Waddon

Did the very air crackle with anticipation here? It’s hard to imagine now, but Waddon was once home to Croydon Airport. This wasn’t just any airport. This was the main airport for London, a bustling hub of travel and innovation in the early 20th century. Waddon saw it all, from the birth of commercial aviation to the terror of the Blitz. Imagine the sleek biplanes taking off, the roar of the engines, and the thrill of early air travel. Waddon witnessed history in the making. It was here at Croydon Airport that the international distress signal “Mayday” was born. A senior radio officer, Frederick Stanley Mockford, needed a word that would be universally understood in moments of crisis. He chose “Mayday,” a shortened version of the French “m’aider” – meaning “help me” – and a word easily distinguishable in radio transmissions. The airport closed in 1959, its runways falling silent. Yet, Waddon’s spirit of innovation didn’t disappear. It transformed, much like the watercress beds that once flourished here, later making way for Croydon B power station. Waddon, a testament to change, reminds us that progress, like a plane taking flight, often leaves behind a fascinating story.