Falcon Park: Exposed

Many of you may have heard the name "Falcon Park" and some of you lucky souls may have even visited there. In case you're not au fait with 'what/where/why', then Trevor Watson has sent the following 'everything you could possibly need to know about Falcon Park' guide...


There’s a mysterious place in Sussex that many have heard of, but few know where it is, let alone have visited. It’s called Falcon Park.


History reports that this is an aviation training centre where all the young stewardesses (and stewards) on Virgin Atlantic etc are trained to cope with things going wrong when we are soaring above the clouds.

And indeed this is true. Falcon Park is part of Friday Holdings and is situated in Crawley Down, just outside East Grinstead. Its current purpose is four-fold...

Firstly it is home to Aviation Courses, which runs the courses mentioned above in an aircraft simulator – which is actually part of a real 747 which was chopped up some years ago.

Secondly classrooms have been set out which allow anyone to run courses on any subject that you may wish to learn about…and people come from literally all around the world to enjoy some great British hospitality and education.


Thirdly, not many people say "Letsgoshopping in Crawley Down", because it is a bit of a wilderness. However it is home to our new online retail offering which, as you’ve probably guessed, is called Letsgoshopping. Products on offer range from horsey and boaty stuff, to motorcycle and snowsports gear, and even the facility to design your own t-shirts etc. Much of the stock is housed and fulfilled on site.


Finally Falcon Park is also the home of our print team Uckfield Press who continue to produce ad hoc print jobs for businesses throughout Sussex and beyond.


Some of the staff based up there will be familiar to many of you. Helen Reed is Operations Manager, ensuring the airline and retail sides function properly – and that people turn off the lights and don’t run down the corridors!

Trevor Watson is the Retail Development Manager looking after the, errrr retail development side!

Hannah Brinklow, as Administration Assistant, is the real worker though, keeping the others in check and daily explaining the difference between jodhpurs and breeches.
On the Uckfield Press side Stafford Horscroft remains the Governor, ably assisted by his band of merry men (and women).


While the staff at Falcon Park would have you believe that they work in the middle of a downbeat industrial estate straight out of an LS Lowry painting, the truth has got out and apparently they spend much of the day appreciating the local wildlife including ducks, deer, llamas, goats and one of the largest wasps nests in the county.


If you haven’t ventured there yet, check it out on Google Earth or better still turn up unannounced and wake the guys from their country slumber.