Geoffrey de Havilland was a friend and neighbour of my Great Grandmother at Crux Easton near Newbury. I have a signed photograph that he sent to my 6 year old father as a christmas present in 1934 of Grosvenor House the record breaking de Havilland Comet (no, not that one) which set a record of 2 days 4 hours from England to Australia in October 1934. Much of the mosquito's design was based on the Comet
On the back of the frame is the letter which accompanied the photo
(apologies for the quality - I just snapped them with my iphone as I didn't really want to take the 'photo out of the frame)
Incidentally, that house ended up being bought by Oswald Moseley. In the 1960's when my great Grandmother was building a cottage in Kintbury to be near my Grandmother the builder said he could build it in salvaged bricks from a house he was demolishing at Crux Easton (maybe it's black shirted former occupier was putting off potential buyers). You've guessed it - she built her new house from the bricks of the old one & it was named Crux Cottage.
