building and also the sign for hardwick aircraft .
ross sent this nice picture taken by his father on march 21st , 1948 from navion n8906h .
the crash of the midget racer explained : although it has been over 60 years now , the one thing i remember is standing around with a bunch of older guys looking at this perfect imprint of an airplane on what i recall as being a taxiway . as mentioned earlier i did talk to bob heasley about the crash and he gave me some details most of which i have now forgotten , but i recall him saying that he and some others were standing there watching the airplane as it hit the deck . dan rhinehart recalled his older friend , joe white , telling him of a goodyear racer crashing at rosemead around 1948 , and that the airplane was a v - tail design by art chester . dan further found that art chester ' s
wimpy
crashed on july 25th 1948 . a friend of dan ' s verified that there was a fatal crash of an art chester racer in july 1948 , and the pilot ' s name was mike anrander .
ross mayfield wrote the following :
my dad was standing about 20 feet from the impact point when this crash occurred . the plane was a v - tailed art chester racer and had just been purchased by the pilot who was now doing a little showing off in it . my dad was going to give two of his brothers a ride and was starting a mag check when this guy flew across in front of them aligning himself with the taxiway ( same heading as the p . e . tracks ) and pulled up . my father said
we might as well get out and watch the show
so they shut down and got out to stand right next to his plane and watch . apparently on this art chester racer , at certain speeds the air over the wing would blank our the elevator / rudder v - tail . this is what happened in this case . as you state , the plane left it ' s mark embedded in the tarmac . my dad said that you could see the imprint of each wing rib and the tires made 4
deep impressions . after witnessing this , one of my uncles announced that he didn ' t really want to go flying that day .
the interesting fact to me here is that i have always made the statement that i got my first ride when i was 16 , but other than my memory there has never been anything written to prove that fact . but now , knowing that the crash almost positively was the art chester racer that crashed in july 1948 , and that i was there when the imprint was still fresh , then that dates my first ride as age 16 !
who gave me my first ride explained : lloyd duke , his younger brother ernie and family lived nearby the rosemead airport and both lloyd and ernie got their first ride there . it was a natural follow up that upon entering high school lloyd and his brother got into the
airplane washing
business and had a steady business all through the high school years keeping gus gehrig ' s airplanes clean . lloyd told me a very interesting fact that i had no comprehension of . when the stranger asked me if i wanted to go for a ride i just guessed that he owned the airplane . as lloyd tells it , the 4 aces was gus ' s personal airplane and not a rental , and he only let one other person fly it ; the guy that gave me my first ride . i hope to find someone who will recall the fellows name .
gus loved his four aces . he kept it washed , waxed and wiped off . eventually that was my job . four aces was a shiny unpainted aluminum - skinned airplane with a big hand of the four aces painted on each side of the fuselage .
one afternoon a guy showed up with his girlfriend . he was a friend of gus . i listened to their conversation . the man worked at the los angeles police department as a radio repairman . he was also a pilot ( the fellow who gave me my first ride wore a military shirt and officers cap ; i presumed that he was an ex - military pilot ) . he wanted to take his girlfriend for a ride , and he was also the only one gus let fly the luscombe 4 aces beside himself .
he and gus did a preflight and when that was completed the man and the girlfriend got in . i noted that she was a small very pretty girl .
they took off and about an hour later gus got a phone call . he got very emotional . it was the police . his four aces had crashed .
without saying anything he locked up the business , got into his car and left the field . i waited for news , and was anxious to know what had happened . it was getting late and i had to go home .
there was some news on the radio that there had been a crash and two people were killed . there was no detailed information other than that they had hit a radio tower .
i spent a terrible night . the next morning , saturday , i was at the airport . a tow truck had just delivered the wreckage to the bone yard just south of the big quonset hut hanger . gus was there , not speaking to anyone , just quietly crying , a manly cry , no sniveling , just tears and rumpled chin .
there were a lot of other people there looking at the wreckage ( see photos at beginning of site ) . the only thing i heard gus say before he left was ,
it ' s only worth 26 bucks now .
he didn ' t have hull insurance on the plane . only public liability and property damage that covered the farmers cabbage crop damage .
rosemead airport . there were three 415 - foot towers in a row there at that time . witnesses said they were seen to be weaving a sashay between the towers , when the plane collided with the third tower , about four feet from the top . the left wing sheared off at three feet from the cockpit . the wing piece fluttered to the ground , while the remainder of the plane spun violently into the ground . the engine was buried three feet deep .
i would have probably been crying too , but i was shocked at the condition of the plane , and the gore that remained after the bodies were removed . the plane did not burn , so every thing was quite vivid . the instrument panel was about 6 inches from the cabin rear bulkhead . all the instruments were broken . i guess the prettier the girl the more stupid a man acts . lloyd duke
i guess i was lucky as on my first ride the pilot also did some stunts , again just south of the airport , but didn ' t tangle with the radio towers .
since lloyd spent his high school years at rosemead , he has lots of stories to tell , and some of them are already on paul franklin ' s website , so i won ' t duplicate them here . one story that sticks in my mind is one i recall reading about in the newspaper ; an on - going story about two brothers , twins , who had this ex - military airplane with dubious ownership , and how they were hiding it from the government . this goes to show one how one can recall things incorrectly . i recall that the airplane was a c - 46 and that the brothers had an irish name . however i cannot quarrel with lloyd ' s version because he was there . here is his story :
the heasleys were characters . they were twin brothers and it was fun to be close to them . they owned the airport . i experienced one intriguing afternoon there when one of the brothers flew in , in a c - 47 goony bird . he parked at the fuel pits and the brothers were jumping around hugging each other . the plane had been in litigation over the ownership . from the conversations going on there , this conflict had not been completed and the plane was going to be hidden some place in the desert . quickly after re - fueling , they departed for the mystery place in the desert
( remember , bob heasley had told me in my meeting him in the 80 ' s that the y owned 2 airports , rosemead and one in the high desert ) .
i had never seen such a big plane up close . it was huge .
shortly thereafter the police showed up looking for them . of course nobody knew where they went . they made the front page news in the los angles times for this .
three or four days later the brothers , showed up at the los angles city hall and surrendered . they were arrested and put into jail for not telling the location of the gunny bird . they stayed there for forty eight days before they gave up the location of the bird .
termite snider was famous from the channel five television coverage of the saturday night jalopy races at ascot race track , in carson , california . he was a winner , and termite was also a pilot .
he owned the weather beaten bt - 13 that was tied down next to the big hanger . termite was a character . it was always an event when he showed up . he was a chunky , muscular man , who like hardwick always had a cigar chomped between his teeth and was always joking with the people around him .
one day he showed up with two five gallon buckets of black paint and a four inch paint brush . he began to paint the plane using the four - inch paintbrush . all the while he painted , everybody at the airport stopped by to comment . he had a continuous audience . the job was finished in about four hours .
it looked terrible . all black with deep brush strokes going every which way . the four hour old paint still being sticky , termite decided to complete the drying process by flying the plane .
i got the honor of climbing the ladder with the inertial starter crank handle , to assist with starting the engine . the starting procedure consists of engaging the crank handle to a shaft end in the starting compartment . turning the crank handle clockwise starts the fly wheel to turn . it turns hard at first , but as the rpm increases the turning becomes easier . as the fly wheel rpm increases a magic noise , or whine , with increasing pitch , is emitted . that sound is beyond description here . it is a sound that to me connotes an adventure is about to begin . a sound that , even now , just thinking about it , gives me goose pimples . i closed and latched the hatch shut , and climbed down the ladder , backed away to the wing tip , and gave the all clear ,
thumbs up .
when termite returned a half hour later , the paint was still tacky , but now had the added features of runs and smears . he complained he lost six miles an hour in cruise configuration .
what i remember back in the 50 ' s at el monte was talking to a friend of jerry curl who told of flying into rosemead with 13 bt - 13 ' s . he got anyone he could get that could fly to go with him to bring back his
fleet
, so yes , there should have been quite a few bt - 13 ' s at rosemead .
in writing this i have often asked myself
why was i flying with jack hardwick for some reason
? i think i can put 2 and 2 together now with lloyd ' s help . lloyd wrote the following about jack and his temco buckaroo .
jack hardwick was a hot dog pilot , especially on this fine spring afternoon .
he owned a very rare temco swift . called the buckaroo it was built for training new military pilots . it was a globe swift with the fuselage slimmed down and tandem seating with a jet type canopy . the windshield of course was fixed , the forward access hatch slid back to a stop just behind the front seat . the aft hatch was hooked to the forward hatch , and unlatches from the forward hatch to slide on back to a stop just aft of the rear seat . i guess you would say it had a canopy consisting of three pieces , the windshield , forward hatch , and aft hatch to complete a jet type bubble canopy .
there is a safety placard restricting take off with the aft hatch open . jack taxied out in his beautiful buckaroo . it’s skin was polished aluminum with the standard red , white and blue military markings . real pretty .
it was warmish so jack had all the hatches open . i thought he would close the hatches after his before take off run - up . run - up completed , flaps at 10 o , he taxied onto the runway while adding take off power as he turned onto the runway centerline . next i am sure he hit the gear up switch . as long as there is pressure on the wheels they will not retract . it just looks good for a hot dog pilot for the wheels to retract as soon as you pop off the runway .


peacocks is a fashion retail chain based in cardiff , wales .

the chain is a part of the group edinburgh woollen mill , and employs over 6,000 people .

there are currently over 400 peacocks retail outlets located in the united kingdom ; and more than 200 stores located in twelve other countries throughout europe .

originally selling home goods and basic clothing , peacocks has been re branded over the years as a value fashion store .

richard kirk , the former owner of the chain , worked hard to transform peacocks into a major fashion player .

the retailer won numerous awards , notably the best value retailer award from drapers .

in january 2012 , peacocks entered administration and was bought by the edinburgh woollen mill group .

edinburgh group also owns the jane norman chain , a fashion outlet for women .

peacocks ( clothing )

clothing chain peacocks fell into administration , putting some 9 , 600 jobs at risk .
clothing chain peacocks has fallen into administration - putting some 9 , 600 jobs at risk .
clothing chain peacocks is reportedly on the brink of administration as talks with its lenders deteriorated .
ask a question about working or interviewing at peacocks clothing . our community is ready to answer .
clothing retailer peacocks has entered administration after attempts by the company to restructure its £240 million debts finally failed .
the company that bought the clothing store chain peacocks out of administration has set out plans to resume international expansion .
how many buy clothing item ' s from primark or peacocks & why , because of quality or the price .
cardiff clothing retailer still runs half its stores after rescue by edinburgh woollen mill .
this principle continues today bringing great value fashionable clothing for men , women and children .
budget clothing chain peacock agreed to a management buyout today valuing the firm at £404 . 4m .
peacocks , the clothing retailer , could be placed into administration as early as monday after talks with banks about a possible debt “haircut” appeared to have reached an impasse .
for further information on peacocks , peacocks kids or the edinburgh woollen mill garden centres , please contact keith mcintyre at first franchise .
in a business selling relatively cheap clothing where there are tight profit margins , the banks could not see a way where peacocks could get close to paying off this debt .
around 400 staff work at the cardiff headquarters , which has been the clothing group ' s base for 72 years .
albert frank peacock founded the company in warrington , cheshire in 1884 ; a true victorian penny bazaar selling anything and everything . his founding principle of value helped peacocks develop a . . . clothing store
the owners of clothing chain peacocks , which has 500 stores and owns the bonmarche chain , will kick off a search for potential buyers next month , valuing the business at an estimated £600 million .
( l - r ) betty lowe , daisy lowe and pearl lowe attend as pearl lowe launches her latest clothing range for peacocks at mayfair hotel on november 10 , 2011 in london , england .
leeds’ merrion centre has expanded its fashion offering with the opening of the popular women’s clothing store , select , creating 10 jobs .
“peacocks brings a different dimension to the garden centres clothing offer because the ranges cover men , women and children’s wear fashion and our customers are amazed by the quality and value for money we offer . peacocks gives a garden centre a comprehensive and credible clothing department which will rival any high street retailer and when coupled with the edinburgh woollen mill brand , we cater for every age bracket . we are proud to say that edinburgh woollen mill was the first clothing company to recognise the unique qualities of a garden centre appeal and with our level of experience within this market we are very confident that peacocks will be just as successful . ”
' daisy lowe for peacocks’ follows five sell - out lined designed by pearl .
retail experts say ewm has saved peacocks by going
back to basics
.
peacocks has 550 branches and employs around 10 , 000 staff . photograph : alamy
pearl lowe for peacocks floral lace hem dress , £30 . not online yet .
our peacocks kids clothing ranges are from 2 to 14 years old as well as a bespoke baby range from 0 to 24 months . with garden centres installing children’s activities and looking to appeal to the next generation of gardeners , we believe peacocks kids is the ideal concession to complement that initiative .
a spokeswoman for peacocks said : ' the popularity of this dress has been amazing .
the retailer peacocks is the biggest company in wales to have collapsed in recent years .
the context is important here , in 2005 peacocks was a plc and expanding strongly .
the first peacocks shop opened in northern england in 1884 . the company now has more than 700 stores in the uk including the peacocks chain , the bonmarche and fragrance shop businesses .
save pearl lowe peacocks to get e - mail alerts and updates on your ebay feed .
find top kids independent brands , toys , clothing and interiors . little flea is a one stop showroom of all things for children . from stunning interiors to funky clothing , from awesome party entertainers to lovely toys & gifts . little flea takes the stress out of finding unique and beautiful suppliers for your little ones .
peacocks , with 611 stores and 49 concessions across britain , had employed 9 , 100 people .
at the time of the management buyout in 2006 , peacocks owed £150m pounds in pik notes .
bon marche , the 200 - shop retailer which is part of the peacocks group , is understood to be close to being sold , but there is uncertainty around the remaining 550 peacocks stores .
edinburgh , which beat off indian textile and clothing giant s kumars nationwide , said it would attempt to save some of the stores and jobs being lost today .
peacocks is an exceptionally strong brand , with instant consumer recognition . the company would like to meet all garden centre owners who want to introduce a comprehensive men’s , women’s and children’s clothing offer to their sites , which is backed by highly professional and efficient support structure .
the announcement was made by kpmg , joint administrators of peacocks , who were called in in january .
) and select , improves the merrion centre’s fashion offering which already includes the popular peacocks and shoezone .
the owner of peacocks said on monday that it planned the move after discussions with lenders broke down .
mrs gillan replied : ' i have the greatest of sympathy , i have shopped in peacocks myself and i know how many jobs depend on peacocks . i think it is important we explore every possibility .
men ' s clothing └ clothing , shoes , accessories all categories alcohol & food antiques art baby books , magazines business cameras cars , bikes , boats clothing , shoes , accessories coins collectables computers / tablets & networking crafts dolls , bears electronics gift cards & vouchers health & beauty home appliances home entertainment home & garden industrial jewellery & watches movies music musical instruments pet supplies phones & accessories pottery , glass services sporting goods stamps tickets , travel toys , hobbies vehicle parts & accessories video games & consoles lots more . . .
his founding principle of value helped peacocks develop a successful business that continued to grow throughout the twentieth century .
peacocks was founded 130 years ago by albert peacock in 1884 ; a penny bazaar selling anything and everything . the founding principle of value helped peacocks develop a successful business that continued to grow throughout the twentieth century .
but the reality is that peacocks was brought down by the deal that allowed a management buyout in 2006 .
more than 3 , 000 jobs were lost today after ailing fashion chain peacocks was sold out of administration .
jane hotz , womenswear buying director for peacocks , added : ' this season is all about value and it ' s heartening to see that celebrities are embracing the air of austerity by choosing pearl lowe for peacocks . '
although it is understood bon marché , the 200 - shop retailer which is part of the peacocks group , is likely to be sold as early as this week , the future for peacocks itself remains far less positive .
a source close to peacocks said the sour trading environment was only adding to peacocks’ problems , with the bankers involved less keen to continue to fund the business given the casualties elsewhere . a spokesman for kpmg declined to comment .
kpmg had already announced 249 redundancies from peacocks head office in cardiff . combined with the 1 , 400 job losses at bonmarche , the total number of jobs lost in the failure of peacocks is now about 4 , 750 .
the company started trading in 1884 with the founding principle of ‘great value’ . peacocks is still governed by that same principle today , and the business offers its customers exceptional value for money across every department . their stores are bright and fresh and the stunning shop fits enhance the brand and the clothing collections .
mr day the acquisition would give further depth to the group ' s range of trading profiles and assert its position as one of the uk ' s leading high street fashion and clothing retailers .
while pearl lowe has been successfully designing for peacocks , daughter daisy was content to be the face of the campaign .
thousands of shop workers tonight faced the prospect of losing their jobs after high street fashion chain peacocks went into administration .
professional services firm kpmg has been appointed administrator to peacocks - owned by hedge funds och - ziff and perry capital .
. . . uk’s largest womenswear value retailer with over 300 stores , we pride ourselves on offering clothing with appropriate styling designed with the more mature figure in mind , along with outstanding . . .
i think i like primark the best . as i think they have a wider range of clothing . as for prices there about the same . but some of the stuff are of poor quality tho .
clothing business with branches in wisbech and spalding . the business was founded by george goddard ( robert ' s grandfather ) in 1895 . robert goddard still offers the same high standards of customer . . .
mr pope said like many other retailers , peacocks suffered from a decline in consumer spending due to the tough economic conditions .
i ' m a guardian reporter keen to speak to peacocks workers # savepeacocks please get in touch steven . morris @ urltoken
edinburgh woollen mill has focused on the basic lines , the sort of classic things you would associate with peacocks .
the debts became too much for peacocks which went into administration last week after talks on restructuring part of the debt collapsed .
the reason peacocks ' debt rose so much was because of part of its borrowings called payment in kind or pik notes .
uk employment minister chris grayling told bbc radio wales that he hoped peacocks could be sold as a
going concern
.
peacocks has stores in acomb , employing ten people , clifton moor , employing 14 people and selby , employing 13 people .
we have found that the majority of garden centres prefer an experienced clothing retailer to replace their own clothing department to make sure it’s serviced and maintained properly to a high standard , and that all seasonal changes are completed on time , basically taking away the hassle factor of clothing so that they can concentrate their efforts on what they do best . we pay exceptional rents for long leases , and the agreements are underwritten by the biggest clothing brands in the uk . we are working with garden centre specialists first franchise to find suitable opportunities within the garden centres , and they want to hear from any owner or director that is interested in our brands . our management team and in - house shop - fitters have a wealth of experience and once an agreement has been made we could be trading within an 8 to 10 week period . ”
first minister carwyn jones said he welcomed the fact that peacocks would still have a future and employ a large number of people .
peacocks is owned by the edinburgh woollen mill and the group recently announced an intention to open 20 more peacocks concessions in garden centres , an investment of over £4m . steve simpson , the groups managing director who is overseeing the drive for new stores commented ;
kpmg said all peacocks stores remain open as it seeks to find a buyer for the business and no redundancies have been made .
peacocks collapsed under a debt mountain last month in the biggest retail failure since woolworths , placing 7 , 500 jobs in jeopardy .
kpmg has today made 249 redundancies at peacocks head office in cardiff but to date no store closures or redundancies have been announced .
alistair wardell , an insolvency expert at grant thornton , said the deal by edinburgh woollen mill had provided a positive outcome for peacocks .
chicago style : the free library . s . v . management buyout deal for peacocks . .
retrieved jul 09 2018 from urltoken
. . . products added daily , alujo continues to increase its selection of designer mens and ladies clothing from the world ' leading brands including firetrap , lacoste , ted baker , miss sixty and many more . . . .
during the following years peacocks continued to establish itself as a value - for - money retailer . from the mid 1990s onward peacocks experienced significant development and growth and a greater emphasis on fashion , which helped to propel the brand to even greater success in today ' s market .
people should be ashamed for hurling abuse at peacocks staff as they can ' t refund due to administration . they may lose jobs . # savepeacocks
the firm currently has more than 700 stores across the uk , comprising more than 400 peacocks stores , 350 bonmarche stores and 35 fragrance shops .
mla style :
management buyout deal for peacocks . .
the free library . 2005 birmingham post & mail ltd 09 jul . 2018 urltoken
the peacocks business operates around 611 stores and 49 concessions across wales , northern ireland , scotland , and england and employs approximately 9 , 600 .
a spokesman for barclays said :
this is not the end for peacocks , there is a viable business here and our support continues
.
although it is understood bon marché is likely to be sold as early as this week , the future for peacocks itself remains far less positive .
edinburgh woollen mill , which has 380 stores , will keep the cardiff headquarters of peacocks but kpmg said 16 jobs will go in the city .
peacocks announced its first design collaboration with daisy who will launch her collection of retro inspired beachwear , which she will also model for , this summer .
peacocks is 100 % privately owned , debt free and its trading covenant is given the highest rating by dun & bradstreet . peacocks is an international brand with 94 stores in russia , 70 in the middle east , 35 in the ukraine , and shops in malta , gibraltar , cyprus , greece and malaysia .
peacock group , the clothing retailer in talks to be bought by its chief executive for £404 million , credited store refurbishment as it defied the high street downturn with like - for - like sales growth of 4 . 4 per cent for the first half .
bought by the edinburgh woolen mill group in 2012 , the head office is located in cardiff , south wales . peacocks currently has 460 stores across the uk , with 50 new stores opening this year . peacocks also has a number of stores internationally , currently in malta , greece , cyprus , gibraltar and malaysia .
but she decided to collaborate with peacocks earlier this year after receiving requests from ordinary women who couldn ' t afford the expensive price tags of her designer collection .
fashion retailer peacocks has been sold out of administration to edinburgh woollen mill , saving 6 , 000 jobs , but 3 , 100 staff will be made redundant .
peacocks chief executive richard kirk is expected to lodge a rescue offer for the stricken fashion chain which has said it is going into administration after restructuring talks failed .
but such an exit will not help the fate of peacocks , which was taken private by the hedge funds and goldman sachs in 2006 in a £420m deal .
welsh secretary cheryl gillan pledged today to work to protect the ' many jobs ' at troubled retailer peacocks but warned she would not make early or false promises .
apa style : management buyout deal for peacocks . . ( n . d . ) > the free library . ( 2014 ) . retrieved jul 09 2018 from urltoken
the current batch of administrations on the high street is a reminder of the huge uncertainty that surrounded the future of the cardiff - based retailer peacocks exactly a year ago .
cardiff - based peacock - which owns the peacocks , bonmarche and fragrance shop chains - said earlier this month that it was performing well despite the tough retail trading climate .
if peacocks were to be placed into administration , it is expected a large number of the shops could be closed , even if a willing buyer were to be found .
peacocks can trace its history back to warrington , in cheshire , in 1884 when albert frank peacock founded peacock ' s penny bazaar . it moved to cardiff in 1940 .
this is devastating news for the workers at peacocks and for the south wales economy and it ' s potentially further grim news for high streets across the uk .
peacocks , which owns 611 stores and 49 concessions across the uk , has been boosted by the success of a collaboration with the singer - turned - fashion designer pearl lowe .
explains : “we were delighted to work with select in finding a store which matches their requirements and are really pleased to be able to offer our customers an improved fashion line up , which will be strengthened once more when the extension to the morrsions store opens incorporating the children’s nutmeg clothing range .
check out our hottest new in collection today . combining the latest seasons colour trends , tailoring and cutting edge styling , we ' ve got a collection of brand new women ' s clothing and styles to help you make a statement this season . wrap up warm with peacocks and our collection of the latest styles for fashionable women . shop online today to get your hands on our newest trends including coats , knitwear , denim jeans , dresses and more that are new in this season
professional services firm kpmg said it had been appointed administrator to peacocks , which owns 611 stores and 49 concessions across the uk , as well as its parent company the peacock group .
daisy lowe has hit headlines recently for becoming playboy ' s new cover girl , but she decided to cover up to model for her mother pearl ' s new collection for peacocks .
created by singer turned fashion designer pearl lowe , the black polyester and lace frock is being sold at budget retailer peacocks , and has become this season ' s unlikely wardrobe must have .
cardiff based peacocks is celebrating its 130th year and the company has just opened its first concessions within two leading garden centres , highfield garden centre , gloucester and woodlands garden centre in leicester .
however , after the announcement was made , a spokesman for barclays said :
this is not the end for peacocks , there is a viable business here and our support continues .
the administration of peacocks is one of the biggest since administrators were appointed to woolworths in december 2008 , leading to several tranches of closures which left 27 , 000 employees out of work .
the key issue at peacocks is reportedly related to whether its banks , led by barclays and royal bank of scotland , were willing to take a loss on the debt they are owed .
the problem with peacocks has always been thought to relate to its escalating £577m borrowings , rather than any issue with trading . as a result , many retail experts had hoped a deal could be struck between lenders and management to keep the company alive . some elements of peacocks borrowings came with rates of 17 % , though the bill for this interest was deferred for several years .
i will shop in primark over peacocks . as for quality i find primark is fine . i ' ve spent a lot more money on stuff before that lasts no where near as long .
professional services firm kpmg said on wednesday it had been appointed administrator to peacocks , which owns 611 stores and 49 concessions across the uk , as well as its parent company the peacock group .
as the sunday telegraph reported last march , peacocks group initially tried to sell bon marché , appointing dc advisory partners to offload the business , which caters for women over the age of 45 .
a series of complex talks between cardiff - based peacocks and equity and debt holders have delivered no solutions , the sunday telegraph said , leaving the future of the company hanging in the balance .
the peacocks group is owned by hedge funds och - ziff and perry capital , but the debt holders are now effectively in control of its fortunes as a result of poor sales and trading losses .
labour mp kevin brennan ( cardiff west ) asked : ' rbs are blaming a lack of investors for their decision to pull the plug on a deal to save peacocks , threatening thousands of jobs .
' it is significant that many fashion editors , who usually turn up to fashion weeks wearing established designers , such as chanel or marc jacobs , chose this year to wear a £35 dress from peacocks .
mr laverty , joint administrator and restructuring partner at kpmg , said :
like many retailers peacocks has suffered from tough economic conditions , which have seen its customers reduce their spending on the high street .
chris laverty , joint administrator and restructuring partner at kpmg , said :
like many retailers peacocks has suffered from tough economic conditions , which have seen its customers reduce their spending on the high street .
chris laverty , joint administrator and restructuring partner at kpmg , said : ' like many retailers peacocks has suffered from tough economic conditions , which have seen its customers reduce their spending on the high street .
ross jones the groups acquisitions manager explained . “the minimum space we require depends on the location within the garden centre . our shop fit teams survey every site and the store layouts are designed to ensure we maximise the sales potential of our area . one of the most important departments in peacocks is our children’s wear collection “peacocks kids” , which has been developed with the garden centre customer in mind . peacocks kids can be operated as a stand - alone department in the right circumstances , for example it works well next to an already established edinburgh woollen mill concession , to extend the appeal of a garden centre and also broaden its customer base .
pearl lowe’s latest collection for peacocks has finally hit stores and online and if it looks as good on us as it does on model , daisy lowe , then we’ll take it all please . shop the collection now…
but mr jones added :
we wait to see the full details of how this announcement will exactly affect employees of peacocks and we will provide all the support we can to those who face losing their jobs .
the telegraph reports that the key issue at peacocks is related to whether its banks , led by barclays and royal bank of scotland ( rbs ) , were willing to take a loss on the debt they are owed .
we are in the process of contacting all our members at peacocks to offer them advice and support , but i ' d also advise them to contact their local usdaw office or official as soon as possible .
in defence of peacocks ' directors , the management buy - out which saddled the company with so much debt was a deal done at the height of the buy - out boom when many similar deals were being signed off .
' but i ' m not going to stand at this despatch box and make any false promises . we are going to look at what we can do for peacocks but it will involve the welsh government as you know .
the company , which last month became the first target of a management buyout attempt backed by hedge funds , said that it had completed refits at 97 per cent of its 436 peacocks outlets , 45 of them in the second quarter .
peacocks can trace its history back to warrington , in cheshire , in 1884 when albert frank peacock founded peacock ' s penny bazaar . in 1940 , mr peacock ' s son harold moved the business to its current base in cardiff .
some very high profile and lucrative mbos were completed in 2005 . one of the deals of the year , according to many of the advisers insider spoke to , was the mbo of clothing retailer peacocks for £3404 . 4m . the deal was notable for the fact that it was partly funded by us hedge funds och - ziff , perry capital and echelon capital .
it was the first ever uk public to private mbo funded by hedge fund investors ,
rowe at gambit corporate finance explains . martin dean , at lloyds tsb corporate , adds :
it is interesting , especially as us firms came in and participated .
in a statement he thanked the firm ' s staff and said :
peacocks is a brand with great heritage , and it is with deep sadness that we have been left with no other option but to today place the business into administration .
excitement about the range , generated through social networking sites , was such that , for the first time in peacocks ' 126 - year history , the retailer was forced to set up a waiting list for customers before the official launch on september 19 .
“current preference for next is for large ‘retail park’ type stores at present with multiple departments . this scheme will allow sufficient area to ensure next will remain in the thistle shopping centre and prevent relocation to an out of town retail park . market share for clothing retail 2014 shows the strength of next as a trader . it had the largest share behind m & s and shows a current trend for growth across the market .
sources close to rbs insisted the bank had not changed its mind on peacocks – or lost faith in the wider retail sector – though others at the negotiating table were adamant that the bank turned cold on a restructuring deal it had previously been enthusiastically promoting .
peacocks ' advisers have been trying to put together a rescue deal for months , but talks broke down at the weekend after royal bank of scotland showed its ruthless side , joining a band of senior creditors to dash hopes of a debt - for - equity swap that would have handed control of peacocks to its banks . rbs and barclays were in the driving seat of the negotiations – which were said to involve 18 funds and lenders – as they were owed the most with both banks on the hook for more than £100m .
peacocks are a very good company ive learnt some supervisor training and my co workers and manager are very nice to work with and my most enjoyable part of the job is helping customers choose an outfit and seeing there appreciation and the bit i hate is rude customers .
i ' ve bought a lot more from primark than peacocks . its great for kids clothes were they grow so fast so the clothes don ' t get the chance to wear out . nice and cheap too . only problem is their sizes can be a little odd .
peacocks stands for quality and value for the whole family . the business is dedicated to bringing customers exceptional value for money on the high street . the range gives customers the best of basics , starting at just £3 , to the latest fashions for women , men and kids
however , there remains a strong possibility that most of the business could be saved and we have spoken to the administrators this afternoon to urge them to keep peacocks trading for as long as possible in order to allow sufficient time for a buyer to be found .
welsh liberal democrat enterprise and business spokeswoman eluned parrott am added :
the outcome for peacocks could have been so much worse and a pooling of resources with edinburgh woollen mill is a very good fit , avoiding the danger of asset stripping and hopefully the closure of adjacent stores .
we know that our customers want the cutting edge in colour trends , tailoring and effortless styling , with an affordable price tag . that ' s why our new in collection is packed with this season ' s hottest clothing , shoes and accessories - so you don ' t need to go anywhere else . check out the latest women ' s fashion online today and get your hands on our newest trends from the comfort of your own home . go ahead , make a statement this season .
it is thought that a pre - pack administration – where a buyer for the assets of a business is selected at the same time as it is placed into administration – is unlikely in peacocks’ case because of the quantum of debt involved and the length of time its owners have been working on a solution .
peacocks , owned by hedge funds och - ziff and perry capital , has been boosted by the success of a collaboration with the singer - turned - fashion designer pearl lowe . like - for - like sales rose 17 % over the christmas period and the company said it was benefiting from its ability to react quickly to fashion trends .
chris laverty , joint administrator and restructuring partner at kpmg , said : “like many retailers peacocks has suffered from tough economic conditions , which have seen its customers reduce their spending on the high street . this factor , combined with a surplus of stores and high overheads , led to the business becoming financially unviable in its current form . ”
the board has filed an
intention to appoint administrators
for peacocks and its sister chain bonmarché which gives them 10 days to put together a plan while it prevents creditors pursuing debts through the courts . sources suggested kirk was close to making an offer for the chain which has 611 stores and more than 10 , 000 staff , but there was no certainty that it would succeed .
pearl lowe has always had a passion for design . from customising her own outfits to designing her first collection for her mothers boutique aged 10 , pearl loves to create . after leaving school and having a successful music career as lead singer in the band powder , pearl returned to design with a 3 year collaboration with peacocks as well as her own line . now pearl has turned her hand to childrenswear with her stunning debut luxury kids lifestyle collection , petite pearl lowe . everything is handmade in somerset and includes whimsical designs such as leotards , jumpsuits and dresses in chiffons , crepe , net and tulle with intricate detailing and sequin embellishments . this beautiful collection creates a truly magical dress up experience for young girls aged 2 to 9 . we are totally in love !
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at £35 it is the price most celebrities are accustomed to paying for a glass of vintage champagne or a designer lipstick .
but this dress is proof that even the rich and famous can ' t resist a bargain when they see one .
after several of the country ' s leading newspaper and magazine fashion editors wore the vintage - style tea dress to london and new york fashion weeks , celebrities began contacting the high street store wanting to buy one .
pop star courtney love was so desperate to have the 1950s - inspired dress she sent a message to miss lowe , via twitter , asking for one to be couriered to her suite at the mercer hotel , new york .
former texas front woman sharlene spiteri and australian singer natalie imbruglia have also purchased the frock .
and last week television presenter holly willoughby wore it live on this morning after waiting several weeks for one in her size .
the black dress , which includes a cream lace collar , pinched waist and pleated chest and skirt detailing , was so popular that it sold out online in just two hours .
' pearl has always been adamant that she wanted to make clothes for women with real figures , so they are designed for women with busts and curves . the range is popular because it is so comfortable and flattering to wear .
' pearl has been meticulous about her collections - she goes to the factory to oversee production and chooses the fabrics and laces herself to make sure her clothes have that authentic vintage feel .
' her attention to detail means the dresses appear like true vintage garments . '
miss lowe , a former singer with several indie bands in the 1990s , began designing bespoke , handmade dresses for upmarket store libertys in 2001 .
inspired by the glamour of hollywood legends , louise brooks and greta garbo , the range , which is available in sizes 8 to 18 , is intended to bring vintage , designer styles to the masses .
miss lowe said : ' i looked to great women of the past for inspiration . i’ve always adored the classic style of hollywood legends , in particular louise brooks and greta garbo , and wanted to create a collection that captured their magic and femininity .
' i selected fabrics that look authentic and didn’t cut corners when it came to adding details such as vintage pleats and belts to ensure the collection retained a vintage feel . i’m so excited to be bringing timeless hollywood style back to the high street . '
her daughter , model daisy lowe , added : ' what girl doesn’t love a bit of glamour ? mum’s autumn collection reminds me of the dresses i used to see on my female heroines when i was growing up , and i’m so excited to see them worn by the girls of today . '
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now it seems the model is no longer content with her role and is turning her hand to creating a swimwear range for the high street chain .
available in sizes eight to 16 , and in cup sizes 32b to 36dd , the bikini tops and briefs will be sold separately to allow customers to mix and match . for her debut collection , daisy sought inspiration from the french riviera in the fifties , celebrating the beautiful curves of sophia loren and the original pin up queen , bettie page .
her four piece range includes a selection of flirty bikinis , swimsuits and sexy shorts , designed to flatter women of all shapes and sizes .
pear will continue her spring / summer 2011 vintage inspired tea dress collection set to launch in april .
daisy said : ' it was important from the start that my designs were accessible so my friends could afford them , which is why we’ve kept the collection under £18 .
' i’ve sought inspiration from the things i love , family holidays in europe , iconic fifties pin ups and classic vintage shapes .
' my mum is my style icon and it was great growing up and having access to her closet .
' i’m so pleased i now have my own collection to wear and share with my friends instead of nagging my mum for hers . '
pearl lowe said : ' i’m so proud of daisy’s collection , whatever she puts her hand to she turns into a success and i can’t wait to see her designs come to life this summer . together we are proud to be bringing classy vintage fashion to the high street at affordable prices . '
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