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Mr Samuel Cody, renowned aviator and first man in Britain to fly a heavier than air machine, landed at Valencia Farm, Eccleston one hundred years ago ... It was the first ever aeroplane to arrive in St Helens and caused great excitement. Mr Cody was attempting to win the £1000 prize offered by Sir William Hartley, the celebrated jam manufacturer on Merseyside, to the first person to fly non-stop between Liverpool and Manchester.

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Henry Melly was one of those fearless men in their very early flying machines. He had a passion about aircraft in the years soon after the Wright brothers made their first flight in 1903. After marrying in 1910, Henry of course took his new bride on honeymoon, but it was a rather different sort of honeymoon. It lasted at least nine weeks and during this time Henry spent a lot of time learning to fly at Louis Blériot’s Flying School at Pau in France! He was awarded his licence – “Pilote-Aviateur” - on the 9th October 1910. It was licence No. 212 of the “L’Aero-Club de France, Paris”. Quite a different honeymoon achievement.

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