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Latest news and views and archive news from
the Society.
Click the buttons to read the articles!
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Latest Newsletter extracts, August/September 2000 |
| NEWS ARCHIVE SECTION | |
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The 1999 Annual Reunion - Press Release 1st August at the museum - click on the button for details. |
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The 1998 Dudley Gahagan Memorial Speed Trials The Brooklands Society Newsletter and correspondence - October 1998, including a 300 word account of this year's Sprint by RHT. Editor and secretary Graham Skillen.The final results are shown in the Sprint Entries section with photographs of many of the cars entered. |
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The Hennebique Bridge and The Track in the Broader Sense The Brooklands Society Newsletter and correspondence - May/July 1998 Editor and secretary Graham Skillen. |
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Goodwood Festival of Speed Notes from the festival |
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Cars, Cars, Cars at Goodwood '97 Notes about the cars |
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The Outer Circuit Specials The Outer Circuit cars |
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The Brooklands Society Marquee - 1997 A thank you to our sponsor and some personal notes! |
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Obituary - Dudley Gahagan - updated May 1998. One of the Society's founders and a lifelong enthusiast. |
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Goodwood Festival of Speed 11th and 12th June 1998 update - click here for the Goodwood Festival of Speed 1998 |
The 1997 Goodwood Festival
of Speed.
It rained - for the first time ever it rained at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Did it spoil our enjoyment? - well slightly of course but Brits really don’t mind rain all that much. In fact we do like humidity. Observe a Brit trying to jog a couple of miles at 7 a.m. on a June California morning and you will see a man dying of thirst. Being 6,000 miles from a pint of real ale doesn’t help of course but it probably has a lot to do with our still unbroken links with the primeval swamp - but lets keep Tory politics out of this.
Yes with the rain came the mud and by the time we packed everything up on Monday afternoon the grounds around beautiful Goodwood House were wrecked. The man who drove the tractor that pulled our caravan off the show ground said “you can’t kill grass - its still under there, but it is going to take a lot of hard work to put this lot right”. Our commiserations to our patron the Earl of March and Kinrara whose garden must now look like a mud and grass chess board. Hopefully we will be back to brilliant sunshine for next year.
Apart from the weather what are the memories? Stirling Moss of course, Emerson Fittipaldi, Michelle Mouton and what about that incredible Chapparal driven in person by Jim Hall - all grunt and suction storming up the hill like a giant vacuum cleaner - quite a sight and what a sound! Lots of fabulous cars, but you’ll read all about them in the magazines so we’ll stick to our Brooklands era.
Cars, Cars, Cars
Lucas Huni’s Napier Railton was there in all it’s glory, looking fabulous, and now in residence at the Brooklands Museum for the foreseeable future. Read about it in our Goodwood Newspaper.
Keith Schellenberg’s Barnato-Hassan Special; he was busy cleaning plugs on the Sunday and when I asked him if they normally gave trouble he replied that this was the first time he had taken them out in three years. “Goodwood gave him the chance to do a bit of maintenance”! “Does it have a starter motor?” “No, if you hang around for forty minutes you can give me a push.” Fortunately the heavens opened for the biggest downpour of the weekend about fifteen minutes later so I avoided that one.
Johnty Williamson and his brother - practical and straightforward Northeners with the Kay Petre 10½ litre Delage looking great in its immaculate blue colour scheme but suffering from a lack of fuel tank pressure despite checking and re-sealing all the unions. Engineers who know how to rebuild great motor cars.
Martin Eyre’s rubber Duck single seater Austin 7 - it doesn’t float in the bath by the way, Julian Ghosh with the Vauxhall Villiers, Julian Majzub’s Bugatti T35B, John Williamson with the Black Car - the Aston Martin, Alan Burnard’s straight eight Delage, Tom Wheatcroft’s 1921 Sunbeam, Ludovic Lindsay’s ex Bira E.R.A. - Remus, and Dean Butler, the man who created Vision Express, with the ex Birkin/Whitney Straight 1931 Maserati 26M.
When Dean visited our marquee and purchased one of our Brooklands Society Archive photographs of the car on the Saturday, we naturally got into a conversation which happily ended up with Dean bringing this magnificent Maserati to the Brooklands Reunion on the following Sunday - the first time the car has been at Brooklands since 1937. Naturally the car was greatly admired by everyone and we have to give a special vote of thanks to Dean Butler and his crew for taking the time and the trouble to spend last Sunday with us.
The Outer Circuit Specials
What of the Outer Circuit Specials? George Daniels brought the wonderful red Birkin blower Bentley - the car which Dorothy Paget retained after Tim Birkin’s death, Julian Majzub’s Pacey-Hassan, the Vaughn Davis Old Mother Gunn, Nick Howell’s ex Bertie Moir Straker Squire painted in the old black and yellow dazzle pattern adopted by Moir after his stint in the navy during the Great War - they used the dazzle scheme as camouflage, Babs, the car in which Parry Thomas died at Pendine, since exhumed from the sand after several decades and restored by Owen Wyn Owen, and last but not least the ex Alan Hess 100 miles in one hour Lagonda LG45R now owned by Terry Cohn who drives it with great verve - and it sounds tremendous on an open pipe.
There was one other car included in the Outer Circuit section, the aero-engined Wisconsin Special, recovered from a barn by a very pleasant American gentleman by the name of Dave Uihlein who I have to say was one of the friendliest, most pleasant people I met at Goodwood all weekend. And the car looked great.
The final run up the hill of these great cars on the Sunday was preceded by the solar powered Honda, totally silent other than tyres on wet tarmac. I want one!!! Clive Sinclair - eat your heart out - just joking but I’ve got a C5 already, the tyres keep going flat and the paint finish doesn’t compare (even vaguely) to that fabulous blue of the Honda.
Next in the points for eerie silence was Buck Boudeman’s 1904 Stanley Steamer, great steam which grew in intensity as the car climbed further up the hill. And the face mask - like something from Phantom Of The Opera and apparently as worn by all early gentleman motorists. Of course in those days you were likely to be hit by stones from horses hooves off the unmetalled roads, or lumps of concrete if you were driving at Brooklands some years later.
The Brooklands Society Marquee
At this point thanks are due to our sponsor, Peter Webb of PMW Catering, Guildford, Surrey for the loan of the 40 ft square marquee and the management of the erection process in the pouring rain on Thursday afternoon which was certainly an incentive to get those two centre poles pointing skyward. It went up with a whoosh, hundreds of gallons of water leaving the canvas and soaking the Brooklands Society men who were pulling on the ropes. However once the top was up at least we had somewhere to set about getting dry. Peter had the great presence of mind to bring drinks and cakes which we all devoured before setting about putting up and pegging the side panels. What a great sponsor, and what great food - you potential catering customers out there - see his web site and call him - the care, the attention to customer satisfaction and the food are the greatest.
One by one the cars were rolled in and up went our video projection screen. In went the generator and the sound system and the following morning we were watching the Brooklands video tape under grey skies punctuated by brief sunny spells. Every time it rained the tent filled with people who drooled over the cars watched the films and generally soaked (possibly an unfortunate choice of verb) up the atmosphere. The Brooklands film show was so popular that the tent was still full of people at a quarter past seven on Saturday night when we finished our last show. What a great atmosphere, in amongst all those old Brooklands cars and bikes.
When everyone had departed on Saturday and we had got the barbecue done with, my two young sons aged eight and four sat in the pitch darkness behind the big Bentley to have their own private showing of 101 Dalmations. Two little figures silhouetted against a giant screen in their own world of fairyland clutching mugs of hot tea and handfuls of hot pecan Danish. They were ready for bed that night!
Meanwhile the ball was under way in Goodwood House complete with flunkies, borzois, a disco and a live band. Quite a bash with a mega firework display that must have woken up half of West Sussex when the first maroon went up.
On Sunday the heavens opened but the cars kept going, the last ones going up the hill only about fifteen minutes behind schedule.
We had work to do getting the first of the cars out and clearing up so the video tape came off and the Brooklands period music went on. Flanders and Swan played us out singing “Mud mud glorious mud” What could have been more appropriate?
Next morning everyone turned up with trailers to take the cars and bikes away. Despite the thick mud Ian Weston’s Bentley drove off without a second’s hesitation. Brian Wigg was relishing the opportunity of driving his immaculate M.G. J2 through the mud - which he did. That J2 could have been on solid concrete for all it cared about that one foot deep mud - straight through.
I had taken my workhorse 24V Mondeo to tow the caravan, complete with traction control. The caravan disappeared down to the paddock behind a large tractor. Despite its big tyres, the Mondeo had to skip from turf island to turf island to get out through the mud. Backing up each time to take a run at the next piece of swamp. Suspicious noises from the traction control and when I got down to the paddock to hitch up, great lumps of straw filled mud to be removed from under the wheel arches. I did all this in a relatively deserted paddock, still cars and trucks around but not many people.
Next to me stood a Ferrari, I think a 1955 875S, although I could be wrong. But probably worth about £600,000 at auction. So I had the choice of the caravan or the Ferrari. My last Ferrari was stolen from the car park of the Savoy Hotel - but it wasn’t this one. Anyway I chose the caravan and I am still an honest and a free man. Free to do it all again next year.
What a great place Goodwood is - where else can you get right up to the cars, totally unimpeded by barriers, and talk to the drivers and owners so easily for three whole days. Goodwood organisers - please don’t ever put barriers up - it will ruin the event for the real enthusiasts.
So - feeling inspired, we’ve rewritten the hippopotamus song - you can sing along if you feel inclined:
If you’re of the school that’s inspired by the wheel
And you want to see only the best,
There’s a place in West Sussex where in June every year
You can drool for three days at a stretch.
A team of experts, all men of renown,
Will assemble a feast for your eyes
Cars and bikes to delight you,
Sounds and scents to excite you,
There’s nothing at all to compare
All together now:
Goodwood Goodwood Glorious Goodwood
Nothing quite like it despite all the mud so,
When June comes round next year
Drive down to Chichester
And you’ll see the best there
At glo-o-or-or-iuos Goodwood.
Goodwood, Goodwood - Glorious Goodwood - roll on 1998 mud or no mud.
Coys at Silverstone next!
R.T.
Brooklands Society Annual Reunion - Sunday 1st August 1999.
The Reunion will be held at the Brooklands Museum site at Weybridge, Surrey on Sunday 1st August. The gate opens at 10.00 a.m. and the event runs until 4.45p.m. that afternoon.
Over a hundred veteran and vintage cars and bikes, and later vehicles, will be on display throughout the day with cars with Brooklands history in the clubhouse paddock and bikes along the railings on the Finishing Straight.
Period cars and bikes will perform Test Hill ascents starting at 11.00 a.m. after the riders’ and drivers’ briefing at 10.45 a.m. Entries for Test Hill ascents must be made well in advance of the meeting. Judging for the Brian Dinsley and Robbie Hewitt trophies will take place at 12.30 p.m. after which there will be a break for lunch until 2.30 p.m. during which a traditional jazz band will provide live entertainment. Refreshments can be taken in the Sunbeam Restaurant, at the Chuck Wagon and at the licensed bar.
At 2.30 p.m. there will be a Members’ Banking and Runway cavalcade which is open to all period cars by prior arrangement and this will last until 3.30 p.m.
This year’s Reunion will commemorate the last race meeting which took place at Brooklands on 7th August 1939. We have invited many other clubs to bring cars along and we expect to have cars present from the Napier Heritage and the V.S.C.C. among others.
John Cobb’s 24 litre Napier aero engined Railton which holds the Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record at 143.44 m.p.h., which he set on 7th October 1935 will be on display and running. The Napier Railton was purchased last year by the museum with the aid of the Brooklands Society and it is expected that we will be doing demonstration runs in the car on the day on the banking and the runway. The 24 litre Napier engine at speed is a sound never to be forgotten and certainly not to be missed.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day, or for those who want to avoid the inevitable queue, in advance from Bryan Reynolds whose details are as follows:
Bryan Reynolds, 4 Blackstone Hill, Redhill, Surrey RH1 6BE. Telephone and Fax: 01737 764401
The Goodwood Festival of Speed - 12th, 13th and 14th June.
After last years celebration of 90 years of Brooklands when we staged an impressive display of cars complemented by our own video theatre showing film footage of the old track, our presence at the Festival of Speed this year will be a little less dramatic but nevertheless worthwhile visiting.
Our patron the Earl of March has ensured that we have a prominent site which will enable selected vehicles, computer-enhanced archive photographs, books and regalia to be on show and for sale. Membership applications will be processed on the spot.
Visitors will be able to talk to various knowledgeable Society members who will be manning the display and tickets will be on sale for the Brooklands Society Annual Reunion which is to be held at the museum two weeks later on 28th June.
Whether you are visiting from Europe or further afield, if you had a relative or a friend who took part at Brooklands between 1906 and 1939 this could be an opportunity to track down missing information or even buy photographs of him or her in action.
Our stand number is 273 which is the end position on the right hand row backing on to the Pheasantry Grandstand. Look up the field and you will be able to spot our white 10m x 10m tent carrying the yellow and black name banner.
For further information on this or other Brooklands Society publicity matters contact:
Robert Titherley, Hartland Multimedia, Copse House, Coxheath Road, Fleet HANTS GU13 0QG
Telephone: 01252 408877 Fax: 01252 408878 Mobile during events: 0802 706864
We have many photographs available to support editorial content - please ‘phone or e-mail.
Brooklands Society/VSCC Sprint - 4th October 1998.
The Brooklands Society traditionally holds its last outdoor event of the year, a quarter mile sprint for cars and bikes, on an October Sunday (formerly the date of the now defunct Weston Super Mare sprint).
Please Note - particularly recipients of our earlier release: Our plans for a Speed Weekend this year with timed sprints on Saturday 3rd October for pre 1965 motor bikes have been postponed until next year. Unfortunately we could not get to grips with the various issues involved within the timescale. Watch this space.
Sunday 4th October - The Dudley Gahagan Memorial Sprint.
Dudley Gahagan’s sudden and unexpected loss early last year deprived us of one of classic motor racing’s great personalities. A prime mover in the formation of the Brooklands Society, Dudley is recognised once again in the title of this annual joint Brooklands Society/VSCC annual sprint for period cars, bikes and VSCC approved specials.
There is always a wide variety of machinery competing which ranges from early GNs and Amilcars through thirties Delahayes, Bugattis, and BMWs to recently constructed hybrids and aero engined specials with 24 litre engines.
Bikes also compete by invitation and last year saw many interesting entries including a 1936 500 c.c. JAP speedway engined sprinter and a fine 532 c.c. Velocette based special.
If you are familiar with the smell of Castrol R racing oil you will want to be there for your fix. If you are not, beware; you could become quickly addicted to as yet uncontrolled chemical substances.
Applications to compete should be addressed either to the VSCC or Bryan Reynolds at the Brooklands Society whose details are below, from whom you can also buy tickets to spectate, in advance.
Scrutineering starts at 8.30 a.m., practice at 10.00 and the competitive runs after lunch at 1.30. p.m. Spectators have full access to the Brooklands museum for the day and a unique opportunity to see parts of the track and the site of the Hennebique bridge which are inaccessible to the public for the rest of the year. The atmosphere is always free and easy and entrance to the paddock where you can see the cars being worked on is unrestricted.
For further information on this or other Brooklands Society publicity matters contact:
Robert Titherley, Hartland Multimedia, Copse House, Coxheath Road, Fleet HANTS GU13 0QG
Telephone: 01252 408877 Fax: 01252 408878 Mobile during events: 0802 706864
We have many photographs available to support editorial content - please ‘phone or e-mail.
Dudley Hugh Gahagan -A Brief Resume Of His Life -
Archival Release for Motoring Publications.
Provided by Andrew Child - Dudley’s business partner, Brooklands Society colleague and very good friend for the last twenty five odd years.
For further information telephone 01252 323038 (work) or 01252 500925 (home).
12th February 1997, revised May 1998.
Born 7th June 1920 in Kensington, London.
Died Saturday l st February 1997 in Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley, aged 76 years.
1920. Born 7th June 1920 in Kensington. Youngest of three surviving children. His brother George (or 'G') & sister Betty were 15 and 13 years older than him. His father was a prosperous civil engineer recently returned from India. (Gahagan Ltd was a large partnership of four brothers based in India. The brothers sold up and retired to England after the First World War) The family lived at Green Place in Wonersh, near Guildford, Kensington being their town house. Green Place is a massive mansion house complete with its own tennis courts etc.
1920s Dudley's first motoring memories were of being driven in "Pa's Leon Bolle", a splendid Edwardian that shed its tyres every few miles.
1935 Dudley is educated at Lansing College on the South Coast. His appreciation of motorsport, already fired by visits to Brooklands with his father, is further enhanced when his elder brother George becomes the mechanic to the Conan Doyle brothers, Adrian and Dennis. They have three Mercedes 38/250s and Dudley helps with the maintenance of them. The Conan Doyles and others including Dudley attend the German Grand Prix at the invitation of Mercedes. Nuvolari famously won against the might of Nazi Germany and Dudley was privileged to be driven round the circuit with others by Nuvolari in his Lancia Aprilia. The Little Man remained a lifelong hero of Dudley's. Dudley also saw Hitler drive by a few feet away in his open Mercedes- he still has a swastika armband souvenir he picked up!
Late 1930s- Dudley by now smokes (as he will for the rest of his life!) and owns a motorcycle which he rode round Brooklands on test days. He and other motorcycle owners found the Lansing Motor Club at school - however the Club is disbanded when Dudley sets fire to the Scout Hut that houses it with a fag and destroys the motorcycles as well. The Conan Doyle brothers, Adrian and Dennis have a fine stable of cars headed by their three Mercedes 38/250s. Dudley becomes a regular mechanic with his brother George and attends many race meetings and speed trials with them. Upon leaving school, he becomes an apprentice at Thomson & Taylors at Brooklands and then starts his own motorcycle business on the South Coast near Lewes. He also buys a Type 35 Grand Prix Bugatti with help from his family.
Wartime. Dudley is in a reserved occupation looking after army vehicles on the south coast. He sells the Bugatti for £15, realises the error and buys his four cylinder Type 37 GP Bugatti in 1940 for £10(!). This car he owned for the next 57 years and he would never have parted with it. He survived being strafed by a Luftwaffe Me l09 on the coast road near Dover and also used his tank transporter to take the wounded returning from Dunkirk to hospital. Eventually he was called up to the REME (which he always said stood for Recognised Evaders of Manual Exertion!) in Bicester. His beloved Bugatti is garaged nearby and run on illegal army pink petrol by the expedient of putting a small false fuel tank with a little legal fuel in it over the real tank full of the illegal fuel. He was never caught! From 1946 to 1948 (ish) he served in Palestine just prior to its handover by the British to form the state of Israel.
1950s. Dudley is demobbed and lives at home still, as his fiancee Margaret was killed in an air raid during the war. He starts a car repair business in Fleet, Hampshire, with a partner and calls it 'Gahagan & Hall'. He campaigns his Bugatti and other vintage cars such as the Cognac Special with enthusiasm. In June 1950 he had a terrific race in his Bugatti against Colin Chapman in his new Lotus Mark 2. There was also the possibility of a works or testing drive with Connaught at Send but this never came to anything. Dudley at this time also cultivates his interests in traditional jazz, frequenting Ronnie Scott's Club in London, and in Cinema Organ music. He remained a member of the Cinema Organ Society until his death.
1953 Following the death of his parents, the Gahagan brothers and sister sell Green Place and Dudley and Betty buy Malden in Seale. Betty had been widowed in the war when her husband, John Salmon, was killed near El Alamein in Sept 1942, one year after their marriage. Tragically this coincided with the still birth of her first and only child. Neither she nor Dudley ever married thereafter. Betty lived with Dudley at Malden until her death in 1986 - however, she had little interest in motoring matters and lived a life largely independent from him. Elder brother George, who married during the war and was based at Rolls Royce in Derby, died in 1973, leaving a number of step children but just one son, Patrick, to carry on the family name. After Betty's death, Dudley lived alone in Malden until his death but had frequent visitors and never had the time to be lonely.
In 1955 he dissolved the partnership with Mr Hall in Fleet and rented part of the workshop of Rees Bros, a long established coachbuilding firm in Aldershot, repairing and restoring vintage and classic cars. He also started a car hire side to the firm at a time when such things were unheard of. In time when the two Rees brothers retired he took over the business and it remained his business up until the time of his death. In later years he took other partners to help but always remained the figurehead there. He never retired.
1960s. Dudley's interest in films and photos led to his amassing a large collection of motoring material from the likes of the Pathe news library. With Bill Boddy he was also instrumental in getting the Brooklands Society going in 1967 following the Godalming Round Table Reunion there that summer. Unfortunately he was abroad on holiday when the inaugural meeting of the Society was held at the offices of Motor Sport magazine. He remained on the Committee of the Society for thirty years without a break, a unique achievement, and never lost his enthusiasm for the Track. In 1960, he bought the ex Arthur Dobson E.R.A. R1B and raced it effectively in the ensuing years. His blue and black four seater drophead Type 57 Bugatti was purchased from a neighbour in 1969 and became familiar to many Brooklands Reunion attendees as the car which always opened the Test Hill Runs at the start of the day. He regularly gave film shows to the Brooklands Society and other car clubs and was regularly consulted by the BBC and other documentary film makers. His summer holidays usually comprised putting the ERA on a trailer and touring the continental race meetings with it and a few friends for a couple of weeks. By receiving starting money for the race meetings, he usually returned with more funds than he set off with! He enjoyed many such adventures with many different friends over the years.
1997. Dudley complained of mild flu in January, something he had not suffered from since before the war, apparently! He received medical attention but refused to give up work. He was working up until the Thursday evening before his death. On the next day (Friday) he complained of breathing difficulties and was promptly taken into Frimley Park Hospital with low blood pressure and suspected pneumonia. He died peacefully in the Intensive Care Unit the next day (Saturday) at noon, having suffered (left ventricle) heart failure aggravated by hardened arteries, mild diabetes and bronchial pneumonia.
All those who knew him were very fond of him and have been very greatly saddened by the sudden nature of his death. The consensus view however seems to be that it was very merciful that he did not have to suffer a lengthy illness- he disliked all things medical and would have made a lousy patient!
The funeral was held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday 11th February 1997 at Guildford Crematorium. It was attended by some two hundred of his friends, the 'extended family' that all knew him as 'Uncle Dudley'. At the request of the family, I was privileged to give the Funeral Oration there. Afterwards most met at his favourite pub, the Jolly Farmer at Puttenham, and exchanged reminiscences and happy memories of a fine friend. Although he left no specific instructions for the funeral, the unanimous feeling of the family and friends is that he would have wanted his ashes scattered at his beloved Brooklands, and this was arranged. There is now a plaque in Dudley’s memory in the garden of remembrance at the Brooklands museum.
The Hennebique Bridge - Can we rebuild it?
For some time now there has been debate concerning the feasibility of reconstructing a modern equivalent of the Hennbique Bridge over the River Wey. It follows that if we were able to realise this ambition, we might be able to re-create a complete circuit for motor events, part of which would include the Members' Banking which now requires extensive resurfacing work and urgent preservation. Here follows some of the considerable correspondence which we have received over the last few weeks:
Correspondence First published on this web site on the 20th May 1998.
Newsletter Secretary's Notes Number 14 - 1998.
The Right Track
This newsletter has been running for around three years and in that time we have included reference to many things, but probably more frequent than most has been a general undercurrent of opinion that isn't it time we got at least some of the track secured, restored, visible and doing what it was once good for? - running races.
The subject has been raised many times in committee, but problems of other sorts have dominated our time, the track isn't ours, we don't know how to go about it, would we be allowed?, and so on. Following on from the theme of my note on the front page, it is undoubtedly the right time to do something, and I would call upon the Committee of the Society (me included) to cast aside the trivia and comfort of day to day events and get some policy together that will forever improve the current deplorable standing of the world's first motor track.
What we have today is a mutilated relic of the track, but in fact if you are walking it you will find that there is a surprising amount still there, albeit hidden away. I have read many times words written by those who should know better that much of it is lost, but is this indeed so? We have listed by English Heritage the Members' Banking from Gallahers round to the Hennebique bridge, which is missing , then the track from the other side round to the point on the Railway Straight where the Campbell Circuit turned left, then the Museum entrance road where it uses the Campbell Circuit, and the test hill. Not listed but surviving is much of the Byfleet Banking, sadly with gaps all the way from the end of the Railway Straight round to where the track crossed the River Wey. Thereafter the curve in front of the Vickers shed, the fork and three quarters of the finishing straight is built upon. As we all know, the Museum 'Wellington' hangar sits on the end of the finishing straight, and of the Campbell Circuit, the parts on the airfield largely survive.
 Looking towards the Hennebique Bridge |
 Looking
back from the Members' Bridge |
The Members' Banking as it looks today |
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So what might be done? James de la Mare said that we should make another attempt with English Heritage to list all the surviving track and also to set ourselves up as a co-ordinating body to establish a framework within which future development could take place. Not a bad start, you'll agree. Ernest Mallett, a member of considerable standing with the local community made some lucid points with regard to the non-Museum 'rest' of Brooklands, for example, that the Railway Straight and the Byfleet Banking should be made over to the Museum, that the Museum should have a new entrance from the West across the Wey, procure land at the Northern end of the runway for parking, hence freeing up the 30-acre site for Museum development. His ideas also extended to the major objectives of reconstructing the Hennebique bridge and putting together a circuit of the Finishing Straight (with the messy Wellington hangar relocated), Members' Banking, Railway Straight and Campbell Circuit. I really don't think we have to look further than these words for inspiration or an objective.
So what might we be allowed to do? From a Society point of view, with today's arrangements, very little, track clearing and so on. But we don't need permission to lobby, or to put forward well argued, well presented, costed cases for redevelopment of the track. We cannot afford to tread on any toes, or be arrogant or be un co-operative, or criticise others' efforts or invade their patch, but within that remit we can seek to change things. Looking at the practicalities of it all, what are English Heritage likely to say if it was agreed that the track could be resurfaced? Should it be done as original in concrete to maintain the appearance, or should it be tarmac, so that in 1,000 years our work can be distinguished from that of pre-1940 days? Or are we not allowed to touch it, just like Stonehenge? Have we a member out there who can answer these questions?
Next - the Hennebique Bridge. This was demolished I believe because of the blocking factor of the Wey - a pity really as a little dredging would probably have solved this. Commercially, rebuilding it requires money in large quantities I would imagine, so what are the alternatives? In these days of military cuts could we persuade the Royal Engineers to help - will members with the right connections here please take one step forward? In reality this job would have to be better than that achievable by gifted amateurs (us?), and would require proper plans, planning permission and so on. Do the original plans exist with the architects, or do we have detailed information on the construction, such that an accurate reconstruction could be made?
Let's start somewhere, so an avalanche of ideas please, so that your committee is obliged to respond!
Undoubtedly a few other problems exist. Tim Heap mentioned the undesirability of the proposed new aircraft hangar, a position supported by David Coney who expressed dismay. This would tend to spoil the appearance of the remaining track by dominating it and changing the overall character of the site. Would the museum get planning permission I wonder?
Dick Lewis recently mentioned the issue of the trees, fifty years older and more numerous than when it (the track) was last used for racing - again changing the appearance.
Finally, our relations with the Museum. These are very good today as befits the amount of money that we have donated. However, we don't seem to be consulted very much on matters that concern both parties and we have no official link with the Trustees or the Friends. All these things militate against our efforts. It would be nice to think that we could be permitted to co-ordinate activities regarding redevelopment of the track. If the Museum Trust was prepared to direct that particular task in our direction, should it be within it's remit, then we would be very happy indeed to accept the responsibility.
Newsletter Secretary's Notes Number 15 - May 1998.
Thank you! The response to my article in No 14, 'The Right Track', was overwhelming and quite the best postbag we've seen on any subject for a long time. From this I deduce that there is considerable interest in the prospect of doing something to the track in the broadest sense. The response from qualified individuals was also most satisfactory and it does mean that we have the skills to be positive and intelligently constructive, if only in the arguments on why something can or cannot be done.
Remember, it isn't our track to do as we would with it. So what happens next? I was surprised not to receive a response from the Museum, as they and some of the trustees do see our publications. Our President is arranging one of his meetings wth Morag Barton, the Museum Director, and I see this as being our first action. We await results.
My apologies for devoting most of this newsletter to the 'H-bridge Project' as one member has already named it. Please don't forget everything else, such as the Reunion. This will be the same successful formual as last year and I hope to see many of you there - the right crowd, making the right noises in the right place!
From Mr. L.K. Jeffrey, Guildford.
The Hennbique Bridge was designed by Mouchel, who were a London practice at that time but since 1964 have been located at West Byfleet. The drawings of the original bridge still exist and I would suggest that you contact them for information. For possible rebuilding it would probably not be possible to reconstruct exactly, as the various regulations and safety codes etc., have changed since the original construction period.
The reason it was called the Hennebique Bridge was that Mouchel who first introduced the the use of reinforced concrete (Beton Armee) into the U.K. in 1897 had an agreement/association with the French firm Francois Hennebique to carry out the dsign work for them in England. This was dissolved at a later date but a firm called Yorkshire Hennebique Contractors existed in the U.K. until the late 1960s and I myself dealt with them in construction of flower mills at Selby in Yorkshire.
I hope the above is of some assistance to you but if I can help you further please let me know.
From Jim Adams, Dorking (by 'phone)
He is retired from L.G. Mouchel and has access to their archive where drawings of the Hennbique Bridge still survive.
From Tim Heap, Preston, Lancs.
I absorbed with particular interest your article entitled "The Right Track". I was delighted to hear of the Museum's successful National Lottery bid. However I was disappointed to find that (dare I say, once again?) the track itself was entirely forgotten. All of us concerned and united in our interest of the history of Brooklands should not lose sight of the simple fact that without the track there is nothing. If this aspect is to be overlooked by other interested parties, then this surely is the future of the Society and it seems to me totally in accord wioth our raison d'etre.
The reconstruction of the Hennebique Bridge is how the lottery money should have been spent, in my view. Once instigated, we must raise the profile of the project and even perhaps look to the world of Formula One for sponsorship. They can be gently reminded that this was the venue for the first ever British Grand Prix.
Thank you for a thought-provoking and positive article. Only one point I would disagree with you on 'Tarmac on Brooklands??' - Please no, the very thought makes me shiver.
P.S. Can I suggest That a track 'Fighting Fund' could be set up and all members asked to contribute towards it. The funds so raised would only be used for the restoration/refurbishment of the track and would go some way to showing our commitment. We must remember that we so very nearly lost Brooklands altogether once, and next time we might not be so lucky.
From Alan Langhorn, Solana Beach, California
I was surfing the net this afternoon and came upon your wonderful site. I went to Brooklands Technical College during the mid sixties, the main campus was (is?) the house where the Locke-Kings lived. We used to go for walks along the railway tracks and climb up the Members' Banking. The River Wey runs underneath the embankment. One winter about that time the river flooded and took out part of the concrete track, it just fell into the river where we used to walk!
Vickers built their factories on the straightaway during the war and even in the sixties it was a classified area so sometimes we would get chased off by the guards!
My dad used to race his Rudge Ulster here too, imagine a single cylinder four valve head back in the '30s - there are people around that think multi-valve heads are "new".
From Derek White, Galleywood, Essex.
Your comments regarding the wider aspects of track restoration are quite timely as the refurbishment of architectural features progresses in leaps and bounds.
This has a parallel on a much smaller scale to my endeavours to build a model of the track and its environs many years ago. In 1962, together with a colleague, I surveyed some features of the track for my model.
We crept in uninvited and surveyed the Hennebique bridge and banking area. After 36 years the thrill of that day is still with me! Much later I was surveying a flour mill in Silvertown and met two representatives of the Hennebique Company, who assured me that the original drawings for the bridge were, at that time, still on file. But I never received the print copies that were promised...... I am enclosing some early drawing and photographs which may be of interest. (Now with Tony Hutchings - Ed). ((Soon to be published on this web site - R.T.)).
From John McPherson, Croydon.
With regard to the sadly departed Hennebique Bridge, I have recently done some practical research on this. From my days in the construction industry, I remember reading that the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) had the original plans of the bridge in their archives. I have confirmed with them that this is the case, but that they are fragile to even unroll, let alone copy. But, the good news is that the consulting Engineers who designed the bridge and supervised its construction, L.G. Mouchel (now Mouchel Consultancy, Ltd.) are still very much in business and they have copies of the original plans and design calculations.
As the detailed engineering information is available, I think you will agree that the Society has a valid basis for putting together a serious proposal. Hopefully the Museum could support us in this, to make proper demonstration runs possible.
I fully realise that there are a lot of practical difficulties involved in even getting a proposal off the ground, such as planning agreement, Rivers Authority approval, River Wey dredging, etc. However I feel that the time has come to stop being deterred by potential obstacles and instead treat the difficulties as challenges which should, and can be, overcome with enough will and determination.
Normally, I'm not in favour of sub-committees, but in this case perhaps it would be a good idea to form one.
From Peter Stockwell, Ely, Cambs.
As a conservation architect I have frequent dealings with English Heritage and local planners. Although one can always have nasty surprises I would expect no major problems regarding resurfacing or trees.
The use of tarrnac would be a visual disaster and English Heritage would be most unlikely to agree to this. I would expect no difficulty in resurfacing in concrete. It would be quite possible to differentiate between old and new work if English Heritage wanted it.
The planners are unlikely to be concerned regarding tree felling, providing that tree belts are planted in a more suitable area. What is needed is a landscape master plan for the site.
Regarding the Hennebique Bridge. A structural engineer would probably charge about £1,500 in fees to prepare a preliminary design and estimate of construction cost. Archive research would, of course, be needed but the detail construction design would be different to that of 1907. If you have nobody else closer I would be prepared to arrange Planning Applications, etc. Construction work could be phased to allow money to be raised for each phase separately. This works well with major projects. The Society could carry out some site clearance itself
There is much to do. Let me know if I can help.
From Tom Lee, Virginia Water.
Last year I was telling Janet Fenner of the Museum that I was reluctant to use my 1930 Aston Martin on the track because of the potholes. She told me that the local Council denied them making any improvement for fear the track's appearance would be spoilt. The only answer was 'to do the whole lot', they said. I have always found Janet helpful.
Worth noting that the track was patched and maintained almost from the outset so this argument deviates significantly from what has always been normal at Brooklands. Extensive patching work was carried out in 1919 following damage by army vehicles and coming forward much further, if you walk along the banking today you can see patching varying between vertical strips to pothole filling where holes punched out for tree camouflage during the second world war have since been filled.
Best to do the job properly, but better to preserve in the interim surely. (R.T. -webmaster)
From Andrew Bradshaw, Cambridge.
I have been a member of the Brooklands Society for about ten years although I often wish I had joined much sooner. I thought your article was absolutely spot-on and closely reflected my own hopes about the future of Brooklands. I am sure that there will be many other like-minded people. As you say, we can at least find out the cost.
I have taken part in the recent VSCC sprints held at Brooklands and I can tell you as a competitor, and no doubt for spectators too, the atmosphere of the place is quite unique and something is definitely re-awakened by the presence of competing pre-war machinery. Should we now engage in a feasibility study showing various options for the route of a reborn circuit.
Finally, if encouragement is needed, we only have to think of Donington, Goodwood and more recently Crystal Palace where cars are allowed to run again in an annual sprint meeting - and that's in the centre of London!
Yes, sir. I believe at last, somebody really is on the right track.
From Jake Alderson, Sheffield.
May I endorse your comments entitled 'The Right Track'. We must make every attempt to save what is left. Why don't we make the saving of the rest of Brooklands a Millennium project for the whole of the motor/motorcycle industry in the widest sense, encompassing construction, enthusiasts, clubs, motor racing? While we're at it let us not forget the cigarette industry, who sponsor motor racing, and to save Brooklands might improve their currently tarnished image.
From Chris Walker, Salisbury.
I am fully in support of any endeavour to re-establish use of as much of the existing Brooklands track, and hopefully the runway, as possible to enable a 'circuit' of sorts to be put together for future use. Would it be possible to organise a guided tour for members to see all of the original route of the track?
I have asked in the past for a map to be printed showing clearly what remains and also showing who owns what. I still think it would be helpful.
(Access to the airfield area is possible at the Reunion and the Sprint, and with the relocation of the Sunday Market further access is possible to areas used for car parking. Most other parts of the site are visible from areas to which the public have access. The modern office developmentst to he East of the old Vickers/British Aerospace site are inaccessible, but no recognisable track is visible here. - Ed.)
Correspondence remains open on the subject of the Hennebique Bridge and the preservation of Brooklands Track either to Graham Skillen through the newsletter or drop us an e-mail for publication here on the site and possibly also in the next newsletter. The great thing about web sites is of course that our publishing space here is unilimited and comments remain on-line indefinitely.
The October 1998 Newsletter.
The 1998 Dudley Gahagan Memorial Sprint.
One wet winter Sunday afternoon in 1995 I sat with Dudley Gahagan in his living room discussing, as we laid waste a bottle of whisky, which might be preferable; to be a conformist amongst rebels or a rebel amongst conformists. We concluded that neither was an option. Dudley being unlikely to change his m.o. after so many years as a Brooklands Society man; ergo the definitive rebel amongst rebels.
These memories in mind, I recc’ed the paddock on a benign Sunday morning absorbing the scents, sights and sounds which only a relaxed V.S.C.C. Brooklands Sprint embodies. I suppose if you scratched around hard enough, you might expose a conformist amongst V.S.C.C. sprinters but you would need a well tempered and finely honed instrument, the diversity, ingenuity and standard of preparation of the machinery belying the enthusiasm which these men - and women - have for their sport and their prized cars and bikes.
Johnty Williamson had not entered the 10½ litre Delage, a disappointment offset however, by a programme listing many more cars than last year. Cars for all men.
For Class 7 men there was the grunt of the Bentley Napier loping up the course to reach a terminal velocity of 110 m.p.h. For men of the cloth, Bob Burrell’s divine Bentley/Royce. For a parched Seaman, Alan Burnard’s re-created 1½ litre Delage - drink it all in but the thirst persists.
For men of history Louis Zborowski’s Green Pea Aston Martin. For men of letters, E.R.A. R14B. Frantic off the line but sublime when the pre-selector box gripped.
And for the ladies’ men? Well, there were ladies in Austins.
Newly clutched journalist Claire Furnell, Nicola Wilcox who we see at Reunions and Charlotte Lambert who dissapointingly had delegated the driving to - a man of all things! Girl Power vindicated. There were others as well!
But the high spot for me was to be introduced, by our new V.P. Tom Delaney, to his grand daughter Lucy Delaney co-pedalling that famous LeaF.
Too many cars and not enough space to review them all (here). {hyperlink to main list}. Too many girls and not enough time (to talk to them all). Bliss.
And the lunchtime queue for the cafe stretched out through the front door of the clubhouse. Does the Brooklands Society pull in museum visitors? Res ipsa loquitor. R.T. October 1998.
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