The Comet Hotel
Designed in the shape of an aeroplane
By Serena Williams
Model of the Comet by the Comet Hotel
The Comet Hotel opened in 1936 at the junction of the Barnet by-pass with St Albans Road, close to the then De Havilland airfield and aircraft factory. It was designed by E.B. Musman in the shape of an aeroplane. The name derives from the DH “Comet Racer”, the winner of the 1934 England-Australia air race.
This page was added on 12/01/2010.
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Despite the current closure of the Comet Hotel the model of the plane is back in position as of Spring 2018. The much overlooked stone column upon which it sits was carved by Eric Kennington and tells the story of flight beginning with the wings of Icarus. Thankfully the hideous 1970’s staff block that was added unsympathetically to the “tail” of the building has recently been demolished restoring its original aeroplane footprint.
The model in the Galleria was much bigger than the one at the hotel. I’m surprised the one at the hotel is gone – I thought it was still there. The hotel one was about 3 feet wide. what they put in the Galleria was much bigger.
Does anyone know anything about the model of the Comet that was mounted on a pinnacle in the car park area at the Comet Hotel ? Was it the one that hung in the Galleria shopping arcade ? [That one has been acquired by the museum at Sywell aerodrome and will be installed in the No.1. hanger there]