Happy anniversary for that wonderful plane; I flew it again and again, nearly always paid for by someone else, always upgraded - frequently I would buy a cheap economy special deal round trip for a couple of hundred quid but British Airways always upgraded me into Concorde - I was such a regular.

Generally I flew once a month - I'd leave my London bedroom at 8am and step into my New York bedroom at 8am.

Wonderful plane. Twice I sat next to Rupert Murdoch ("your column is the best fucking thing in the paper")... those were the days.

As viewers to my movie will know, in the Old Bailey, leather envelopes full of luxury items were described as my "seduction packs" - they were simply the giveaway Concorde envelopes full of leather diaries, silver pens and other goodies given free to all passengers.

Every trip I took half a dozen with me. I've collected hundreds.

These were called "seduction packs" by the Prosecution. The judge ordered this rubbish wiped from the record - impossible, of course; jurys always remember such lies.

Concur with this. A fabulous engineering feat - one that the Americans could not equal despite spending twice as much money than UK/France - all they got was a wooden mock up. Mind you, they made much more money by developing the 747 instead. Even the Russian version was flawed - the engines did not have nearly enough range at Mach 2, and passengers were issued with ear plugs it was so noisy

Like most people, I never flew on the concorde, but I have heard that the cabin was actually very uncomfortable and cramped. Although it is a great engineering feat maybe BA would have been better off investing in the air bus.

It was small but quite comfortable Robbie - no movies of course but delicious food (at the start; it declined) and when it's only a 3 hour flight - who cares?
Especially when you mixed with the cream of society - stars, executives, millionaires and so on.

The cream of society = stars, executives and millionaires.

A very sad, albeit accurate, illustration of how your sometimes brilliant - albeit flawed - mind works, JK.

I didn't say the cream wasn't frequently dreadfully soured, regular IP poster.

Alas, I never flew on it either, but I did sit in it after it was retired. Yes the seats are a similar size to those on Easyjet planes (perhaps smaller!), however you can stretch out quite a bit. It was akin to being on a large private jet - just enough room to stand up, but not cramped. As has already been said, you weren't on it for very long, so movies and lie flat beds were not necessary. It was the speed, the service and the food and wine you paid for, although most execs who used it in the mornings probably ordered just coffee. It was also the fact you can be walking around the aircraft in your pinstripes at 60k feet travelling at 1300mph - other mortals in that situation would need a g-suit. Unfortunately it wasn't just the cost of maintaining the aircraft that killed it - those execs who used it so much before the 2000 crash found internet video conferencing just as effective and more convenient than a 3hr transatlantic flight. Prematurely gone but never forgotten. However I do prefer it when things are ended before you get fed up with them.

I tried to persuade Murdoch to buy 4 of them for bi weekly London-Sydney flights. Refueling in Hawaii, going over the pole, Britain to Australia in under ten hours.

I think he did investigate the possibility.

I guarantee every flight would have been full each way.

JK2006 wrote:

I guarantee every flight would have been full each way.

The easiest guarantee ever given ?

Rumour had it that when reaching top speed the interior walls would warm up and special carpet was installed that stretched 1-2cm with the fuselage.

I wouldn't consider Murdoch to be the cream of society more like the dregs of society. Also It wouldn't be that much of a compliment to say that your column was the best part of the sun, as it is full of lies, poor writing, inaccuracies and crap puns. I particularly hate those mock-up photos where they place a picture of a turnip or something on Graham Taylor's (or other celebs) head as if it was some great technical feat. I fear for Britain that this is the best selling newspaper in Britain.

"As viewers to my movie will know, in the Old Bailey, leather envelopes full of luxury items were described as my "seduction packs" - they were simply the giveaway Concorde envelopes full of leather diaries, silver pens and other goodies given free to all passengers.

Every trip I took half a dozen with me. I've collected hundreds."

JK, they would probably go for a bomb on eBay these days!

Not just a rumour. On the final flight in one of the aircraft, a flight engineer placed his cap in between his instrument panel and the cockpit partition at 60,000 feet with 2 or 3 inches to spare - upon landing, it is now completely squashed between them.