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Earlsdon is a suburb of Coventry, England. It is the birth place of aviation pioneer Frank Whittle. There are shops and several restaurants on Earlsdon Street, the main street through Earlsdon. There is also Earlsdon Library, one of the larger branch libraries of Coventry library service. Earlsdon also hosts rugby, golf and tennis clubs.

History
In the mid-1800s Earlsdon was a hub of activity for the rising watch-making trade. Even as this industry began to decline, Earlsdon continued to grow, and was incorporated into the city of Coventry in 1890. The watch-making trade is represented by the clock on the roundabout at the bottom of the high street, where Earlsdon Avenue North and South join.

In 1897 the opening of Albany Road, named after HRH Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany, who visited Coventry in November the following year, allowed for far greater access to and from the rest of the city and development in Earlsdon quickly increased. By 1918 the area was fully developed as it is today but has seen some redevelopment in recent years.

Today, Earlsdon is a large high-density suburban residential area. Many students from both Coventry University and the University of Warwick also live in the area.

In August 2006 following a torrential downpour of rain, the main street of Earlsdon suffered from serious flooding. Many businesses were affected, and some were forced to close for a time.

Places of interest
The hub of Earlsdon is what is locally referred to as the "Earlsdon High Street", in reality Earlsdon Street. This is a strip of commercial units that includes a number of restaurants and pubs. The area surrounding Earlsdon Street consists of rows of terraced houses and a few small shops. To the south is the War Memorial Park, the north is Hearsall Common, and west is Canley Ford.

Frank Whittle

The commemorative plaque on the house where Whittle was born and grew up inFrank Whittle (1907–1996), the jet engine pioneer, was born in Earlsdon in a terraced house on Newcombe Road, which is marked out by a small grey commemorative plaque. He attended a school in Earlsdon, and he was inspired to pursue a career in engineering after allegedly seeing an aircraft land on Hearsall Common. At the age of nine he moved to Leamington Spa with his family when his father started an engineering factory there.

Arts and culture
Earlsdon has its own theatre, the Criterion Theatre, that puts on about seven shows a year. There is also an annual "Earlsdon Festival", that takes place on Hearsall Common during the May bank holiday. The annual Godiva Festival takes place within the Memorial Park during the summer and although it is popular, there have been problems with under age drinking and antisocial behaviour

Frank Whittle
Born 1 June 1907(1907-06-01)
Earlsdon, Coventry, England.
Died 9 August 1996 (aged 89)
Columbia, Maryland. United States
Cause of death Lung cancer
Burial place Cranwell, England
Nationality English
Education Peterhouse, University of Cambridge
Occupation RAF officer
Employer Royal Air Force
Title Sir
Known for Development of the jet engine
Spouse(s) Dorothy Lee (1930–1976)
Hazel Hall
Children 2 sons
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907–9 August 1996) was an English Royal Air Force (RAF) officer. Sharing credit with Germany's Dr. Hans von Ohain for independently inventing the jet engine, he is hailed as a father of jet propulsion.

From an early age Whittle demonstrated an aptitude for engineering and an interest in flying. Determined to be a pilot, he overcame his physical limitations to be accepted into the RAF where his abilities earned him a place on the officer training course at Cranwell. He excelled in his studies and became an accomplished pilot. While writing his thesis there he formulated the fundamental concepts that led to the creation of the jet engine, taking out a patent on his design in 1930. His performance on an officers' engineering course bought him a place on a further course at the University of Cambridge where he graduated with a First.

Without Air Ministry support, he and two retired RAF servicemen formed Power Jets Ltd to build his engine with assistance from the firm of British Thomson-Houston. Despite limited funding, a prototype was created which first ran in 1937. Official interest was forthcoming following this success with contracts being placed to develop further engines, but the continuing stress seriously affected Whittle's health, eventually resulting in a nervous breakdown in 1940. In 1944 when Power Jets was nationalised he again suffered a nervous breakdown, and resigned from the board in 1946.

In 1948 Whittle retired from the RAF and received a knighthood. He joined BOAC as a technical advisor before working as an engineering specialist in one of Shell Oil's subsidiaries followed by a position with Bristol Aero Engines. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1976 he accepted the position of NAVAIR Research Professor at the United States Naval Academy from 1977–1979. In August 1996, Whittle died of lung cancer at his home in Columbia, Maryland.

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