Sir Frederick Handley Page was one of the UK’s early lecturers in aerospace engineering, teaching students at London’s Northampton Institute, a forerunner of City, University of London. This passion for education never left him and, in 1945, he became one of the first board members of the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield. In two fascinating lectures, Chris Atkin, then a Professor at City, explores HP’s early career and Cranfield’s then Pro-Chancellor, Gordon Page, looks back at HP’s role at the fledgeling Cranfield University.

The evening session of the conference ‘Handley Page Ltd : celebrating the centenary of the first British aircraft company’ was organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Historical Group on 10 September 2009. The session was introduced by Dr Kit Mitchell FRAeS and the recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.