HOVERSERVICE POST : 1973 INAUGURAL FLIGHTS OF LONDON HOVERSERVICES LTD BETWEEN WESTMINSTER AND GREENWICH

 

This historic postcard commemorates the 19th July 1973 inaugural flights of London Hoverservices Ltd between Westminster and Greenwich. Published by W. J. Nigh & Sons, the piece is postmarked from Blackheath S.E.3 at 2:15 PM on the very day of the launch. It was sent to J. L. Hobbs at "Meadows" in Downton, Salisbury, serving as a permanent record of this transport milestone.

The card highlights the HM 2 Sidewall 65-passenger hovercraft, a vessel then famously operating on the Solent between the Isle of Wight and the Mainland. By bringing this technology to the Thames, planners sought to revolutionize urban commuting. The "sidewall" design was crucial for river navigation, providing the stability needed to turn the Thames into a high-speed transit artery.