Stanley Hooker, Ernest Hives, and Spencer Wilks blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Pioneers of the jet engine. At a meeting in the Swan & Royal Hotel in December 1941, responsibility for developing Sir Frank Whittle's invention - the jet engine, passed from the Rover Company to Rolls-Royce. The deal was sealed over a five shilling meal between Rolls-Royce General Manager Ernest Hives, the Rover Managing Director Spencer Wilks and Dr Stanley Hooker of Rolls-Royce

Dr Stanley Hooker, Ernest Hives, and Spencer Wilks were pivotal figures in the development of the jet engine. Their collaboration led to the transfer of jet engine development from Rover to Rolls-Royce, significantly advancing aviation technology during World War II and beyond.