is partly covered with rough grass and partly covered with tarmac or gravel is used by fairs or circuses and their associated heavy vehicles. The Moscow State Circus, which gave performances for five days in November 2004, is one of many circuses that have visited the common over the years. The larger eastern section of the common is a large open area of mowed grass that attracts dog walkers, sunbathers, kite flyers. and local children to play football. On the north side of the road near to the woods there is a cycle speedway track that is used by Coventry Cycle Speedway Club https://web.archive.org/web/20100703052637/http://www.coventry-cycle-speedway.co.uk/ for competitions. At one point, the Earlsdon Festival moved temporarily from being based predominantly in Earlsdon Street to the common. The festival usually takes place on the May Day bank holiday weekend. After a lot of rain in the summer of 2007, the Donkey Derby which was scheduled to take place in the War Memorial Park, Coventry was held at Hearsall Common. Frank Whittle Frank Whittle, the aerospace engineer and jet pioneer, was born in Earlsdon, and the house in Newcombe Road that he grew up in, which has a commemorative plaque on it, is about half a mile from the common. He was apparently inspired to pursue a career in engineering after seeing an aircraft land on Hearsall Common in 1916, from which grew the urban myth that the aircraft blew his hat off and this in particular inspired him, as a young boy, to become involved in aeronautics. A plaque on the common alludes to this story. Gallery References External links Coventry & Warwickshire website Parks in Coventry