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Croydon Airport: The birthplace of modern aviation

London Heathrow is the UK's biggest airport, but it has not always been this way.

Croydon Airport was the UK's biggest airport during the interwar years, playing a significant role in the development of aviation.

Many integral parts of the industry, including air traffic control, a terminal and the international distress call, were pioneered in Croydon.

The airport closed in 1959, but there are still plenty of things to remind passers-by of its legacy.

Jay Gardner has been to see it.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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9 minutes