On Monday 11th November Dawn Kemp from the Museum of Flight spoke to members of Lanark and District Archaeological Society about the Lanark Aviation Meeting that took place in August 1910. Dawn explained that this was the most important event that took place in Lanark's history, attracting as it did over 250,000 visitors; there has never been anything like it since.
Dawn showed some fantastic photographs that were taken at the event by local camera club members and newspaper photographers. These contrast with the post cards that were produced for the event, some of which should fictional situations. One postcard showed Captain Cody, a naturalised American, flying but the truth was that his flying cathedral never made it off the ground. Other would be flyers did not even get their planes to Lanark; the North British Railway Company accidentally set fire to two planes in transit.
The whole lecture was fascinating with stories of how the Lanark Aviation
Meeting was genuinely international. Competitors came from Europe,
America and even Peru. On the strength of the success of the meeting it was
intended to make the racecourse into an airport. However, the local council
were not interested and Hendon, near London, became an airport instead.