How Charles' work took flight to create movie magic at Wolverhampton Airport

Charles, part of a signwriting dynasty in the region which was to last over 100 years, was drafted in to paint up the big aerial "star" in the film, a Bristol Freighter.

After our recent feature about the airport, which was closed 50 years ago in December, his grandson Andy Harrington of Brewood has uncovered a series of photographs showing Charles at work on that most unusual job.

The movie was called 'The Man In The Sky' starring Jack Hawkins and was filmed on location at and around the airport at Pendeford.

In the film the Bristol Freighter plays the role of a company's crucial new transport plane, with rocket propulsion, which Hawkins, a test pilot, takes up before an engine catches fire.

Andy says the photographs were taken by his father, Bill Harrington, on July 25, 1956.

"Unfortunately I don't have any information about this event. I can only presume that our family got the work through word of mouth or a business contact," he said.

"My grandfather died in 1968 and my father, who took the photos, died in 2007. He would have of course known all about it.

"Our family business of signwriting, started by my great-grandfather in 1872, lasted for nearly 130 years."

The aircraft used in the movie had come from an independent airline called Silver City Airways, and the photographs show it bearing the company name, so presumably one of Charles' tasks was to paint that out. Or alternatively he might have been restoring the company livery after it was removed for filming purposes.

During filming at Wolverhampton on May 15, 1956, the aircraft is reported to have overshot the runway and ended in a ditch, damaging the nose, undercarriage and wings. If that date is correct the mishap happened two months before Charles did his "paint job."

After repairs the aircraft, registration code G-AIFV, returned to Silver City service.

Also getting in touch after the feature about Wolverhampton Airport was Kelly Greenway to point out that the names on the original 1956 caption of a photograph we carried showing Jack Hawkins chatting to some young local women during a break were not quite right.

Kelly said: "On the picture of the ladies with Jack Hawkins, the names aren’t correct. One is my nan, Patricia Greenway, one my great aunt Elizabeth (Bett) Payne, one their niece Gwen Hammond and one a close friend of my nan's, Audrey Homer."

By the way Kelly, we'd love to hear back from you to learn more. Email newsdesk@mnamedia.co.uk.