Brooklands Bulletin Issue 62 Mar/ Apr 2020

brooklands bulletin

Viscount: turboprop pioneer

Brake components

Clutch & Gearbox

Cooling & Fuelling

Electrical

Engine & Mechanical

Steering & Suspension

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Welcome

We all have our own passions that draw us to Brooklands. Whether it’s aviation, racing, motorcycles, classic cars or engineering, there is always something to satisfy our interests. Yet it’s the diversity of what the Museum and its collections offer that astonishes me, as well as the knowledge and enthusiasm of the Members and Volunteers who do so much to preserve and add to the history of Brooklands.

This variety became obvious while planning out this issue of the Bulletin. From the work carried out by the Learning and Participation department to encourage younger visitors to a feature on the first race at the track after World War One, the breadth of what Brooklands can offer is amazing. The blend of history, restoration and future planning come together in so many areas and this is exemplified by the Vickers-Armstrongs Viscount that we look at in this issue. Here was an aircraft designed and built at Brooklands that led the way in aviation and a technology that is still in use today.

There are also many events held at Brooklands that marry history and the present day perfectly. Few do this better than the superb New Year’s Day Gathering that so many of you attended. If you enjoyed that, there’s plenty more going on at the Museum as we head into the spring. There’s always something happening, so check out the Forthcoming Events pages to keep abreast of our busy 2020 diary for the Museum and exclusive Members’ programme.

Alisdair Suttie Editor

Brooklands Bulletin

Become a Member

Brooklands Members is the official support organisation for Brooklands Museum and is dedicated to raising funds for the preservation of the historic Brooklands site.

Members receive the Bulletin six times per year and enjoy free admission to the Museum, except when major events are taking place, in which case additional charges may apply. Club Level Members have access to the Clubhouse Bar on Thursday, Friday and Sunday lunchtimes.

For full details of membership benefits, contact the BT Administrator, Tim Morris: 01932 857381 ext 226; or www.brooklandsmembers. co.uk where you can find the latest news on Brooklands.

Front cover photo: Brooklands Museum Collection

Pioneer aviators’ statue unveiled

unveiled at London’s Heathrow Airport in 1954. Since the centenary last year of that ground-breaking flight, the statue has been part of the celebrations in Ireland and is now at Brooklands, the home of British aviation.

A statue has been unveiled at Brooklands to commemorate the first ever non-stop trans-Atlantic flight by Alcock and Brown more than 100 years ago. HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Royal Patron of the Museum, led the unveiling in front of a crowd that included Anne and Anthony Alcock, the niece and nephew of Sir John Alcock.

A statue of the pilots was commissioned by the British Government and created by sculptor William McMillen. It was

Race into Easter

This Easter Brooklands is giving you the chance to become part of the pit crew and prepare a race car for the track. As you step into the Museum’s historic workshops, you’ll learn about the science of speed and have a go at getting a car ready to compete.

As well as this unique opportunity for hands-on fun with a Brooklands racing car, the Museum has a wide range of other Easter activities for all the family. If you’d rather be in the car than getting it ready to race, our Car Rides team will be

Anne Alcock said: ‘I attended the first unveiling of the statue at Heathrow Airport in 1954, so I’m pleased to be here today and see the statue standing in such an important place at Brooklands.’

Group Captain Anthony Alcock recalled his uncle’s friendship with Sir Arthur Whitton Brown and added: ‘Their time together at Brooklands was such a happy and rewarding period of their lives. The statue of these intrepid aviators is symbolic of their partnership and I’m delighted it has finally been reunited with Brooklands. It completes the Vimy story at Brooklands Museum.’

The exhibition dedicated to this chapter in aviation history called The First to the Fastest features the Museum’s own replica Vimy aircraft which has re-enacted the three pioneering Vimy flights that originally took place shortly after the First World War to Australia, South Africa and across the Atlantic.

Chris Garton, COO of Heathrow Airport said: ‘We’re really pleased the statue has moved to Brooklands, the birthplace of British aviation. It’s the rightful place for it and hopefully it will be here for many years, if not forever. It’s been great working with Brooklands Museum and I’m looking forward to building on this collaboration.’

Paul Stewart

taking passengers up the Test Hill (subject to weather conditions).

Younger children can try out Brooklands’ pedal planes, while Concorde Mini Tours are aimed at children and plenty of fun and noise are part of the appeal. For all the family, the London Bus Museum will be running rides around the local area.

Brooklands’ Easter Holiday Fun: Ready to Race runs from 6-9 and 14-17April and is open from 10am to 5pm. Saver Tickets are available online or for more details email: info@brooklandsmuseum.com

The commemorative plaque is unveiled with (l-r) Group Captain Anthony John Alcock MBE, RAF, Royal Patron HRH Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO, KStJ, CD, Chris Garton, COO of Heathrow Airport, and Sir Gerald Acher CBE LVO, Chairman of Brooklands Museum.

Join our Youth Panel

Coffee and recruitment

The Museum is holding a Recruitment Coffee Morning on 2 April to encourage more people to join the Volunteer programme. It’s open from 10am to midday in the Clubhouse and any Members or non-Members with an interest in volunteering are welcome to attend.

The Museum is looking for new blood to join its Youth Panel. It’s open to anyone aged 13-18-years old who feels they can offer a fresh perspective of the collections. The panel is also looking for new members who can help encourage younger visitors to the Museum and create learning resources for school visits and family activities.

Youth Panel members can socialise with others that have similar interests and use their creativity to have fun. They have the opportunity to explore the Museum’s exhibitions, collections and archives as Volunteers and help shape the future of Brooklands. The panel meets on the last Saturday of every month from 11am to 1pm at Brooklands to give younger people a voice. It is also an excellent opportunity to add to your CV, work towards a Duke of Edinburgh Award and gain new skills.

If you are interested in joining the Youth Panel at Brooklands Museum, email Laura Barclay on: lbarclay@brooklandsmuseum.com

Laura Barclay

Message from Members’ Chairman

The new decade started well with a successful New Year’s Day Gathering, where a record number of new Members were signed up by the Outreach Team. This was especially pleasing as the increased subscription rates came into effect on the same day. Future development of the Museum relies on a steady flow of revenue and the income generated through your subscriptions is a very important contributor to that flow.

Later in January, the VSCC Driving Tests provided an opportunity for Malcolm Grubb and his team to operate the scoreboard, which was much appreciated by the large numbers attending the event. The creation of the scoreboard was an initiative of the previous Museum Director, Allan Winn, and it was always intended that it should be a working exhibit. Recreating the golden era at Brooklands sometimes presents challenges as Health and Safety requirements were somewhat lacking in the 1930s, but I think all those who attended would agree the efforts of Malcolm and his team were extremely worthwhile.

Moving into our second decade presents an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come and how we maintain that momentum. This was the thinking behind our Fit for the Future workshop, held at the end of November. The Committee met in January to discuss the next steps and I prepared a summary of our conclusions for consideration by the Trustees at their meeting at the end of January. There was a broad consensus among both groups that we have identified the challenges facing us.

There are too many to list them all, but the top three are: reduce ‘churn’ and maintain membership at all levels, with an emphasis on young and family members who are currently less likely to renew; keep membership benefits relevant and attractive to all; and support the Museum strategy.

There are a variety of volunteer roles to suit a wide range of experiences and skills. Current Volunteers will be on hand to talk with and explain more about what is involved.

Frank Thaxton, a new Volunteer Steward, said: ‘I’ve really enjoyed my first year as a Volunteer. Everyone has been great and Brooklands is a such a friendly place. All of my visitors love it!’

Anyone interested in finding out more and what role might suit them is welcome at the informal Recruitment Coffee Morning. Entrance to the Museum to prospective volunteers is free and tours of the Museum will be available.

If you are unable to make it but interested in volunteering, contact Volunteer Manager Sue Lewin on: 01932 857381 ext 242; or email: suelewin@brooklandsmuseum.com

Sue Lewin

In order to deliver the change required, we identified several things that we could do as a Committee. The principal suggestions were to establish working groups for key areas, include time within formal agendas for new ideas, and put membership recruitment and retention at the top of our agenda. We also need to recruit younger committee members, change the timing of meetings to suit those who work, and hold ‘wash-ups’ after events to consider how they could be improved. I will keep you informed of our progress.

One of the suggestions is that we recruit younger Committee members and I mentioned this before the 2019 AGM. Any doubts that I had about whether anyone reads the Chairman’s Message were dispelled as I had a very positive response, with several members expressing interest in standing for the Committee. Unfortunately, these were all received after the closing date for applications.

This year, the AGM is being held at Brooklands on Wednesday 15 July, so please bear this in mind if you are applying to stand for election. While all members are welcome to apply, it would be helpful if you could indicate what skills and interests you would bring to the Committee. As well as the issues of age and gender imbalance, aviation is under-represented. Please contact Kevin Lee, our Secretary, if you are interested in applying. This year, the election will be conducted at the AGM, with voting by a show of hands by those present, but from 2021 we will be introducing an e-voting option so that all members can be involved in selecting members of the Committee.

Neil Bailey

Photo Competition Winners

The annual Members photo competition took place in the run up to Christmas and there were more than 150 entries for the adult competition. For the first time, we ran a junior competition for under 16-year olds which was judged by Lillian Spibey from the Sharp Shots Photo Club, who runs regular courses at the Museum for youngsters. Congratulations go to 10-year old Conor Jacobson for his picture of two toy cars on the Banking.

In the adult class, our judge was professional photographer Jason Dodd, who has run many courses at Brooklands for budding and improving photographers. All the pictures were submitted to

VSCC New Year Driving Tests

Jason anonymously, so he had no idea who the photographers were. The competition was open for any picture taken at or with a Brooklands connection over the previous year. The overall winner is one of the Museum’s staff members, Sarah Horsley, the shop manager. Sarah is a keen amateur photographer and when the VC10 fired up its engines at Dunsfold, she captured a great shot of the Napier-Railton setting off along the runway with water spiralling from its wheels. Runner-up is Toby Hockin with his moody shot of a volunteer’s TVR.

Congratulations to all our winners for 2019: Graham Thomas, John Retter, Gary Pocklington, John Clark, Michelle Good, Phil Johnson, Paul Bruton, Anthony Underwood and Ken Smith. The top eleven winning adult photos plus the junior winner appeared in the sold-out 2020 Members’ calendar and you can view all the entries on the Members online Flickr album.

Tim Morris

New award for Martin

A sunny crisp winter’s day greeted the Vintage Sports-Car Club for its annual New Year Driving Tests on 19 January. Perfect conditions for both competitors and spectators to enjoy the challenges set out over the Finishing Straight, Banking, car park and Test Hill by Clerk of the Course and Brooklands Members Secretary Kevin Lee. This year there was no overall event winner and the 47 entrants competed in four classes comprising Touring cars, Standard Sports-Cars, Modified SportsCars, and Cyclecars, Oddities and Light Car

and Edwardian Section (LCES). The emphasis was on having fun and, with such varied classes, competing against oneself as much as the opposition. The Modified Sports-Cars was by far the largest group featuring classic British marques such as MG, Riley, Morgan, FrazerNash and various Austin 7 specials.

Angelica Mainland, wearing a deerstalker hat, drove the yellow Peugeot Lockhart Special which has an unusual transverse leaf spring front suspension, while Mark Garfitt’s gorgeous Frazer-Nash BMW 319 was a reminder of the 1930s collaboration between these two companies. The class was won by Paul Compton in his 1934 Wolseley Aerees Special.

Alex Pilkington’s sublime 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 won the Standard SportsCar class. This class also included David Marsh’s Bugatti Brescia which sports a distinctive long tail, while Stuart and Camilla Pringle shared their lovely Amilcar GCSS. Neil Thorp won the Touring class with his 1934 Singer 9 sports coupe and Richard Wadham won the Cyclecars, Oddities and LCES class with his Austin Chummy.

Gareth Tarr

Martin Gegg has been awarded the inaugural Motorcycle Volunteer Award. The award was given to Martin for his outstanding contribution when he stepped in to organise the team’s trip to the Vintage Revival Montlhéry last year when Tony Baxter had to pull out unexpectedly at a late stage.

The new award is for a member who has put in an exceptional effort and Martin more than met that criterion. He was presented with the award by Tony Baxter at the Motorcycle Volunteers’ Christmas dinner.

Martin said: ‘I am honoured to be the first recipient of the award. The funny thing is, I heard about the idea of the award and then it all went quiet. Now I know why!’

Alisdair Suttie

Drive It Day is on 26 April and Brooklands is looking forward to welcoming two-, three-, four- and more-wheeled vehicles. Run by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, Drive It Day celebrates every type of historic vehicle and the UK’s transport heritage. Brooklands plays a key role in that heritage and is a popular destination for those taking part in Drive It Day. Entry to the Drive It Day parking for classic vehicles on the Museum site is through the Campbell Gate off Brooklands Road.

You don’t have to arrive in a classic vehicle to enjoy Drive It Day at Brooklands as the Museum will be open as normal. Usual admission prices apply to non-Members and the Museum will be open from 10am to 5pm.

Daisy drives again

You may have spotted a blue veteran car being driven around the Museum. This is the 1904 Siddeley, known as Daisy. It is a significant part of the motoring collection as it originally belonged to Ethel Locke King and was one of the first cars to be driven around the completed Brooklands track in 1907.

Daisy was acquired from Ethel Locke King by Hugh Curling Hunter in 1939. Hugh was a keen racing driver who competed on many race circuits including Brooklands and

owned a range of competitive cars.

There have been many London to Brighton Veteran Car Runs completed by Daisy, with the last entry in 1969. Since the opening of the Museum 30 years ago, Daisy has been entombed in a special glass enclosure in the Campbell Shed on the strict instructions from Hugh Hunter’s estate that it was not to be touched.

In 2017, Daisy was bequeathed to the Museum which meant that sympathetic preservation could begin.

The preservation work was completed towards the end of 2019 and Daisy could be started and driven, which means that it was 50 years since it had moved under its own power.

Roger Horsfield

The Brooklands Outreach team will again be at the Shere Hill Climb, which takes place on 6 September. A Brooklands paddock will be available for visiting Members’ vehicles and those taking part in the non-competitive hill climb.

Shere Hill Climb attracts more than 200 classic cars, motorcycles and modern supercars. It is a charity event and we are delighted that Brooklands Museum is one of the causes that will benefit. The Shere Hill Climb takes place at Staple Lane, near Guildford on the North Downs from 9am to 5pm.

Angela Hume

Sultan of Oman dies

Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman died on 10 January, 2020 aged 79. He gave his Vickers VC10 to Brooklands in July 1987 so visitors could experience the aircraft and he was a benefactor of the Museum.

More than a million visitors to Brooklands have enjoyed the Sultan’s VC10 with its glimpse into the luxury of royal airline travel. The VC10, registered G-ASIX, first flew from Brooklands on 17 October, 1964 and its final flight was when it returned to Brooklands. It has recently had a thorough wash and a programme of restoration will begin when repainting work is completed on the Vanguard.

Shân Hughes

Senna McLaren returns

Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/6 Formula 1 car has returned to the Museum’s Jackson Shed after being on loan for a display. This loan was in conjunction with the Senna Foundation and the car was away for almost a year.

Returning the MP4/6 to its position in the Jackson Shed required precision and skill from the Volunteer team. It is now back on display.

Andrew Lewis

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museum updates

Director’s Message

2020 got off to a great start with the New Year’s Day Classic Gathering. I was working up on the Campbell Gate helping to get everyone on site as quickly as we could. It was great fun welcoming Members and other visitors in their wonderful cars, motorcycles and other vehicles.

The beginning of the year has been busy with preparations. We are working on some new signage and wayfinding which will be installed for the summer and we are planning a bigger, better version of the Brooklands fete for the summer, this year with a VE Day Second World War theme.

We are also starting to make plans for the Museum’s long-term future. This was the focus of the Trustees’ away day in January and, following on from their discussions, we are appointing architects to create a masterplan for the site and help us identify the next major area of the Museum to develop. Once the architect is selected, we will be asking Members, visitors and volunteers to share their thoughts about the Museum’s future.

In February HRH Prince Michael of Kent visited the Museum to unveil a statue of Alcock and Brown, the first people to cross the Atlantic non-stop, which they did in a Brooklands-built Vimy. This is the subject of the First to the Fastest exhibition which the Members funded last year. The statue is on loan from Heathrow and we were delighted to be joined by Chris Garton, the Chief Operating Officer and by Tony and Anne Alcock, niece and nephew of John Alcock.

We look forward to seeing you at the Museum soon.

Tamalie Newbery

Learning and Participation

As we move through the Spring term of the 2020 school year it is an opportune time to reflect on what we have achieved. In 2019 we welcomed more than 13,000 children to take part in organised school visits. Primary school children took part in Guided Tours of Aviation and Motoring, scientific workshops, self-guided trails and activities centred around Brooklands’ history such as the Meet an Aviation Hero workshop. Secondary school students participated in Engineering Taster Days, Snapshots of History, It’s an Ingenious World guided tours and Inside Track, our STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) focused careers day for young girls. The next is a conference-style day when students and their families can learn more about different careers in STEM on 28 May.

Schools were able to explore the Aircraft Factory, Motoring Village and Stratosphere Chamber, among other exhibitions. We have also developed and delivered a sensorial story telling workshop specially designed for Special Educational Needs and Disability schools.

We visited Teen Tech in November to promote the Museum’s learning events and ran an activity where students made a stopmotion film featuring Brooklands’ famous aircraft, building on the popularity and significance of the First to Fastest exhibition. Teen engagement has also been targeted through the relaunch of the Brooklands Museum Youth Panel, a program where teenagers gather to work towards making new friends, gaining new skills and making the Museum more relevant to their peers.

Holiday learning activities soared in 2019. The August Summer Fete saw families write and create their own impromptu puppet show, make your own puppet craft activity, and a successful series of interactive storytelling sessions held on a double-decker bus from the London Bus Museum.

Our monthly Mini Aces Club continued to positively impact children aged 0-5, one highlight being where the Mini Aces, after constructing cardboard wings to become a fleet of aeroplanes for the morning, made a trip to the Factory to make a metal plane. It was a truly wonderous and charming experience for all children and parents.

For 2020, we are launching our newly developed foundationstage workshops to nursery schools, beginning with the Wheels on the Bus in February. This is an engaging and exciting workshop where children learn about shape, colour and materials through tactile exploration, puzzles and singing together.

We will also be running another Twilight Opening on the 28 February with new activities developed by the Learning team. We have more than 150 Cubs and Scouts from the local areas currently booked to attend and are looking forward to another fun event. There’s another of these events on 24 April.

Currently, we are looking to recruit more volunteers to assist in delivering the many activities mentioned above. Full training is provided and if you are interested in volunteering please contact our Learning Officer Laura Barclay on: lbarclay@ brooklandsmuseum.com

Laura Barclay

1922 Bentley 3/5.3 Litre With Vanden Plas Style Coachwork £350,000.00

1927 Bentley 4½ Litre Le Mans Style Tourer £450,000.00

1926 Bentley 3 Litre With Vanden Plas Style Body £300,000.00

1931 Bentley 8 Litre Sports Tourer. £1,100,000.00

1924 Bentley 3/5 Litre Le Mans Style £550,00.00

1929 Bentley 4½ Litre H.J. Mulliner Saloon £1,100,000.00

1926 Bentley 3 Litre Weymann Saloon by Gurney Nutting £320,000.00

1924 Bentley 3/4½ Litre Vanden Plas Style Tourer £230,000.00

The past three months have seen continued progress improving many areas of the Museum’s Estate, especially supporting major events as well as assisting all other departments when required, such as installing (then later felling and recycling) the largest Christmas tree seen in the Paddock for many years!

Latest improvements performed by our Estate team include replacing a significant number of missing blanking caps on the Pedestrian Entrance’s 1990s Bailey Bridge using volunteer David Seager’s 3D printing facilities, redecorating the Volunteers’ crew room in the Dunlop Mac’s workshop and repainting the large white wall used for presentations in the Vickers Building.

Other noteworthy tasks include a trial excavation of the Clubhouse’s original stepped brick and concrete footings, exposing these probably for the first time since 1907. We’ve repaired more potholes on paths and roadways, replaced the Clubhouse’s first floor kitchen’s main extractor fan and, in anticipation of recent very high river levels, cleared access to two main storm drain outlets on the river bank.

Additionally, contractors were recently brought in to replace several defective drain pipes on the Clubhouse and Strat Chamber which had leaked rainwater into adjacent parts of these buildings. Other specialists carried out asbestos surveys in the Clubhouse and Fire Test Chamber workshop, and restored Sky TV to the Members’ Bar and Napier Room by replacing the roof-mounted dish.

Event preparations chiefly involved clearing autumn leaves from the Track

well as making available as much of the Banking and other areas of hardstanding as possible. Again, the significant contributions that our regular Estate

Volunteers and visiting corporate work teams make to this unglamorous but essential work cannot be underestimated and are hugely appreciated.

Mark Dover and Julian Temple

A Vickers wing stand being moved from the Members’ Banking to create more parking space for the New Year’s Day event.

Volunteers from GSK did a great job of clearing leaves on the Finishing Straight and Members’ Banking.

The 1954 AEC Militant of Andy Lambert (second left) after servicing the mobile crane in the Fire Test Chamber workshop. and silt from adjacent drains, as

forthcoming events

2020 Events

The Events List is subject to change, so please check the website: www.brooklandsmuseum.com. Email events@brooklandsmuseum.com or telephone the Museum on: 01932 857381 for information. Test Hill, car rides and engine runs are subject to operational conditions.

March

15 Boundless by CSMA Autosolo on the Finish Straight. Open to drivers from 14-years old. Check website for price.

18 Royal Aeronautical Society: Vickers Tay Viscount – An Historic Shape Flies Again. 6.45pm and £2.50 entry donation in Napier Room. Alan Simmons outlines the Type 663 and the challenges of recreating it in model form.

22 Mini Day. 9am-5pm. All types and ages of Mini welcome and the Test Hill will be in action. Check website for details.

15 Royal Aeronautical Society. 6.45pm and £2.50 entry donation in Napier Room. Talk by Ian Smith, former Chief Flight Engineer BA Concorde fleet and Technical Advisor for Brooklands Museum Concorde simulator.

17 Whadd’ya Know… We’re In Love! Music, theatre and comedy for all the family with David Mounfield, Amy Sutton and Joshua Crisp. 8-10pm. Suitable for 7yrs and above.

Beaulieu Events

Booking form on website and must be returned with a cheque made payable to National Motor Museum Trust Ltd. Send to Theresa Browning, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, SO42 7ZN. Please enclose a SAE. Alternatively call Theresa on 01590 614792 to purchase tickets over the phone - £7.50 for Brooklands Members, £10.00 for nonmembers. Tickets will be emailed but can also be collected on the night. Payment must be made in advance. Evenings commence at 7.30 pm in the Collections Centre and finish around 10.00 pm. A pay bar is available for hot and cold drinks. Brooklands Members enjoy entry to the NMM at the discounted Group rate on non-event days.

March

21 Steph Jeavons Returns. Author, adventurer and journalist Steph Jeavons entertains with her experiences of leading the first-ever all-female group to ride from Kathmandu to Mount Everest Base Camp.

29 Mach 2 for Tea. Enjoy Mothers’ Day in Concorde style from 11am-4pm. £90 per person and pre-booking is essential.

April

5 London Bus Museum Spring Gathering. 10am-5pm. The South East’s biggest and best-loved bus show. Check website for details: www.londonbusmuseum.com

19 MG Day featuring British Marques Day. Includes Silver Arrows display and cavalcade in the afternoon.

26 FBHVC Drive It Day. 10am-5pm.

May

2 Auto Italia – Italian Car Day. 8.30am5pm. One of the biggest events of the year at Brooklands with hundreds of Italian cars and motorcycles.

April

18 The Petroliana Experience with Alan Chandler. Alan’s hobby of collecting petrol pumps, equipment and period advertising has helped him meet many people and write four books. He talks about his life and experiences.

Writing and Photo Courses

For each Writing Workshop, refreshments will be provided, but please bring your own lunch. £35 for Members, £45 for non-Members. Contact Virginia Smith on: 01932 857381; or email: virginiasmith@ brooklandsmuseum.com

2020

6 Easter Holiday Fun: Ready to Race. 10am5pm. Explore the science behind speed and have a go at getting a car prepared to race at Brooklands. We’re also running our car rides, pedal planes, Concorde Mini Tours and London Bus Museum rides round the local area.

16 Vintage Festival. 10am-8pm. Turn back the clock with vintage music, fashion and dancing. Vintage trade village for clothes, shoes, accessories, books and memorabilia, plus vintage Aircraft Fly-in. Games for all the family will be available. Check the website for more details closer to the event.

20 Royal Aeronautical Society. 6.45pm and £2.50 entry donation in Napier Room. Tony Buttler on the 1957 Sandys’ White Paper.

March 24 Writing Workshop: ‘Emotional Conflict’. 10.30am-3.30pm. Suitable for adults, this takes a look at issues readers care about led by author Adrienne Dines. Refreshments will be provided but please bring your own lunch. £35 for Members, £45 for non-Members. Contact Virginia Smith on 01932 857381 or email virginiasmith@ brooklandsmuseum.com to book

forthcoming events

March

20 Piano bar for Club Level Members. Chris Bass plays in the Clubhouse. 12.30-2pm. Lunch and refreshments as normal.

22-24 Two-night trip to Aston Martin, Morgan and British Motor Museum. A great opportunity to get your classic out for a drive or just enjoy the roads. Limited availability.

Talks

For Classic Talks contact: talks@ brooklandsmembers.co.uk; or by telephone 07880 670359. For the MotorSport Legends Series, go to brooklandsmuseum.com/members and follow links for online sales or call Tim or Sarah in the BTM Office: 01932 857381 ext 226. To check the food menu at each Talk please call: 07857 874456 (recorded announcement) available four days before the event.

Steve Clarke

27 Brooklands All Stars for Club Level Members. Trad jazz music in Members’ Bar and Bluebird Room. 12-3pm. Free for Club Level Members and guests.

April

7 Trip to Sewerage Cathedral, Crossness. Coach trip to the restored pumping station built by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. Leaves Brooklands at 8.30am, return 5pm. See website for more details.

21 Castle Combe Track Day. Events for cars and motorcycles. Email Angela Hume on: angela.humeuk@gmail.com

24 Piano bar for Club Level Members. Chris Bass plays in the Clubhouse. 12.30-2pm. Lunch and refreshments as normal.

Spring or Autumn: Possible Hill Climb. A number of Members have asked for a non-competitive, fun hillclimb. We are now talking to Shelsley Walsh to see if this is feasible

May

3 Go Goodwood self-drive car tour. One-day event. Includes tour of Goodwood House. Members: £90 per car (two people); non-Members: £95; solo cars or motorcycles: £50 or non-Members: £55.

March

12 Round the World with Elspeth Beard. Architect and motorcyclist Elspeth was the first Englishwoman to ride around the world. She won the Royal Institute of Architects award for redesigning Munstead Tower, Godalming.

26 Richard Seaman: A Race with Love and Death. Journalist and author Richard Williams in conversation with Simon Taylor about Seaman’s life.

April

16 Design and the Bristol Cars. John Hobbs discusses the evolution of this famous British car firm interspersed with the life story of his father and chief designer Dudley Hobbs who was responsible for almost all models between 1945 and 1976.

8 Outreach at RHS Wisley. We have been invited to put on a display of Pre-war cars at RHS Wisley for their VE Day commemoration. Please contact David Norfolk (BM Outreach) on: david.norfolk@outlook.com. Tombola donations can be left at Brooklands Museum Reception marked for Kelly Webb’s attention or handed to the Outreach Team at any event.

June 27-28 All About Evesham Touring Assembly weekend break.

May

21 Classic Talk: Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. Looking at the links between Brooklands

Learning and Participation

March 12 Mini Aces Under-5s Club. 10.30am-12.15pm. Two 45-miniute sessions starting at 10.30 and 11.15 in the Art Gallery. £2 per child plus normal admission prices for entry to Museum.

24 Writing Workshop: Emotional Conflict with tuition from Adrienne Dines. 10.30am-3.30pm. Please provide own lunch. £45 per person or £35 for Members.

May 14 Mini Aces Under-5s Club. 10.30am-12.15pm. Two 45-miniute sessions starting at 10.30 and 11.15 in the Art Gallery. £2 per child plus normal admission prices for entry to Museum.

30 Motorcycle Legends with Steve Parrish: Maria Costello MBE. Isle of Man TT racer talks about her career.

and the RHDR.

Wasteful Wallis Gwenda memories

me his opinion that Barnes Wallis - of course a very brilliant man - could be very wasteful of resources. Whenever he was hugely preoccupied with a major problem, Barnes Wallis would turn on a light over his office door as an instruction not to disturb him.

Dear Sir,

Further to my recollections of working as an apprentice at Vickers-Armstrong, I remember a former draughtsman called Reg (I don’t remember his family name). He expressed to

Wellington geodetics

Dear Sir,

Sometimes this light was on for weeks, even months. Apparently, during one period this light was on for more than a year. After which, when someone noticed the light was off, there was a stampede and long queue to seek instructions from him. After such a long time, Wallis had developed his highlevel designs on the projects in progress. The outcome was that much of the work that had been done during the previous 12 months had been superseded, therefore no longer required and was binned!

Best wishes,

Malcolm Reid

I liked last month’s article on ‘The Making of the Wellington’. It was really interesting and well illustrated. However, in the accompanying ‘Wellington Design’ panel, I think one design ‘hero’ has been overlooked. This is Trevor Westbrook.

Westbrook was the Weybridge General Manager. As stated, Barnes Wallis designed the geodetic structure to fulfil Rex Pierson’s design, and it was in that form that it first flew, but the Wallis fuselage had to be made as one big piece. This is nicely shown in the picture accompanying the article looking down the inside of the fuselage. However, this made it unsuitable for mass production and it fell to Westbrook to redesign the structure into a number of smaller geodetic panels (a top section of one was shown in the bottom right-hand image on page 23).

These panels could then be made in the surrounding ‘shadow factories’. The panels were then taken to the main factory where they were assembled into the Wellington. When asked to do this, Spud Boorer (Wallis’s right-hand man and founder member of the Brooklands Museum) says Westbrook replied: ‘He would get Wallis’s geodetics to work provided Wallis did not interfere.’ George Edwards (later Sir George) said had it not been for him (Westbrook) and his assistant Jack East nobody would have ever built a Wellington.

Best regards,

Roger Radnedge

MG’s return

Dear Sir,

Gareth Tarr’s letter in the Jan-Feb Bulletin caused me to look up John Dugdale’s book, which he referred to, and in particular John’s own racing experiences at Brooklands in his 1936 N-type MG. He shared this car with, and later sold it to, Rivers Fletcher. It was in 1990 that the car, having been ‘unearthed’ by Will Corry, MG Car Club Chairman, was brought by him to Brooklands,

Dear Sir,

The article on Gwenda Stewart makes very interesting reading. In the Montlhéry book by Bill Boddy, he mentions my father, Fred Cann, as Gwenda’s mechanic. While in France, my father was often called Jean as they found it easier to say and his name was actually Frederick John Cann.

If I remember correctly, he was in France for seven years with Gwenda before returning to England. While working in France, he met and married my mother before returning to England with Gwenda before the war. He became General Manager at Brooklands Engineering and I remember him telling me that he taught Gwenda how to work the machines so that she could help the war effort. You probably know this already, but I remember my mother telling me that Gwenda used to strap up her chest when racing - obviously the track surfaces made for a very bumpy ride.

Another note, although nothing to do with Gwenda, but my grandfatheranother Fred Cann - was the gate man at Brooklands during the years the track was in use as they lived in Brooklands Road but sadly I never knew him as it was before my time!

Kind regards

Yvette Bolton

where it was driven by both past owners. I was lucky enough to witness this historic event, since Dugdale was my wife’s stepfather and I worked at Farnborough, near enough to drive over during my lunch break.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Maitland

Trevor Westbrook redesigned the Wellington’s geodetic panels to be smaller and easier to assemble.

Barnes Wallis could lock himself away when working on high-level projects.

Gwenda Stewart was taught how to operate machines during the war by Fred Cann.

NEW YEAR’S DAY GATHERING

Brooklands’ New Year’s Day Gathering has become a must-do event for many classic car, motorcycle and other vehicle owners. It’s now the biggest event of its type on the 1 January in the UK. With 7000 visitors this year, improved access and catering meant smaller queues for the 1250 cars and bikes that squeezed into every available space. There was something for everyone, from Fords to Ferraris, Minis to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Whatever your motoring tastes, it was the best way possible to start 2020.

Words: Tim Morris, Gareth Tarr Photos: Tim Morris, Julian Nowell, Gareth Tarr and Mike Venables

1 Bentley has produced many special cars and the 8-Litre is one of the most sought after. This example owned by Chris Kingsbury (chassis YM 5043) was parked outside the Clubhouse and sports a splendid replica Gurney Nutting body, the car originally having sedanca de ville coachwork by Carlton. John Rees bought YM 5043 in 1961 but it took a further 43 years to get the chassis re-bodied to its current style. The results were worth the wait.

2 Frank Costin was a renowned aerodynamicist who worked in Formula 1 in the 1950s for Lotus and Vanwall. It’s little wonder that when he designed his own road car, the Costin Amigo, it was light and slippery. Owner of this 1968 example, Clive England, knows Brooklands well as he was the architect responsible for the relocation, restoration and rebuilding of the Bellman Hanger.

3 The Armstrong Siddeley Special Six limousine by Hooper parked in the Paddock carried two unusual flags: an old version of the Italian Tricolour including the Savoia coat of arms and the pre-1994 South African flag. Owner John Stoodley explained their relevance as the car had been bought in Geneva by an Italian count in 1935. The count was the ambassador to South Africa and took the car with him. John’s father recovered it from South Africa in the 1980s and it has covered only 20,000 miles from new.

4 Volkswagen or Porsche was the obvious question, but owner Mark Reynolds explained his 1951

Stuttgart-built Dannenhauer and Stauss was a mixture of both. Around 60 of these cars were built between 1950 and ’57 with a 1300cc engine by Okrasa. The dashboard carried a red badge warning ‘Achtung –Dieses Auto ist mit einer Okrasa Hochleistungsanlage ausgestattet’. Sound advice no doubt.

5 Live music kept visitors entertained throughout the day.

6 A broad selection of classic motorcycles braved the chill to add to the variety of machinery on show.

7 It wasn’t just the adults having fun and this pintsized Bentley proves that point brilliantly.

8 Fabulous Cisitalia with barchetta bodywork hides a humble Fiat engine.

9 Low-slung Ford GT40 replica comes with an appropriate number plate.

10 Paul Thompson’s immaculate MG Metro.

11 This splendid 1966 Jaguar MkII 3.4 was driven to New Year’s Day by Members Laura Jackson and Vincent Hoar was parked opposite Concorde.

12 Caractacus Potts himself would be impressed with this new version of Chitty based on a 1933 Packard chassis and built in just four months by owner and former Member Tobias Ballard.

FULFILLING A CHILDHOOD DREAM

In French, Demoiselle means young girl or dragonfly and the tiny monoplane first designed by Santos Dumont in 1908 does look like a dragonfly. It was the inspiration for Julian Aubert to create his own as he explains.

Photos: Julian Aubert

First time the Demoiselle was being assembled in Julian’s garden in London. At the end, you can see the shed where the work started.

Iwas 13-years old when, on Argentinean television, I saw the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines made in the UK in 1965. One of the planes featured in the film was a replica of the Demoiselle of Santos Dumont (flown by a Joan Hughes). I was so thrilled by the film that I said to my elder brothers that one day I will build a Demoiselle. Nobody believed me, as one would expect, it was a kid’s dream after all.

The film awoke an interest in the Edwardian aviation period and my passion for aviation in general. When I was 17, we emigrated to the UK and during a visit to the Science Museum saw a model of the Demoiselle.

With a rather poor command of English, I made enquiries about the plane. Kindly the curator talked to me about the plane, its history and mentioned the

existence of the Science Museum Library. It was at the library that I started to read books from the period and where my interest in that particular period of aviation strengthened. In 1985, I bought a copy of the two A1 sheets of drawings for the Demoiselle and read articles about the plane.

Research

It is worth mentioning that before the Wright brothers made their first flight in 1903, there was a strong belief that heavier than air machines could not fly. The debate dominated a number of scientific forums of the period. Creativity was at the forefront with all sorts of designs, layouts and configurations being tried and tested. One of the most interesting aspects of the period is perhaps that one person would design, build and attempt to fly his machine, without any knowledge as to how it would behave. Unthinkable in today’s world.

Years went by and life presented other priorities. Before getting married, I told my wife about my dream of building a Demoiselle and my intention to fulfil it. She agreed to it for her sins!

According to the research, there was the original Demoiselle that Santos built at the Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace in Paris. I thought it was really important to see it and find out exactly how the ‘original Demoiselle’ looked. We didn’t have a lot of money and, at the time, our only means of transport was an old small motorcycle and with it we went from London to Paris.

When I saw the Demoiselle, a big disappointment. I was convinced that it was not the original Demoiselle. The plane exhibited could not have been built by Santos Dumont. There were a number of refined details in Santos’ Demoiselle that were not present in the one exhibited. For example, it had pedals to control the rudder instead of a small wheel on the left-hand side, round tubes instead of oval

Working in the Annex of the Wellington Hangar. Strut number 1 is taking shape as Julian could then assemble the front section of the fuselage and measure properly.

Taking the Demoiselle to Brooklands for Mike to inspect and lots of other parts in the boot and rear seats.

tubes, a central control column instead of one on the right-hand side for the elevator and one behind the pilot’s seat for the wing warping mechanism. The wings had profiled ribs made out of wood instead of simply bent bamboos. The fuselage was longer than the original and the strut designs differed from the original. King posts with landing wires were added, something the Demoiselle didn’t need nor had, among other significant differences. While at the library of the museum, the more I read the more convinced I was the information provided appeared to be tailored to mislead visitors who did not know much about the Demoiselle. At one point, I saw a photo of Santos in the Demoiselle displayed at the museum in flight. After close examination of the photo, it was clear that the plane was hanging from a wire.

Disappointed by my experience in Paris, I decided to contact John Bagley, the curator of the Science Museum in South Kensington, London. I explained what happened and that I thought we ought to write a letter to the French museum. I felt strongly that it was wrong to tell the general public something that was not right. John said there are many exhibits that may not be exactly right and gave me the example of the Apollo Spacecraft at the Science Museum. On that basis, he felt it was wrong to intervene.

A bigger challenge

Faithful to my principles, I decided to write a letter to the Director of the French museum. In the letter, I asked if he could confirm whether or not the plane was the original. A number of details explaining why I was questioning its authenticity were outlined. A couple of weeks later, I received a reply from the Vice-Director, stating that

indeed I was right, the exhibited plane was found in a factory during the 1920’s. It is believed to be a prototype of the original design for a production run, which did not take place because of the First World War. After the war, aviation advanced so much that it was of no interest to build this plane. At the same time, he insisted that it is the only original that exists in the world. I agree that it is an authentic reproduction of the period but it remains an interpretation of the Demoiselle, not the one that Santos designed or built, let alone flew. Being a prototype for a production run justified the removal of a number of refined features of the Santos original design.

A couple of weeks after receiving the first letter, a second one arrived. This time from the Director of the Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace in Paris. In his letter, he stated the aeroplane displayed is the original and only one in the world. He also sent a small booklet explaining the history of the Demoiselle and Santos Dumont, in case I wanted to learn something about the plane. This letter incentivised me to write another letter enclosing the response of the Vice-Director including an explanation as to why the answer of the Vice-Director was consistent with my research. It goes without saying that a reply was never received.

Over time, I came to the conclusion that neither the original Demoiselle nor a reproduction of the period existed. Remember, Santos didn’t patent his designs and encouraged others to build his designs. To some extent, this made me question my project. On the one hand, it made it a bigger and more interesting challenge than I originally thought but on the other I didn’t have any reference to see exactly how it was designed and built. When the Demoiselle was made, photography was

Prince Michael of Kent was intrigued by the Demoiselle.

Fabric work starts, mother and daughter collaborating on the task Caroline Winter happily working on the covering of the tail section.

in its infancy, information was limited and records about the construction details scarce. If I built a version of the Demoiselle, faithful to that designed by Santos, would the public be aware of it? Would anybody care?

Where do I start?

It was December 1995 and we were expecting our first child when, with the agreement of my wife Kareen, the construction started. But, how do you go about building an aeroplane? I am an economist by training not an engineer.

Contacting the Popular Flying Association (PFA) and explaining my intensions was a good starting point, I thought. Not only would the PFA give me advice but also encourage me.

When the PFA saw the project, it was clear that there was no way they would give me a permit to fly ‘an aeroplane made out of bamboo’! A recommendation was made to make a replica of the replica made for the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. However, I wanted to build something faithful to the original and

this was the last push and incentive to go ahead with the project. Challenges give me energy, motivation and determination.

The tail was relatively easy to build, principally made of garden bamboos. While building it, I realised it had an intricate crucifix linking it to the fuselage, allowing the tail, consisting of elevator and rudder in unison, to move in all directions.

Once the tail was completed, it was time to move on to the fuselage, which is made of bamboo longerons and mild steel oval tubes brazed together. A friend talked to me about Nuneaton college, which provided car restoration courses. I registered but I could not do the complete course because I was working full time in London. My boss would allow me to take days off to go to Nuneaton to braze struts. Going very early in the morning, I would spend the whole day at the college welding as many pieces as I could. By the time I went home, I had the impression I was floating probably from the oxyacetylene welding gas.

Eventually a place was identified in Haywards Heath where bamboos could be bought. Typically, bamboos were sold for furniture making. It was a major discovery as the internet barely existed at the time. I asked if I could select the bamboos myself and I carefully looked at many but selected only a few.

Gerry discussing alternative ways of covering the centre section.

Heavily modified DAF engine kindly given by John Penney is fitted to the Demoiselle.

Soon, the aeroplane was growing in the back garden shed, but space was running out. There was a replica Demoiselle at Brooklands Museum, but rather different to the original as it was made of steel tubing. After contacting Julian Temple, former Curator of the museum, it was agreed for Edwardian aviation expert Mike Beach to assess my project prior to Brooklands’ acceptance.

Faithful design

Meeting Mike in April 1996 was fascinating. My wife was heavily pregnant by then (Constance was born in May), but she helped me to assemble the fuselage section of the plane at Brooklands for Mike to inspect. Mike was very pleased to see how it was being built and he complimented the construction of the tail because it was faithful to the original

design. On that basis, the project was accepted by Brooklands, which meant that I would have a bit of space to continue with the construction in the former annex of the Wellington Hangar, which flooded from time to time.

Mike and I developed a sound relationship and he became a formidable mentor. Often I would go to Mike’s house to show bits made and he would send me back to re-do them with lighter material or a slightly different shape. In the end, there were probably more than two Demoiselles built if we consider the number of parts that were remade. Mind you, Mike was very knowledgeable and his advice was invaluable.

Eventually, we had to do the fabric work on the plane, so I asked Brooklands’ volunteers for help and they suggested Gerry Winter, who was the former team

leader for the construction of the SE5 replica at Brooklands among other roles. By then Gerry had stopped being a volunteer but I managed to persuade him to work on the Demoiselle. Gerry and his daughter, Caroline, were very happy to meet up at Brooklands in the evenings to work on the fabric. It was challenging during the winter, requiring many tea breaks. My wife Kareen and daughter Constance were also part of the working team at weekends.

The subsequent challenge was the engine, originally built in 1909. Only a handful were ever made, making it almost impossible to source. A compromise had to be achieved but it had to look right. Mike suggested a Douglas or the ABC Scorpion engine from the 1920s. After searching for a long time, I came across a DAF 44 (Variomatic) that has an interesting flat twin air-cooled engine. Having spoken to Mike about it, he mentioned that a friend of his, John Penney, had modified a DAF to fit into a plane and that I should contact John with a view to finding out the modifications he made. Following a visit to John in South Wales, I realised the complexity of the modifications and decided to advertise in the PFA magazine for a flat twin engine. John saw the advert and kindly offered the engine to me, all I had to do was to pick it up. He loved the Demoiselle project and not only did he give me the engine but also made the propeller currently fitted to the plane.

In March 1999, we carried out the first engine run on the Demoiselle, meaning the project was completed in three years and three months. It is thanks to Brooklands’ support, its volunteers and passionate aviators that my dream was accomplished.

John Penney brings the propeller, which we fitted and take a moment to enjoy our work.

First engine run, March 1999. Tony holding the wing, Gerry the tail, Kareen and I enjoying the propeller wash and Caroline is the photographer.

RETURN TO RACING

Martin Gegg looks at contemporary reports for the first official Brooklands race meeting after World War One and reports on the highlights.

In August 1914, the roar of racing was replaced by the sound of aircraft after Brooklands was taken over by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) for the duration of World War One. The track fell into some disrepair and contemporary reports blame RFC lorries for the damage. However, there were already some issues with the track, possibly related to the speed and novel nature of the building project. Pictures published in January 1920 show large cracks to some of the slabs and grass growing from the joints. The newly formed Royal Air Force handed back Brooklands and undertook repairs to the track, but it was not until March 1920 that repairs were complete and the circuit was ready for racing. Those attending would have noticed some changes since 1914. The original Itala Motor Works close to the Fork had been replaced by the Vickers sheds which were soon to become an iconic focus for so many photos. The Old Blue Bird café, used as an Officers’ Mess, was no more, having burnt down in 1917. Lindsay Lloyd, now a Colonel, was back as Clerk of the Course.

Racing resumes

In March 1920, the British Motorcycle Racing Club (BMCRC) opened entries to the Easter Monday Meeting to be held on Bank Holiday Monday, 5 April, with practice available from Thursday 1 April. This was to be the first racing on track since two small events open to Service Personnel and a Royal Aircraft Factory meeting in 1915. It was significant that from 1920, motorcycles were no longer included in Brooklands Automobile Racing Club (BARC) events, although this first event was to include the Essex Handicap which was a car event run by the Essex Motor Club.

The premier race was to be the Victory Handicap open to all classes of motorcycles followed by seven other races. On the day, people queued for half a mile in the pouring rain only to be told the racing

Photos: Brooklands Museum Collection

Jack Emerson on the 398cc ABC. He went on to win the Victory Handicap on this bike at Brooklands that was run over 8 miles and 842 yards.

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Behind

had been postponed. Angry members of the BARC demanded to be admitted and they and public spectators were granted free entry to the site to view the vehicles on show in the paddock. The rain eased and in the afternoon the crowds were treated to a demonstration run of car versus motorcycle.

Major Jack Woodhouse, a well-known hill climber and racer riding a twin-cylinder MAG 1000cc eight-valve Matchless was up against Captain Malcolm Campbell driving his four-cylinder Lorraine-Dietrich, the first of the Blue Bird cars.

Both vehicles were brought up to a rolling start at 30mph and then timekeeper, AV Ebblewhite, riding in a car lowered the flag to commence the race. Almost immediately, Campbell’s car left the Matchless trailing, making Campbell victorious in this first race back on the track in a time of 2mins 5.5secs at an average of 78.90mph. Woodhouse finished in 2mins 14secs at an average speed of 73.01mph.

Afterwards, Campbell drove his 2.6-litre Talbot in a race against George Bedford’s Hillman. These races were not quite the spectacle the crowds were expecting, but were some consolation for the long wait in the rain.

Racing fans were back at Brooklands on the following Saturday, 10 April. This time the weather was dry and at just before 2pm, 20 riders, motorcycles, owners and mechanics gathered in the paddock before making their way to the fork for the first of 11 races. The Victory Handicap for solo motorcycles was 8-miles 842 yards and consisted of two laps to the Fork and a finish on the straight at the grandstand.

Early pace was shown by late entry Violet Longden on a 3 ¾ hp Douglas, while Jack Woodhouse on the much larger 1000cc Matchless-MAG struggled to make up the 12 second handicap. OM Baldwin on a Matchless and E Kickham on a Douglas had mechanical problems on lap two, while SF Garrett riding an Indian prematurely entered the finishing straight. He reported he had spark plug problems, but did he miscount the number of laps? We may never know.

The hero of the day was Jack Emerson riding a 398cc ABC, who was able to maintain a steady speed throughout to win this first official race well ahead of WA Jacobs and GJ McIntosh riding Singers.

The next race was heat one of the Essex Short Easter Handicap, a three-lap race for cars driven by members of the Essex Motor Club. This was won by Malcolm Campbell and the Lorraine-Dietrich after the leader G Bedford in a Hillman forgot to turn onto the

The Winning Motorcycle

ABC Motors, original a Brooklands company based in the flying village, moved to Hersham in 1914. During WW1, ABC’s Granville Bradshaw, a prolific inventor, was involved in the war effort working on aircraft engines, pumps and generators. However, Bradshaw was constantly looking ahead and still found time to conceive a new motorcycle. By 1919, Bradshaw had developed a revolutionary 398cc overhead valve engine with horizontally opposed, detachable cylinders, unit four-speed gearbox and leaf-sprung frame and chain drive. These elements were well ahead of their time, with innovations borrowed from aircraft engines, such as the one-piece cylinders with machined fins. Emerson tested the stripped-down racing version of this motorcycle at Brooklands during August 1919 before competing at the Weston-super-Mare Speed trials where he achieved a top speed of 70mph. Ironically, the innovative leaf springs had to be bound during these runs to dampen their action.

finishing straight on the final lap. An AustroDaimler driven by WD Hawkes was second, and third was the Sunbeam of EL Meason. The second heat was won by BS Marshall in a Mathis. Leonard Beadle, driving a Waverley, was the winner of the final, with Marshall second and Campbell third.

Captain Jack Woodhouse on the Matchless with an 8-valve 1000c MAG engine. He struggled to make up a 12-second deficit in the Victory Handicap race.

The Paddock before the Victory Handicap race in 1920 shows the number and variety of motorcycles competing

Bedford’s error in the heat of the Short Handicap led to a stripped timing gear pin during his extra lap and a frantic rush to prepare the car for the Essex Long Handicap heats which were timed to begin just 20 minutes after the start of the previous race. In this next race for cars, Bedford managed second behind Beadle, with Campbell now in his 2.6 Litre Talbot third. Heat two was won by LH Mander in a Mathis and the Talbot piloted by Campbell went on to win the final.

Emerson shines

We are told that one of the most exciting races of the day was the one-lap 500cc solo sprint. Once again, Emerson was punching above his weight on the smaller ABC, up against DR O’Donovan on a 490cc Norton. As previous record holders, they were the favourites and the crowds were reported to be cheering and banging on the railings as the two tiny specks appeared in the distance. As they slowly came into view, it was Donovan in the lead with the ABC close behind. With just 100 yards to go, Emerson broke cover and crept slowly

past the Norton to take victory, with VE Horsman a lonely third and a long way ahead of the trailing field.

The fastest race of the afternoon was the 1000cc Solo Sprint won by Jack Woodhouse and the Matchless MAG at 75.9mph. OM Baldwin on a Matchless was second and HR Harveyson riding an Indian third.

The last race of the day was the threewheeled handicap for motorcycles and sidecars and three-wheeled cars of any size. This was another three-lap handicap race with a finish on the straight and consisted of five sidecars and three Morgans.

Three of the sidecars failed to start and EB Ware in a JAP-powered Morgan won, followed by WD Hawkes in another Morgan. Osborne de Lissa piloting a Motosacoche sidecar had been over a minute ahead of the field to begin with, but only managed third. Fourth was EC Braganwath riding a Zenith combination.

The only remaining rider was DR O’Donovan, who we are told seemed out of his element, finishing slowly in last place.

All the big names were back at the track on 29 May for the second BMCRC meeting of the year. It featured the first senior, long distance race since World War One. Jack Emerson and the ABC were in fine form and contemporary reports said: ‘He put up a wonderful exhibition of consistent and fast racing’. After an hour and 20 circuits of the track averaging more than 64mph, he finished seven laps ahead of LE Pope on a Zenith. HR Harveyson on an Indian was third.

Brooklands Museum has acquired Emerson’s one-hour race trophy together with some albums and the crash helmet featured in the November- December 2019 Bulletin. This helmet bears the Douglas logo indicating that it may have been used after his ABC success.

Emerson’s One Hour Race Trophy won on 29 May 1920

The poor condition of the banking is clear to see in this 1920 photo, taken before the newly formed RAF had made some repairs

The 5 April meeting was cancelled due to heavy rain. This programme of the event still displays the postponed date.

BROOKLANDS BY BICYCLE

Brooklands has a long-running history with cycling that began with many of its pioneering racers and continues to the present.

The connection between Brooklands and cycling is one that runs deep.

Even before the track was opened in 1907, many of those drivers, riders and pilots who would go on to become highly regarded in cars, on motorcycles and in the air were competing on bicycles. In hindsight, the progression from bicycles to powered vehicles is obvious as so many young men and women looked to satisfy their desire for speed and competition.

Until the car became more established in the 20th Century, bicycles were the

fastest form of transport other than steam railway. Names such as Fournier, AV Roe, the O’Donovans and SF Edge all began on pedal cycles before graduating to machinery with more power than a pair of human legs. Early events held on the Continent showed the ability of British cyclists, such as Edge setting the 50- and 100-mile records on a tricycle and tandem tricycle. He then went on to score third place in the first Bordeaux to Paris race on 23 May, 1891. This was a gruelling 360-mile race between the Café Mazarin, Bordeaux to the Porte Maillot in the French capital. It was won by GP Mills in 26hrs

34mins, while Edge came home third in 30hrs 13mins.

With that kind of determination, it goes some way to explaining why Edge was able to go on to claim the 24 Hour record at Brooklands in the Napier, covering 1581 miles 1310 yards. He also continued to cycle as a means of keeping fit as motor racing grew more demanding on its drivers.

Two months after Edge’s record-setting run in the Napier, the first bicycle race was held at Brooklands. This was a 100-mile race with a massed start. This type of start had been banned for road racing in Britain since 1895, so there was a great deal of

Words: Bob French Photos: Brooklands Museum Collection/Bob French

SF Edge (far left) sits on the back of an Olympia tandem at the Crown public house, Selsey for the Whitsun Tour event in the early 1900s.

excitement surrounding the Brooklands race. Even so, there was a lots of criticism of the track’s surface and French former sprint champion Edmond Jacquelin said: ‘If a rider took to the centre of the track, he would find it remarkably harsh. If he took to the inner edge, the tyres would not last 10 laps.’ In the end, the winner was JH Bishop from the Beaumont Cycling club in a time of 4hrs 51mins 27secs.

Growing popularity

Cycle racing became a regular feature at Brooklands, but its heyday came in the 1930s. Between 1933 and 1939, there was an increased number of races each year. In that final year before the outbreak of the Second World War, there were 19 cycle race meets and the last was held on 27 August just days before war was declared. This was a 100km points road Race that was won by JT Manning of the Charlotteville Cycling Club in 2hrs 37mins 50secs.

Before that, Brooklands was the site of a 100km World Championship Trial race on 17 June, 1933. The World Cycling Road Race was due to be held at Montlhéry, France later that year, so it seemed a good idea to hold a race at Brooklands to select a British team. Organised by AV Jenner for the Charlotteville Cycling Club, the track took in the Outer Circuit and Test Hill on each lap to make a very challenging course.

The wet weather conditions made this race even harder for the competitors and the finish was fought between three riders. At the end, JJ Salt won in a time of 2hrs 55mins 53secs from WF Burl in second who was three lengths behind. Third placed H Sutton was only five lengths adrift of the leading pair.

Post-war cycling

While motor racing didn’t resume at Brooklands after the Second World War, cycle racing did make a return. It took until 1969 before it did reappear and this was down to Wallie Stimson of the Weybridge Wheelers cycling club. He approached Sir George Edwards of British Aerospace to ask if Brooklands would host a race as part of the annual Byfleet Parish Day with any profits going to charity. Sir George agreed and this 30-mile race was open to professionals. Reg Smith of the CarltonTruwel-Campagnolo team won in 1hr 6mins 30secs.

From 1971, the Brooklands race was opened up to amateurs alongside the professionals. By 1982, there were four races, comprising a Schoolboys 5.5-mile event, 4.5-mile Tricycle race that was won by a certain Bob French, a Ladies/Juniors/

SF Edge remained a keen cyclist when he became better known as a racing driver. Here he is with a Rudge-Whitworth bicycle.

An early Rudge using the ‘safety bicycle’ design that replaced the Ordinary ‘Penny Farthing’ to make cycling easier and faster.

Veterans and 3rd Categories 10-mile race, and a Senior Road Race over 35 miles.

Cycle racing came to an end at Brooklands in 1986, but the story doesn’t end there. In 1989, before the Museum opened to the public, local schools were invited to guided educational tours by Diana Bedford, the Education and Training Manager. These proved a great success and grew quickly. By 1996, 6000 school children visited the Museum that year and cycling played a key part in bringing their class studies to life.

Using different bicycles to demonstrate the progression of gears and gearing and the development of materials in manufacturing showed the progress from wood, through steel and aluminium to carbon fibre. It also helped with social history, charting how clothing has developed with cycling, as well as telling how bicycles evolved from being the preserve of the wealthy to cheap transport for the masses. It has also been useful for highlighting the need for healthier lives today as there were 10 bicycles to one car in 1920.

The Museum Collection includes a wide range of bicycles from very early models right up the latest machinery. It shows how cycling is woven into the fabric of Brooklands from its opening in 1907 and continues to the present day as the Prudential Ride London route passes the Museum.

Dan O’Donovan and his brothers were keen cycling competitors at Brooklands and went on to work in the cycling business in the 1930s.

The Napier-Railton outside Dunlop Mac’s workshop. Is that a young Gerald O’Donovan with his bike behind the car?

The Viscount was the first turboprop aircraft to carry passengers and the first test flight flew from Brooklands in 1948.

FLYING FIRST

The Vickers Viscount is one of the most important aircraft in post-war British aviation history and it is rooted in Brooklands. Even before the Second World War had come to an end, the Brabazon Committee was looking to the future of flying and a range of different planes to meet the needs of passengers on different routes.

Vickers-Armstrongs had followed the committee’s reports carefully and Rex Pierson, the company’s chief designer, had already discussed an aircraft to meet what became the Type II specification. There was also a call for a larger Type I, multi-stop Type III and jet-powered Type IV. Of all the planes designed to meet these briefs, only the Viscount, or VC2 as it was known in the earlier stages of its development, truly fulfilled the ambitions of the Brabazon Committee by selling in large numbers.

The initial design that Pierson and his team devised was for a 27-seat aircraft with a gross weight of 34,000lbs (15,455kg) and range of 1000 miles at a cruising speed of 300mph. While this was initially accepted by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, changing attitudes and fortunes in post-war Britain soon meant seating capacity was upped to 32 seats, and this would not be the last time the Viscount was extended during its lifetime.

Alongside these requirements, it was deemed vital the Viscount must have a pressurised cabin so it could operate above 20,000ft to be as economical as possible. This meant Pierson’s original

‘double-bubble’ fuselage design was abandoned in favour of a single circular fuselage with stressed skin and single spar wing. However, this also posed challenges where the doors and window openings were introduced, but Pierson’s team came up with elliptical cut-outs that solved the problem and also gave passengers a superb view out that helped to make the Viscount very popular with those who flew in it. While this work was pressing ahead, the government was still wavering between using Rolls-Royce Dart engines or Armstrong

Siddeley’s Mamba. In the end, the RollsRoyce unit’s reliability won out and Pierson got the engines he favoured so the Viscount became the first turboprop aircraft to be used on a passenger service. That was 70 years ago when an early Viscount Type 700 flew from London Northolt to Paris on 29 July, 1950. It also made eight trips between Northolt and Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival in August.

The Dart engine was ideal for the Viscount as Rolls-Royce made it more powerful just when Vickers-Armstrongs

The Viscount was the first turboprop aircraft to carry passengers and was a soaring success for Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands.

Words: Paul Rainbird, Alisdair Suttie Photos: Brooklands Museum Collection, Viscount Volunteers

The turboprop design used a Rolls-Royce Dart engine, which grew more powerful through the Viscount’s production span.

needed to make the aircraft longer and heavier to cope with more passengers. The company’s Chief Test Pilot Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers first tested a VC2 on 16 July, 1948 and reported how smooth and powerful the new turboprop engines were. This turboprop design uses a turbine rather than a piston engine to turn the propeller.

Yet development was moving on quickly. By early 1949, the V.700 Viscount could accommodate 43 passengers and had a cruising speed of 335mph. This recognised the wider appeal of flying to the public and the versatility of the Viscount’s design that it could be changed to suit these changing needs.

History of Brooklands’ Viscount G-APIM

The Vickers Viscount in Brooklands’ Aircraft Park is a 1958 V806 version. It was registered G-APIM and first flew from Brooklands on 4 June, 1958, making it the 50th of its type and one of the last Viscounts to be built. Originally named ‘Robert Boyle’, it went into service with British European Airways (BEA). However, it was stored for almost a year in 1969 before returning to work with BEA.

Late in 1971, India Mike as the aircraft is known for its call sign, became part of the Cambrian Airways fleet before this name was absorbed into the newly formed British Airways. In its BA livery, India Mike skidded off the runway after landing at Kirkwall in wet conditions in December 1977. Luckily, everyone onboard was unharmed and the aircraft suffered only minor damage.

India Mike was soon back earning its keep until it was retired by BA in 1982 and stored at Cardiff, where it was sold to British Air Ferries (BAF) in 1984. This was when G-APIM was rechristened Viscount Stephen Piercey in honour of the founding editor of Propliner magazine who was tragically killed at the Hanover Air Show at the age of just 26.

Now configured to carry 76 passengers, India Mike was still in service when a Shorts 330 lost hydraulic power while taxiing and collided with G-APIM at Southend. This destroyed the left-hand side of the Viscount’s nose and it was uneconomical to repair. Many serviceable parts were used to keep other Viscounts flying, but in June 1989 the aircraft was offered to Brooklands for preservation. BAF agreed to a long-term loan and between August 1989 and February 1990 the aircraft was dismantled and repaired by Proteus Air Services and then transported to Brooklands. As a result of being trailered through the Dartford Tunnel, India Mike is the only Viscount to have travelled both over and under the River Thames. It’s now cared for by Museum Volunteers and Friends of the Viscount Stephen Piercey.

This Type 818 Viscount was destined for Cubana with a 52-seat configuration.

Guests from Lufthansa are shown how the turboprop design works.

A Type 803 Viscount fuselage destined for KLM awaits pressure testing.

Page 2

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All of this was enough to convince British European Airways (BEA) to order 20 Viscounts. This was later increased to 26 aircraft and they had seating for between 47 and 53 passengers. The first production example of the Viscount, G-ALWE, flew in August 1952 and the Viscount entered full passenger service on 18 April, 1953.

It rapidly became a mainstay of BEA’s operation and this encouraged other airlines to follow suit, with orders from Aer Lingus, Air France, Capital Airlines, Trans Australia Airlines and Trans-Canada Airlines. By the end of its working life in 2009, the Viscount had served with more 60 operators in 40 countries.

This success was again due to Vickers-Armstrongs’ ability to adapt the Viscount coupled to the growing power of the Rolls-Royce Dart engines. A V800 version that could take 86 passengers was mooted, but in the end Vickers found it easier to move the rear bulkhead back and extend the fuselage to carry 65 passengers.

In 1956, a new three-stage turbine Dart engine was introduced for the Viscount V806 and this is the model of Brooklands’ G-APIM aircraft. However, there was still more to come and Vickers launched V807, V808 and finally the V810. By the time the last Viscount was built in 1964 and sold to the national airline of the People’s Republic of China, the Viscount could cruise at 365mph and had doubled in gross weight.

By any measure, the Vickers-Armstrongs Viscount was a great success. It was the first turboprop aircraft to enter regular passenger service, became ever more efficient and sold in large numbers. In total, 444 Viscounts were sold to make it one of the most commercially successful aircraft ever produced in Britain and all were made at Brooklands.

Renovation of G-APIM

The work to keep Brooklands’ Viscount in good order is a nonstop job for the Volunteers who work on the aircraft. As well as maintaining G-APIM, affectionately known as India Mike, it has taken a huge effort to restore the aircraft since the Viscount arrived at Brooklands in February, 1990.

One of the first tasks was to repair the damage to India Mike caused by the collision that took it out of service when it was at Southend Airport. Many hours were spent by the Volunteers to bring the aircraft to a condition where it could be opened to the public. This included creating the display cabinets to show off the Viscount’s history.

Original seats were re-used for visitors to experience what it was like to fly on a Viscount. Outside, a set of period correct steps were sourced from Stanstead Airport and repainted in the original livery that India Mike’s passengers would have spotted when it went into service in 1958. The stairs have also been improved with a covered entrance to make it more pleasant for visitors if it’s raining. This also helps keep water out of the aircraft and preserve its condition.

The G-APIM cockpit interior panelling and pilot chairs had become very tired over the years. The team has replaced and restored much of the cockpit lining panels and had both of the crew leather seat covers restored and returned to original appearance.

To improve the visitor experience, team member Steve White redeployed a spare hi-fi unit, locating speakers within the nose and main undercarriage bays. This enables the playing of actual Rolls-Royce dart engine sounds.

The team also played an important part in the development of the new Aircraft Factory. They took the scrap forward fuselage section of a Viscount that had been donated to the museum, stripped it out, undertook the necessary corrosion restoration work, and fully repainted the unit as well as commissioning a display cradle.

Another just finished project was the restoration and use of a spare viscount rudder as a memorial to the recently deceased Ron Macdonald. Ron, a former Air Canada pilot, spent many years working in the Brooklands archives. He was a great friend to the team, spending many a happy hour with them. The result now sits proudly outside the Cosy Corner crew rest area.

The scale of the Viscount production line at Brooklands is clear in this image, with a Type 812 in the foreground.

Early in the build process for a Type 813 Viscount in June 1958. It went into service with South African Airways.

members’ matters

by Tim Morris

Busy year

Membership update

At the end of 2019, our membership showed a slight increase to 6321 Members. There has been a small change in the proportion of the different levels with Individual and Double increasing whereas the Club and Family Levels have both dropped slightly. For 2020, there has been an increase in Membership fees – see table. To offset this year’s increase, we have introduced a direct debit discount of £5 which has already proved popular. The Family Level has also been split to reflect modern family life to Family 1 and Family 2 with one named adult and two named adults respectively and consequent price differentials. We take quite a few answerphone messages in the office from people wishing to renew their membership and often find It hard to get back to members as they are not at home or are busy when we call. Please bear with us or try calling again.

It has been a great start to 2020 for the Members with an unbelievable 11 events already sold-out. That was on top of the 2880 members who came along on the fantastic Brooklands New Year’s Day event making up over 40% of the total attendance. The Fast-Track Members entrance worked a treat and there were hardly any delays in getting cars on site.

On the web

This year we have more than 40 events planned for you to take part in. Then there are the Museum events too, most of which are free for Members, the children’s clubs and other special events throughout the year. All of which you can enjoy as part of your Membership along with the bi-monthly copies of the Brooklands Bulletin.

BM.tv continues to film our talks events and you can now find a large selection on our Vimeo and YouTube channels. Latest programmes include a walkthrough of New Year’s Day, David Tremayne talking about his jet speed car, and a conversation with Elizabeth Wallis (Barnes Wallis’ daughter). There is also the commemoration service for the Battle of Heligoland Bight, a 1:4.5 scale Wellington bomber, and Carl Fogarty with Steve Parrish. Please visit the site and particularly the events pages where you will find all the latest updates and booking details.

We are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, although you will find Facebook has the most updates and traffic and is a great place to visit for any last-minute updates and news. Our monthly email newsletter continues and should arrive on the first day of each month. To see our videos, visit: www.brooklandsmuseum.com/brooklands-members/ archive/btmtv

Club Level £140 (DD £135)

Family 1 £60 (DD £55)

Family 2 £90 (DD £85)

Double £73 (DD £68)

Individual £47 (DD £45)

Members are reminded that membership cards are not transferable and should only be used by the named Member when visiting Brooklands in accordance with their Membership level.

members’ matters

A dead heat

Club Level members who have been renewing since December will have noticed a new style membership card. The front features an image taken from a painting by the artist and Member, Richard Wheatland, and we are grateful that he has allowed us to use it. The painting was commissioned for the Brooklands Society to commemorate the centenary of the track in 2007. It depicts the Byfleet Plate, which was one of the first races held at the circuit on 6 July, 1907 and run over just 10.3 miles. The race ended in a dead heat between Charles Jarrott’s 60hp Lorraine-Dietrich and Frank Newton driving Selwyn Edge’s 45hp Napier. The prize of 450 Sovereigns was shared equally between the two owners.

There were six separate races at that meeting: Marcel Renault Memorial Plate, Horsley Plate, Gottlieb Daimler Plate, Byfleet Plate, First Montagu Cup, and Stevenson Plate. The prize money was extraordinary for the time, with over £5000 being offered across the day’s races, where the maximum distance run was just 30.5 miles. Unsurprisingly, it attracted a large and varied entry including Mercedes, Napier, Darracq, Renault, F.I.A.T., Berliet, Itala and many more early

Unique benefits for Brooklands Members

manufacturers. The drivers had to wear coloured jockey’s smocks to identify them as it was thought unseemly to paint numbers on the cars. However, this was quickly abandoned under pressure from AV Ebblewhite, who would soon be the course’s official starter, as it was difficult to identify the drivers, though the committee insisted both smocks and numbers were displayed until 1914.

Following the dead heat finish of the Byfleet Plate depicted in this painting, Selwyn Edge issued challenges to be held at Brooklands. This was in response to controversy that his Napier had used an injection of extra oxygen to make the car put on a last-minute spurt to catch Jarrott at the line. Edge said that any car nominated by Jarrott with extra oxygen or not could be beaten by a Napier. Secondly, that a team of half a dozen six-cylinder Napiers could beat any team over 3, 20 and 100 miles. A £1000 stake was put up for each of these challenges later raised to £10,000. Despite the huge prize (around £1million in today’s money), nobody stepped forward to take on the challenge against the Napiers.

You can see more of Richard’s work at www.richardwheatland.com

Being a Brooklands Member not only supports the work of the Museum and preservation of the site and collections, it provides many unique benefits.

Here is a reminder to help ensure you get the most from your Membership:

• FREE entry into the Museum all year*

• Discount on the Concorde Experience

• Regular Bulletin Magazine and e-newsletter

• Special talks programme, rallies, dinners and social events

Don’t forget to visit the Members section of the website at www.brooklandsmuseum.com for all up to date Members’ information.

*During normal opening hours. May be subject to an extra premium for specific events

In Memory of....

Sadly, each issue we do lose some of our Members and we’d like to pass on the condolences of the Brooklands Members, Chairman and Committee to the families of the following who we have been notified have recently passed away.

• Mr Paul Hewitt who was a long-standing Member having joined in 1990.

• Mr Gerard Belton who was a Member since 2008.

• Mr Richard Baines from Weybridge who had been a Member since 2014.

• Mr David Ezekiel who had been a Member since 2017.

• Mr John English who was a Volunteer and Member since 2016.

• Mr Victor Bowles who was a Member since 2008.

Richard Wheatland’s painting shows the dead heat in the 1907 race. In the original image, Jarrott and Newton can be seen heading to the finish line side by side.

CALL FOR ENTRIES OPEN

The 8th annual running of the Shere Hill Climb charity event will see over 200 cars and motorbikes running up the hill including classic cars, vintage motorbikes and modern supercars.

The call for entries opens on 1st March and closes on 30th April 2020. Spaces are strictly limited and typically oversubscribed each year.

To apply for this year’s event visit sherehillclimb.co.uk after 1st March and tell us about your pride and joy.

GU4

A very modest celebrity

John Godfrey Parry Thomas was a very prominent figure at ‘the Track’ in its heyday. A pioneering engineer and fearless driver, he was also a celebrity and schoolboys’ hero despite being a private and modest person.

Sadly, Parry Thomas has rather fallen out of the spotlight, despite winning many races and setting numerous records. There are not many books that tell his story, which is why this one is important. It was first published in 1959 as Parry Thomas: Designer-Driver, probably a more accurate title. Because it was put together at that time, before there had been much else published on the history of Brooklands, it might seem a little lacking in photos by today’s standards. It has a fact-based rather than colourful narrative style as this was one of the first times these race and record results had been re-published since they happened, even Bill Boddy’s history of Brooklands had only been published two years earlier. However, now this book has been reissued by Pen & Sword Transport with clear typesetting and well reproduced drawings and photos in a traditional hard-backed binding.

Thomas really was at the heart of so much that happened at Brooklands. He lived at the Track in a bungalow called the ‘Hermitage’ that stood in what was the Flying Village, now sadly lost under redevelopment. Reid Railton had been his assistant at Leyland and what became the leading engineering firm at Brooklands, Thomson and Taylor. This had started as Parry Thomas’ own company, Thomas Inventions, where Railton had worked.

What people do know of Thomas today probably centres on his Land Speed Record car Babs, which at the time this book was written was still interred in the sand at Pendine. Thomas never made road cars and relatively few racing cars, but those that he did build and drive achieved a lot. He is buried in an unassuming grave in Byfleet churchyard, which seems fitting for this modest engineer who contributed so much to Brooklands.

An object lesson

Harry Sherrard is well-known for his talks at Brooklands and further afield on the Second World War. In this book, and as the title suggests, he picks 25 objects that he uses to illustrate how the summer of 1940 was so pivotal to the survival of Britain when faced with the threat of a Nazi invasion.

In less skilled hands, the device of using objects to discuss the story of this period of history could seem too obvious. However, Harry’s clear writing and vast knowledge of the topic shine through in each entry. He also chooses the objects with great consideration and many are not the ones you might first think of when looking at this part of the Second World War.

Another reason this book stands out as a solid introduction to the Battle of Britain and Operation Sealion is it also looks at some objects used by the Germans. This makes is a very fair assessment of the battle. Brooklands plays a big part in the book, just as it did in 1940. The Hurricane and Wellington both are included among the objects that make up this easy to read and enjoyable book.

Alisdair Suttie

reviews

Chris Bass

Parry Thomas – the first driver to be killed in pursuit of the Land Speed Record by Hugh Tours is priced £19.99. Published by Pen & Sword: ISBN 978-1-52675-922-1

The Battle of Britain and Operation Sealion in 25 Objects by Harry Sherrard is priced £10. Published by Harry Sherrard: ISBN 978-1-5272-4732-1

Brooklands Members

Members’ Administrator

Tim Morris 01932 857381 ext 226 members@brooklandsmuseum.com

Members’ Assistant Administrator

Sarah Dover 01932 857381 ext 226 Mon-Fri

Chairman

Neil Bailey 07970 206778 chairman@brooklandsmembers.co.uk

Secretary Kevin Lee 01932 562246 kevin@abbeywalls.com

Tours and Trips

Angela Hume 07884 184882 Angelahume@brooklandsmembers.co.uk

Outreach

David Norfolk 01372 373929 david@davidnorfolk.wanadoo.co.uk

Talks

Steve Clarke 07860 355525 steveclarke@brooklandsmembers.co.uk

Bulletin Editor

Alisdair Suttie 07768 372440 brooklandsbulletineditor@gmail.com

Contributors

John Axtell, Cliff Bolton, Nigel Brecknell, Peter Burton, Nigel Carter, Steve Castle, Steve Clarke, Debbie Crawt, Ken Day, Jason Dodd, Mike Forbes, Martin Gegg, Andrew Honour, Angela Hume, Georgina Lange, Stefan Lange, Sue Lewin, Andrew Lewis, Tim Morris, Julian Nowell, Alex Paterson, Jenny Pettit, Harry Sherrard, Paul Stewart, Gareth Tarr, Julian Temple, Mike Venables, Allan Winn

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01932 857381 ext 226 members@brooklandsmuseum.co.uk

Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN 01932 857381 Fax: 01932 855465 www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Brooklands Museum

Chairman Sir Gerald Acher CBE LVO gerryacher@brooklandsmuseum.com

CEO Tamalie Newbery ext 243

Director of Collections, Interpretation and Heritage

Alex Paterson ext 247

Volunteer Resources Manager

Sue Lewin ext 242

Heritage Estate Projects Manager

Julian Temple ext 240

Director of Learning and Participation

Virginia Smith ext 248

Curatorial and Archive Enquiries

Andrew Lewis ext 246

Chief Operating Officer

Amanda Squires ext 255

Head of Track and Air Events

Steve Castle ext 244

Events Manager

Donna Marshall ext 253 events@brooklandsmuseum.com

Concorde Bookings

ext 266

flyconcorde@brooklandsmuseum.com

Hospitality Sales Manager

Joanna Rodgers ext 251 hospitality@brooklandsmuseum.com

Marketing Director

Sam Hart ext 225

Email addresses are available on the Museum website www.brooklandsmuseum.com/about/contact-us

Beneath the new Flight Shed lies the stateof-the-art Museum Collections and Archive facility. The move of the collection from a less than ideal location has been taking place since the new building was handed over by the contractors in 2017. Items ranging from Second World War pilots’ helmets to engineering drawings have been painstakingly prepared before being catalogued, photographed and carefully packed. Contained within this purpose-built store, thousands of items from the mundane to those of national importance now sit safely and help tell the story of Brooklands from a variety of perspectives.

One particular area of shelving contains items closely associated with the Locke King family. These items will assist future generations to continue to build on the ever-increasing picture of this fascinating family and their association with Brooklands and beyond. Some items, such as the mirror belonging to Dame

Parking arrangements

Ethel Locke King, pictured, are everyday pieces, while others such as her wedding dress, which is too delicate to display, are unique and help to give us an insight into this important family.

The mirror carries the initials of Ethel’s maiden name, Ethel Gore Browne. EGB indicates that it was owned prior to her marriage, while the bag that accompanies it is embroidered with her married initials (ELK)..

Viki Beshparova, from the Curatorial Department, explains that the photograph of Ethel in her wedding dress held in the archive was taken around the date of her marriage to Hugh in 1884 by Dutch-born photographer Henry Van der Weyde. He was a painter and a pioneering photographer who became the first to use electric light in his London studio and a member of ‘The Linked Ring’ photographic society that championed photography as an art form in its own right from 1892 to 1909.

Please note that for all events marked ‘Parking in The Heights’, designated vehicles only can enter via the Campbell Gate, off Brookland’s Road. All other Members including Club level and visitors please park in The Heights or main public car park unless otherwise specified.

Parking arrnagements for other weekend events are:

Club level Members: entry via Campbell Gate and parking outside the Paddock. Period and classic vehicles only inside the Paddock by invitation. Please abide by staff directions.

All other Members and visitors: entry via main public entrance off Brooklands Drive.

This issue of the Brooklands Bulletin (incorporating The Spirit) is published on behalf of Brooklands Members, supporters of Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd, by Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton, Gloucestershire GL2 9LN. The statements and opinions expressed in the Bulletin are not necessarily those of the Brooklands Members’ Committee or Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd.

While every effort has been made by the Publishers to include correct information, they are unable to accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The Publishers, Brooklands Members and Brooklands Museum Trust Limited cannot accept responsibility in the event of misinformation or lack of source relating to images supplied by a third party by electronic or other means.

Charity number 296661. Please quote this if making donations or requesting them via a funeral director.

R OLLS -R OYCE AND B ENTLEY H ERITAGE D EALERS

“ Attention to Detail”

Concours condition. Maintained by P & A

for many years.

Concours condition. Maintained by P & A Wood for many years.

Concours condition. Restored by Fiennes

Great Easton, Dunmow, Essex CM6 2HD, England

Telephone: 01371 870848 Fax: 01371 870810

E-mail: enquiries@pa-wood.co.uk www.pa-wood.co.uk

B ENTLEY 4 ¼ L ITRE , 1937 G URNEY N UTTING 2 DOOR C OUPÉ

Restoration.

B ENTLEY 4 ¼ L ITRE MX, 1939 ~ T HRUPP & M ABERLY S EDANCA C OUPÉ

Wood

B ENTLEY 3 ½ L ITRE , 1934 ~ H OOPER 2 DOOR C OUPÉ

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