Brooklands Members Talks: Recent Episodes
Nonesuche Media
Britain's 1st Grand Prix took place at Brooklands in August 1926. To mark the centenary, the Brooklands Museum Talks Team head Harry Sherrard collaborates with one of the world's leading motorsport journalists, Maurice Hamilton. The presentation covers the first century of British Grands Prix, including highlights such as Campbell v Seagrave at Brooklands, Moss v Fangio at Aintree, Hunt v Lauda at Brands Hatch and Hamilton v Verstappen at Silverstone.
On 25th October 2016 Simon Taylor compered a Brooklands Members Talk in the Napier Room at Brooklands Museum on the motorsport life of James Hunt, in particular 1976. Simon talks with Maurice Hamilton, Tony Dron and Freddie Hunt about their memories of the great man.
whose meticulous research into F3000’s 20-year history included interviews with over 100 key figures from the era. James is joined by prominent F3000 drivers, engineers and team owners, including former Lotus Formula One driver Martin Donnelly, who was a consultant on the 2025 Brad Pitt blockbuster film, F1, and whose Jerez accident features in the movie.
Recorded in 2012 at Sir Stirling's Mayfair home by Phil Sampson/Albany Communications, this is a wonderful conversation between Murray Walker and Sir Stirling Moss. Both, in their own way, are national Treasures; Murray Walker, the voice of motorsport, and Sir Stirling Moss, Mr Motor Racing (as Murray eloquently puts it). When it comes to greatness, there is no test greater than that of time – and despite the fact that both Murray and Sir Stirling had been retired for many years, their popularity, fame, and the memories each created, unquestionably live on.
A Reliability Engineer is one of those vital trackside roles, well understood within the confines of the F1 paddock, but perhaps its existence is lesser known outside of the travelling F1 circus. It’s always been a vital cog, linking trackside and factory operations, but the greater the calendar congestion, the more critical it becomes. Abbie Robison is one of McLaren's Reliability Engineers, splitting her time between weeks working trackside and the race bays at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC).“A reliability engineer, in a nutshell, is a problem-solver,” says Abbie. “It’s about dealing with any problem we have as quickly as possible, and ensuring the car stays on track – but there is also an element of thinking ahead. I like to break it down into the reactive element of dealing with issues as they appear, and then a proactive element of thinking about how to stop those issues from happening in the first place.”
Nadine Lewis is an experienced marshal and the first female Chair of the British Motorsport Marshals Club (BMMC). She talks with Mark Jarman about her involvement in BMMC and the importance of volunteers as marshals in all forms of motorsport.
Millie talks with Mark Jarman about her work as an aerodynamicist at Aston Martin and her progression through school and university that inspired her.
Doug McKiernan is a British Formula One and aerospace aerodynamics engineer. He is currently the chief technical officer at Zero Petroleum which he co-founded alongside Paddy Lowe and Nilay Shah focusing on the development of sustainable synthetic fuels for motorsport and wider transport applications.
CEO of Driven By Us,, a pioneering community-driven organisation dedicated to empowering aspiring leaders from ethnic minorities and underserved groups within automotive and motorsport industries. James talks with Mark Jarman about his life and career to date in motorsport and what has motivated him throughout his lived experience and instrustry insights to creating Driven By Us, to bridge the gap between underrepresented talent and the motorsport industry.
A very entertaining Derek Daly talks with Harry about his life in motorsport.Derek graduated all the way from Irish Formula Ford to Formula One on pure merit. His rise through the junior formulae was meteoric, winning the Formula Ford Festival ahead of Derek Warwick in 1976, then taking the British Formula 3 spoils the following year. He made his Grand Prix debut the next year, less than two years after graduating from Formula Ford. After driving for the March, Tyrrell and Williams Formula One teams, Derek moved stateside, racing in the Indianapolis 500, and going on to achieve much success in endurance racing, including completing at Le Mans for Jaguar. After retirement from driving, Derek re-invented himself as a highly successful motivational speaker, drawing on his experiences in his motorsport career.
Tom Crean was the unsung hero of Antarctic exploration, whose incredible exploits with Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton were overlooked for 80 years. Crean, who ran away from home as a teenager, served on three expeditions to the Antarctic, and spent longer on the ice than either Scott or Shackleton. He was among the last to see Scott alive near the South Pole in 1912 and returned to the ice to bury his frozen body. Crean was also a major figure on Shackleton's Endurance expedition; he crossed the Southern Ocean with Shackleton in an open boat, trekked over the glaciers and mountains of South Georgia and returned to rescue his comrades marooned on the desolate Elephant Island. But Tom Crean never spoke about his exploits, never wrote a book nor kept a diary, taking his remarkable story to the grave.Polar historian Michael Smith, who researched and wrote the definitive account of Crean’s life, presents a fascinating account.
David talks about his father Jack Brabham and the evolution of the Brabham F1 team, through David's multi discipline motorsport successes to the development of the current radical technical Formula One era.
Peter Grimsdale talks with the author Midge Gillies about her passion in writing this book and the stories of six female aviators from the early days of aviation. This is the astounding story of the six female aviators who battled to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane.In the early 20th century, the dream of crossing the Atlantic by air was as potent as putting a man on the moon would be 50 years later. But many people believed women too fragile and lacking in the skills to endure the gruelling conditions of flying long distances.In Atlantic Furies, Midge Gillies uncovers the stories of Elsie Mackay, Lady Anne Savile, Frances Grayson, Ruth Elder, Amelia Earhart, and Mabel Boll. These courageous, rule-breaking aviators risked everything to prove that women could fly the Atlantic. Some had lied to their families in order not to be stopped, others duped the press about their intentions and, ultimately, three lost their lives, but each pushed the boundaries of the possible.Atlantic Furies celebrates the bravery, panache, and drive of these trail-blazing aviators, who showed the world that it wasn’t just men who could conquer the skies.
The powerful true story of the first flight across the Atlantic and the ordinary heroes who risked their lives in pursuit of progress.In 1919, in Newfoundland, four teams of aviators came from Britain to compete in “the Big Hop”: an audacious race to be the first to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean. One pair of competitors was forced to abandon the journey halfway, and two pairs never made it into the air. Only one team, after a death-defying sixteen-hour flight, made it to Ireland.Celebrated on both continents, the transatlantic contest offered a surge of inspiration—and a welcome distraction—to a public reeling from the Great War and the influenza pandemic. But the seven airmen who made the attempt were quickly forgotten, their achievement overshadowed by the solo Atlantic flights of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart years later. In The Big Hop, David grants the pioneering aviators of 1919 the spotlight they deserve. From Harry Hawker, the pilot who as a young man had watched Houdini fly over Australia, to the engineer Ted Brown, a US citizen who joined the Royal Flying Corps, David traces the lives of the unassuming men who performed extraordinary acts in the sky.Mining evocative first-person accounts and aviation archives, David also follows the participants’ journeys: learning to fly on flimsy aeroplanes made of timber struts and varnished fabric; surviving the bloodiest war that Europe had ever yet seen; and battling faulty coolant systems, severe storms, and extreme fatigue while attempting the Atlantic. David transports readers to the world in which the great contest took place and trace the rise of aviation to its daredevil peak in the early decades of the twentieth century.
Martin in 1913, Aston Martin’s subsequent century-long existence has seen the company go bust seven times, win the Le Mans 24 Hours and become indispensable transport for a certain movie spy. This comprehensive and timely two-volume study by Russell Hayes covers Aston Martin’s adventure from the very beginning, setting the cars in context with the changing automotive world and rivals, and adding insights from contemporary road tests and first-hand accounts from recent company personalities. Fourteen chapters make sense of every Aston Martin for both the cognoscenti and the uninitiated, supported by a lavish array of photographs.
Recorded in Michael's studio at his home in 2024, he talks with Mark Jarman of Brooklands.tv about his life painting aircraft and how by flying in them he was able to produce the desired results!
Audience Engagement and Kathryn Selwyn, Research and Collections Officer to talk about Hazel and her dad Fred Hill.
Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury, authors of Spy Octane: The Vehicles of James Bond, Volume 1, reveal the extraordinary detective work that unearthed new and ground-breaking secrets behind some of 007’s most iconic vehicles and the machines that propelled Sean Connery and George Lazenby through the first seven Bond adventures.The authors share fascinating stories about the customised Toyota 2000 GT convertibles built exclusively for You Only Live Twice, including one long thought lost, as well as the Aston Martin DBS Vantage and the Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertibles featured in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. They also explore the history of Little Nellie, the remarkable autogyro designed by Wing Commander Ken Wallis, which became one of the most memorable gadgets in Bond history.Volume 1 covers the first seven EON films: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Diamonds Are Forever. It tells the fascinating story of the Aston Martin DB5, Toyota 2000GT, the autogyro Little Nellie, the Disco Volante, the spectacular two-wheeled Ford Mustang stunt and much more. Step into the golden era of James Bond and hear the untold stories behind the cars, bikes, and aircraft that defined the world’s longest-running film franchise!
on the edge of the factory grounds. Her father has been with the company for 20 years, which has developed from a knitting machine factory into one of the world's leading bicycle, motorbike and car manufacturers and is celebrating its 50th anniversary today. Hilde's light-hearted life is clouded in the late 1920s by the economic problems in the country and in her father's company. In addition, her two older sisters marry and move out of the family home. Hilde wonders whether she too will find her personal happiness one day. Find out by reading the book!
Gareth Tarr talks with the author Peter Grimsdale about the writing of the book.Silverstone, 1950 – the first post-war Grand Prix and the birth of Formula One. The king and queen, alongside 150,000 spectators, watch in dismay as Italy’s Alfa Romeos scream past to claim the first three places. British cars are hopelessly outclassed by Alfa Romeos and Maseratis. How can it be, they all wonder, that Italy, its industry reduced to rubble by Allied bombs so recently, has set new standards of speed and style that leave the rest of the world for dust?Italy’s ability to outflank its more powerful and better-equipped neighbours is nothing new. At the turn of the century Italy made so few cars that its output wasn’t recorded, by 1907 Italian cars and drivers swept the board in the first Grand Prix season. In Superveloce, Peter Grimsdale explores the mystery of how a country with no industrial revolution, hampered by poverty, came to represent an innovation and flair that other countries struggled to match.Grimsdale traces a century of Italian design genius, the rise of great marques such as Ferrari, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. We see the lives of fiercely charismatic and competitive drives like Ascari, Varzi and Nuvolari. Does the secret lie deep in Italy’s cultural heritage – in historic links between art and machine going back to da Vinci? Or is it simply ‘sprezzatura’ – the art of making something difficult look effortlessly easy?
The prototype Hawker Hurricane K5083 performed its maiden flight at Brooklands on 6 November 1935, and we mark the 90th anniversary by welcoming to Brooklands Dilip Sarkar MBE. Dilip is a globally acknowledged expert on all aspects of the Battle of Britain and, during his long career, he enjoyed a privileged relationship with many of Churchill's Few. He has written over 60 books, including the definitive eight volume, million word official history of the Battle, commissioned by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust. He has also worked on numerous television and film projects on the subject. Made an MBE for services to aviation history in 2003, Dilip shares with us his unrivalled knowledge of the Hurricane, including accounts of missions in the aircraft given personally to Dilip by Battle of Britain veterans.
Collections November 2025 - Allan Winn talks about Land Speed Records and Brooklands by Nonesuche Media
David Richards at Brooklands on 7th October 2025 talking about his life in Motorsport and Prodrive.David Richards CBE first gained prominence in motorsport by navigating Ari Vatanen to the World Rally Championship in 1981. David then established ProDrive which, over 40 years, has won events and championships across multiple motorsport disciplines including rallying, touring cars, Le Mans and Dakar. Colin McRae and Richard Burns both drove ProDrive cars to World Rally Championship success. In 1998 David became chief executive of the Benetton Formula One team and later was brought in to run the BAR Formula One team, guiding it to second place in the 2004 Formula One constructors championship, driven by Jenson Button. David continues to oversee ProDrive automotive and engineering projects, and combines this with chairing the Board of Motorsport UK.
In the pipeline for nearly a decade, 2025 saw the publication of "Formula 2 – The Glory Years". The book celebrates the wonderful era of the European Formula 2 Championship, which began in 1967 and concluded in 1984. Formula 2 pitted emerging heroes against the greats of the day and in its earlier years virtually all the top F1 drivers — names like Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Ronnie Peterson and Bruce McLaren — battled with young chargers in races that thrilled huge crowds at the best European circuits. We welcome to Brooklands Simon Taylor talking with Chris Chitty, Bob Constandurous and Ian Phillips who covered this epic era of motorsport.Double World Sportscar Champion and five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell is also part of the panel. Derek finished second in the 1970 European Formula 2 Championship driving a Brabham, and he also raced a works Ferrari in Formula 2.
BMtv's Gareth Tarr talks with Sir William's grandson Michael Quinn and author Giles Chapman about the compilation and delivery of the book.This is a Jaguar book with a difference. In 1969 Sir William Lyons gave an address to the Institute of the Motor Industry under the title ‘The History of the Jaguar and the future of the Specialised car in the British Motor Industry’. Delivered just after the launch of the seminal XJ6 saloon, it is a captivating personal account that explains how he built up Jaguar and what, in his view, made Jaguars special and distinctive. His extensive text forms the heart of this book, supported by a vivid array of archive photographs and rounded off with a preface by Michael Quinn (Sir William’s grandson) and an epilogue by Giles Chapman (the book’s originator and compiler) examining Sir William’s lasting legacy and the future of the great British brand he created. Here, uniquely, is the essence of Jaguar by the man who started it all, and who so rarely aired his thoughts in public.
Recorded at his home on 5th August 2025, Karl talks with BMtv's Gareth Tarr about his latest three volume set of books "POWER UNLEASHED. TRAILBLAZERS WHO ENERGISED ENGINES WITH SUPERCHARGING AND TURBOCHARGING".Award-winning author Karl Ludvigsen takes the reader behind the scenes of the roller-coaster ride of supercharging, turbocharging and even more exotic power-boosting inventions throughout automotive and aviation history. Supercharging in all its forms is the most exciting feature ever created to go under the bonnet of a motor car. Blowers were rare yet highly desirable devices in their early heyday of the 1920s and ’30s, an era in which compressors graced supremely glamorous and race-winning cars. They also won respect from aviators eager to exploit high altitudes.Prolific use of forced induction in the air in World War II brought forth the many engineering geniuses who populate these pages. Having seemed abandoned on land, supercharging found new acolytes who perfected blowers for road and track. They rescued the turbocharger to open new avenues for high-pressure boosting in the 1970s and ’80s. Into the 21st century turbocharging has found its way into more and more cars to enhance both performance and fuel efficiency.Power Unleashed is a three-volume work of astonishing depth and detail. Greatly respected for his ability to communicate information while telling a compelling story, Karl Ludvigsen explores the global saga of supercharging and turbocharging. Complete with reader-friendly technical descriptions and magnificent illustrations, he introduces the fascinating individuals who bet their businesses on boosting. This is a landmark work in the histories of the automobile and aeroplane.
Recorded at his home on 5th August 2025, Karl talks with BMtv's Gareth Tarr about his chequered career in the automotive industries and as an author spanning 60 years. In this part he talks about the Porsche, Mercedes and Ferrari book collections.
The author Crispian Besley is in conversation with Harry Sherrard.People lie, cheat, steal and even kill for a variety of reasons, one of which is to go motor racing, a particularly expensive and egotistical sport. Join author Crispian Besley as he shares salacious tales from the track as featured in his award-winning book.‘Driven to Crime’, was the result of years of research, and it encompasses not just those who have been ‘driven to crime’ in order to pay for their sport but also characters within motor racing who have been involved in wrongdoing. From true stories of deceit and crimes of drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement, robbery, fraud, murder, and money laundering, Crispianlifts the lid on his investigations and misdemeanours at all levels, from drivers, designers and mechanics to team owners, entrants, and sponsors.
BMtv's Gareth Tarr talks with the author John Brooks about the creation of this volume. Officially licensed with the ACO, the organisers of the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race, this authoritative book is the eighth title in Evro’s acclaimed decade-by-decade coverage of the world’s greatest motor race. As described by Motor Sport magazine, this multi-volume set covering every race since 1923 is ‘one of the modern age’s finest reference series’. Each year is exhaustively covered in magnificent photographs, a detailed and insightful commentary, and full results data. Written and photographed by an aficionado of Le Mans in the modern era, this latest instalment covering Audi’s decade of supremacy will be treasured by all enthusiasts of sports-car racing.
We welcome to Brooklands John Mayhead, award-winning author of "Goldie – the amazing story of Alfred Goldie Gardner, the world's most successful speed record driver". Despite suffering severe injuries in the First World War and ongoing disabilities, Goldie Gardner became a successful Brooklands racer between the wars. But it was his record-breaking that came to define him, driving diminutive MG based specials to a host of speed records before and after the Second World War. Of the book, one reviewer wrote "A captivating read which really transports you back to the sounds, smells and emotions of an early – and lethal – era of motorsport."
In this episode Tim Morris looks at the recent Motor Proud LGBTQ+ event at Brooklands including Stories Uncovered and the Eikon charity and in the second half a tribute to Brooklands stalwart and legend Julian Grimwade who lost his life last Saturday whilst competing at Donnington Park
Sir Ernest Shackleton became a national icon after venturing on four epic voyages of discovery to the Antarctic a century ago, including the famous HMS Endurance expedition. But after the Endurance was trapped by pack ice—and slowly succumbed to its crushing pressure—the expedition's fate, and that of its crew, looked bleak. Hundreds of miles from inhabited territory, and far from any shipping lanes, what followed is one of the greatest stories of endurance and survival ever told. The crew wouldn’t be rescued for more than a year and a half, but incredibly all 28 made it back alive.More than a century later, the wreck of the Endurance was finally located. In March 2022, a team of scientists released stunning images of the three-masted, wooden ship where it had lodged 10,000 feet deep at the bottom of the Antarctic.Our speaker is leading polar historian Michael Smith, who books have received wide critical acclaim and he is assisting with the development of a major international film about Shackleton.
Lois Pryce is a British motorcyclist, adventurer, author, journalist and speaker. She quit her job with the BBC, passed her motorcycle test and rode 20,000 miles from Alaska to the tip of South America on a small dirt bike. Her next expedition saw her ride the length of Africa solo from London to Cape Town via the Sahara, Congo and Angola. Then came an epic 3000 mile solo motorcycle ride around Iran – a country where women are not even allowed to ride motorcycles. Lois' resulting book, Revolutionary Ride, was named a Book of the Year by National Geographic Traveller Magazine, describing it as a "joyful, moving and stereotype-busting tale." Lois is an ebullient and highly entertaining speaker, and we welcomed her to Brooklands to hear more about her incredible adventures.
Brooklands Members Talks Host Harry Sherrard talks with Ian Flux about his life in motorsport.Ian Flux never got biggest breaks to move him up the international motor racing ladder, but he did become one of British motorsport’s most colourful and best-loved characters, and someone who has always lived life to the full.Fluxie has notched up nearly 50 years on track, from being a mechanic to motorcycle racing legend Giacomo Agostini to his stints in Formula 3, Thundersports and the British Touring Car Championship in a wide range of tin-tops, and his championship double in 1996 – the TVR Tuscan Challenge and the British GT Championship, driving a McLaren F1 GTR.Fluxie tells it how it was, covering not only the highs — including five championship titles — but also the many setbacks. Along the way you’ll laugh with him about much of it, particularly the pranks, but also learn about some dark times that he has never previously divulged. Come and strap yourself in for an evening of lots of laughs!
John Tye, Concorde pilot and Brooklands volunteer talks with Alan Smith, Concorde test pilot about Alan's time working with Brian Trubshaw on 002 and Delta Golf during the 1970s.
Former land speed record holder Richard Noble returned to Brooklands to tell us about his new project, an attempt on the water speed record.Inspired by the exploits of John Cobb and his designer Reid Railton, the Thrust team has set out to break the current WSR of 317.596mph, which was set by Australian Ken Warby back in 1978. That the record has stood for so long indicates both the danger and the difficulty involved in mounting a challenge. Since that record was set, two challengers have died in the process.The Thrust WSH (water speed hydrofoil) team is therefore proceeding with maximum research and risk mitigation efforts. To produce a truly innovative design the team has access to advanced technologies and resources not available to earlier challengers.
Richard Noble came to Brooklands on the 23rd January to talk about his World Speed Records. In part one he recounts his land speed record challenges. What a story!
When Eric Fernihough lost control of his motorcycle at over 170mph, he was the last British rider to have been the ‘world’s fastest’ on two wheels. An orphan, an adopted son, a public schoolboy, a Cambridge graduate, an engineer, a noted tuner, a European motorcycle champion, a multiple Brooklands race winner, ‘Ferni’ was a motorcycling household name in the nineteen thirties. On a new road in far-away Hungary, he rode to his death on 23 April 1938. His life story, which this book tells, spanned more than thirty year’s of furious competition for the world’s absolute motorcycle speed record before World War 2.First in 1900 was a Frenchman on an American motorcycle. French motorcycles took the lead in 1902 until an American boardtrack rider rode his best ever at England’s Brooklands Motor Course in 1911. An English rider and machine promptly took the title back before the Americans recovered it. With the world at war, in 1916 an Australian was the fastest on a remote dirt road near Adelaide.After a short period of American supremacy on the sands of America’s Daytona Beach, Brooklands was the setting for more world’s record efforts before the long, straight roads of France became the new battleground. British riders and motorcycles were unbeatable until German technical ingenuity, and a BMW rider Ernst Henne, became dominant during the lean years of the Great Depression.Eric Fernihough set out to challenge this German hegemony. With supercharged big-twin JAP engines in Brough Superior motorcycles, he drove to the south of Budapest and set the absolute world’s motorcycle speed record there at 169.79mph in April 1937. Gilera-mounted Piero Taruffi just squeezed past him before Henne took the title again at 173.68mph. Back in Hungary, Fernihough was aiming for over 175mph when he crashed and was killed.Drawing on Fernihough’s personal papers and photographs at Brooklands Museum, the Mutschler collection in Germany, Henne’s private albums at the BMW archives and many other sources, this book has hundreds of never-before-published photographs and drawings. It is the first detailed history of the world’s absolute motorcycle speed record and the first biography of a great motorcycle rider.Most of the images are reproduced from 'Speed Monarch: the short life of Eric Fernihough and the world's motorcycle speed record' by Terry Wright which is published by Loose Fillings Publishing and can be ordered online at www.loosefillings.com or leading motoring booksellers. Credit to Katy Coubrough for the excellent image production as seen in the book.
Doug Nye is one of the world’s foremost motorsport journalists and authors. In 2023 he celebrated his 60th year as a racing journalist, having joined Motor Racing magazine in 1963. He went on to work for Motoring News and Motor Sport before going freelance. He remains a regular contributor to many racing and classic car publications in the UK and worldwide.He is the multiple award-winning author of more than 70 books covering motor sporting history. His books include works on Lotus, Cooper, BRM, Ferrari and McLaren, and biographies of pre-war British ace Dick Seaman, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jack Brabham, Phil Hill and Jim Clark.Doug is consultant historian to Goodwood Motorsport, and is one of the co-founders of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival Meeting.In much demand throughout the world for his unrivalled motorsport knowledge, we look welcome Doug to Brooklands for a most insightful and entertaining evening.
Max Chilton talks with Harry Sherrard about his fascinating and varied career in Motorsport.After starting his career in karts aged 10, Max Chilton progressed up the racing ladder through Formula 3 and GP2, reaching Formula One in 2013 with the Marussia team. He achieved the distinction of being the only driver to finish every race of his rookie season. A further season in Formula One followed, then Max moved stateside to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar series. In the 2017 Indianapolis 500, Max dominated the latter part of the race, leading 47 of the last 72 laps, ultimately finishing fourth. Further IndyCar seasons followed, before a switch to the World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24 Hours.In June 2022, with a performance that anyone who witnessed it will never forget, Max took the electric McMurtry active-downforce car up the Goodwood hillclimb in 39.08 seconds, to set an astonishing new Festival of Speed shoot out record.
From bamboo biplanes to supersonic airliners and the pioneer designers who created themA History of Aviation at Brooklands in 100 Objects. The author Nigel Spooner writes;The book is a history of aviation at Brooklands in 100 objects that are arranged into seven episodes, each of which covers a particular era of that history. Choosing what to include andwhat to leave out has been a difficult task – there can be no such thing as a perfect list! The objects include aircraft, engines, places and many other elements that played a role in the transformation of Brooklands from a marshy water meadow to one of Europe’s largest aircraft factories. The intent with each one is not to indulge in too many technical details but rather to explore the stories andpeople behind them. I have also included relatively brief biographies on each of the six featured designers that are intended to show their personal contributions to the Brooklands history.
Although Derek never won in Formula 1, due to ill fortune and so often being in the wrong car at the wrong time, he did achieve the results he deserved in sports car racing, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Championship in 1992, plus finishing series runner-up with Jaguar in 1986 and 1991. In the twilight of his racing career, that world title was a fitting companion to the one he had earned as a short-track oval racer nearly 20 years earlier.Derek Warwick has been a popular and highly respected figure in motor racing for nearly 50 years, known for his tough and determined personality as well as his talent and bravery behind the wheel. He was always a fan favourite for his humility and straightforwardness, which earned him respect and admiration from the motorsports world.Now, with characteristic honesty and humour, his forthcoming book will tell his inspiring story in a memoir that holds nothing back, published by EVRO.
Neil Laughton is a former Royal Marine Commando, helicopter pilot and Special Forces Officer who went on to become one of the world's greatest adventurers and a multiple Guinness World Record breaker.He has organised and led more than 50 expeditions on seven continents – by land, sea and air. His amazing adventures include piloting the world’s first road legal flying car on a 10,000 km journey from London to Timbuktu; crossing the Sahara desert on KTM motorcycles; a 1,000 km journey across the spine of the Himalayas on Royal Enfields; circumnavigating the UK & Ireland on a jet ski; summiting Mt Everest with Bear Grylls, and skiing to both the north and south poles.He organised and led Flying for Heroes, a 1,000 km flying journey in Paratrikes from Mt Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) to Mt Kenya with wounded soldiers from the Help 4 Heros charity, and he has recently taken part in a humanitarian mission to Ukraine.Neil’s book ‘Adventureholic – Extraordinary journeys on seven continents by land, sea and air’ was published in 2023 and became an Amazon No. 1 bestseller.
Our speaker is author and journalist Rachel Harris-Gardiner. Her award winning book, Speed Queens, on which her talk is based, is a history of women in motorsport, from the first known motorised race for women in 1897 to the modern era, and covering both circuit racing and rallying.Some of the best-known female competitors such as Brooklands’ own Kay Petre and Gwenda Stewart, rally stars Rosemary Smith, Pat Moss and Michele Mouton and the only female Formula 1 points scorer Lella Lombardi are covered, but Speed Queens is not just concerned with big names and historic “firsts”. For every woman to be the first to do something on wheels, there were usually several others striving for success.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, international relations across the globe were dominated by the Cold War. From 1949 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries created the best-equipped armed forces that the world had ever seen, and which faced each other directly across the Iron Curtain in Europe. Our speaker is Michael Napier, an ex-RAF Tornado pilot turned author, who saw frontline service during the Cold War as well as combat experience over Iraq. Michael examines the airpower of the major powers at both strategic and tactical level throughout the 40 years of the Cold War, including the aircraft types, the units that operated them in the roles in which they were deployed.
The exploits of the SAS in North Africa in the early years of the Second World War are well known; attacks behind enemy lines, destruction of hundreds of German aircraft on the ground and generally creating mayhem for the Afrika Korps. But little of this would have been possible without the Long Range Desert Group. Experts in desert navigation, the LRDG was formed to carry out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance patrols and intelligence missions behind Axis lines. As the commando tactics of the SAS developed, a reliable mode of transport to and from targets, often across hundreds of miles of desert, was provided by the LRDG to the SAS, using their ubiquitous 30 cwt Chevrolet trucks.Our speaker is Richard Pinches, whose father, Peter Pinches, served in North Africa with the 7th Armoured Division. Richard is a Second World War re-enactor and historian, specialising in the North African campaign and the LRDG. His talk covers the vital but often overlooked role of this uniquely skilled and capable unit of the Desert Rats.
Karun Chandhok in conversation with Harry Sherrard and two pieces of music celebrating Donald Campbell.
Vicki's grandfather raced a Frazer Nash at Brooklands and, with heritage like that, small wonder that she made her career in the motoring world. She started racing karts at the age of 12 and went on to compete in a multitude of cars and categories. Notable achievements include becoming the first woman to win a Maserati race in the history of the marque, when she competed in a support race at the British Grand Prix in 2004. Vicki has been a motoring journalist from the age of 18 and in 1994 joined the Top Gear team on BBC, before moving to Channel 5 to present Fifth Gear, staying with the show when it moved to the Quest channel. Her journalistic skills have featured in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including Auto Express, What Car?, Performance Car and the Sunday Times, earning Vicki the accolade of being the UK's number one female four-wheel journalist.We welcomed Vicki to Brooklands and she delivered a fascinating conversation about her outstanding career.
Who were aviation’s greatest pioneers, influencers and heroes? A light-hearted look at the men and woman at the forefront of more than a century of aviation, from Brooklands’ own Harry Hawker, to Amy Johnson, to Chuck Yeager and beyond. Concluding with an audience vote as to who should head the Hall of Fame.Our speaker is Andy Richardson, former Avro Vulcan crew member turned civil aviation consultant and historian. Andy returns to Brooklands having delivered a sell-out talk about his Vulcan career.
Unconventional and controversial, in the 1990s the Benetton Formula 1 team rose through the ranks to challenge the big names of Williams, Ferrari and McLaren. After black flags, disqualifications, a pitlane inferno and political manoeuvring, the tumultuous 1994 season ended with Michael Schumacher sealing the World Championship title for Benetton, after a controversial clash with Damon Hill in the season finale in Australia. Our speaker is Damien Smith, former editor of MotorSport magazine and author of the new and authoritative history of this most colourful of Formula 1 teams. Damien is joined by senior Benetton engineer Pat Symonds and other former team personnel.
10 June 1907, Peking. Five cars set off in a desperate race across two continents on the verge of revolution. An Italian prince and his chauffeur, a French racing driver, a conman and various journalists battle over steep mountain ranges and across the arid vastness of the Gobi Desert. The contestants need teams of helpers to drag their primitive cars up narrow gorges, lift them over rough terrain and float them across rivers. Petrol is almost impossible to find, there are barely any roads, armed bandits and wolves lurk in the forests. Updates on their progress, sent by telegram, are eagerly devoured by millions in one of the first ever global news stories. Their destination: Paris. More than its many adventures, the Peking-to-Paris provided the impetus for profound change. The world of 1907 is poised between the old and the new: communist regimes will replace imperial ones in China and Russia; the telegraph is transforming modern communication and the car will soon displace the horse. In this book bestselling author Kassia St Clair traces the fascinating stories of two interlocking races - setting the derring-do (and sometimes cheating) of one of the world's first car races against the backdrop of a larger geopolitical and technological rush to the future, as the rivalry grows between countries and empires, building up to the cataclysmic event that changed everything - the First World War. The Race to the Future is the incredible true story of the quest against the odds that shaped the world we live in today.
Karun is in conversation with Harry Sherrard.Karun Chandhok was born into a motor racing family where his father, grandfather and even grandmother used to race! After winning Indian and Asian championships, Karun moved to England where he was a front-runner in Formula 3, which served as a launch pad up to GP2 and then Formula 1. Karun was a test driver for the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team in 2007 and 2008, before racing in Formula 1 for Hispania Racing and Team Lotus in 2010 and 2011. He went on to compete at Le Mans and in the Formula E series.Since 2016, Karun has been a regular driver and consultant for the Williams Formula 1 team’s Heritage business, showcasing their World Championship winning Formula 1 cars. He is also a Goodwood Revival regular, winning the Whitsun Trophy in the CanAM McLaren M1A in 2019.Best known today as commentator and technical analysist of the Sky Sports F1 team, Karun also sits on the Board of Motorsport UK.We are delighted that Karun made time in his busy schedule to come to talk to us at Brooklands.
On 13th February 1974 G-BBDG took off for the first time. Our panel of Allan Winn, Terry Selman, Gordon Roxburgh and former Chief Concorde Pilot Mike Bannister discuss Delta Golf's remarkable journey from test flights to arriving here at Brooklands and and most importantly, what it was like to fly her.UPDATE - WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT CONCORDE PILOT JOCK LOWE JOINS US FOR THIS PANEL TALK.Allan WinnAllan's role in beinging Delta Golf to Brooklands was to fight the legal, regulatory, technical, financial and commercial battles to get it to Brooklands in the first place, and then get it restored and into service as a genuine revenue-generator forthe Museum.Mike BannisterMike's proudest association with DG comes from my time at British Airways, the owners of the aircraft. Whilst at BA he was one of a very small group that decided where each Concorde should go after retirement. Mike lobbied heavily for Brooklands and managed to convince the others that the Museum was the right site and that DG was the perfect 'Concorde' to be allocated.Terry SelmanJoined BOAC (BA) from school to complete a 5-year apprenticeship, went on to obtain UK CAA maintenance engineers licences before taking up a position as an Overseas Line Station Engineer. In 1975 attended 3-month Concorde training course in Bristol after which posted to RAF Fairford and Brize Norton to provide maintenance support during the Pilot, Flight Engineer training program. After completing the training program, he was posted to Bharain for 2 years to provide line station support for the first Concorde commercial passenger flights.Gordon RoxburghGordon Roxburgh, founder of the ConcordeSST website, used the power of the internet to bring together and lead a group of over 100 volunteers, many new to Brooklands Museum and to aircraft engineering for that matter, to help restore G-BBDG. The Team also worked on the restoration of the Concorde Simulator. Many of the team are still volunteers today at Brooklands and other museums around the country.
In 2024 we mark the 80th anniversary of the most infamous prisoner breakout from Nazi Germany. The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III was immortalised by the 1963 Hollywood blockbuster; but what really happened?Our speaker is Joanna Bristow-Watkins, whose father, Squadron Leader Alec Bristow, was a Mosquito pilot who was shot down and incarcerated in the notorious Stalag. He kept a diary as a POW, from which Joanna has drawn her fascinating talk.What was it really like for an RAF Officer in the camp? How challenging was the planning and construction of the famous Tom, Dick and Harry tunnels? What actually took place on the night of 24th March 1944? And what were the after-effects of this bold affront to the Nazi Regime?
In 2024 we mark the 80th anniversary of the most infamous prisoner breakout from Nazi Germany. The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III was immortalised by the 1963 Hollywood blockbuster; but what really happened?Our speaker is Joanna Bristow-Watkins, whose father, Squadron Leader Alec Bristow, was a Mosquito pilot who was shot down and incarcerated in the notorious Stalag. He kept a diary as a POW, from which Joanna has drawn her fascinating talk.What was it really like for an RAF Officer in the camp? How challenging was the planning and construction of the famous Tom, Dick and Harry tunnels? What actually took place on the night of 24th March 1944? And what were the after-effects of this bold affront to the Nazi Regime?
The last episode of 2023 and we look back over the year with two reports on electric 2 and 4 wheels, and samples of live music from the year.
Richard Jenkins talks with Gareth Tarr about the making of the book and what he learnt about the family and organisation along the way.
In this episode Tim talks to Stuart Edmondson, CEO of the Bloodhound LSR project and Mike Bannister on the 20th anniversary of Concorde's last flight.
Brooklands volunteers John Bottomley and his son-in-law Phil Kirby enter a 1904 Dreadnought motorcycle and a 1901 Raleigh pushbike in the 2023 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. This conversation looks back at how it came together and its success.
John in conversation with Harry Sherrard about his life in aviation.John Tye’s job at British Airways was supposed to be only temporary, a way for him to pass the summer before starting university. Instead, it would kickstart a forty-six-year career in aviation and take him all over the world.Told in an irrepressible and infectious style, Life of a Concorde Pilot is the story of how, despite a somewhat turbulent start to life in a Middlesex orphanage, John would go on to fly the world’s only supersonic airliner.A true insight to the life of an airline pilot, with many amusing anecdotes along the way, it follows his ups and downs from his career on the ground at BA to flying with Dan Air and then back to BA, through to Covid and his reluctant retirement at the end of 2022. Full of the fascinating details only a pilot can give, this is a memorable journey to the edge of space and beyond.
British Racing Motors was founded just after the Second World War with the objective of building an all-British Grand Prix car for the post-war era as a national prestige project, with financial and industrial backing from the British motor industry channelled through a trust fund. In due course it fell to one of the partners in the trust, Alfred Owen of the Rubery Owen group of companies, to take over the team in its entirety. Between 1954 and 1970 the team entered its works F1 cars under the official name of the Owen Racing Organisation, scoring World Championship success with Graham Hill in 1962.In celebration of BRM's 70th anniversary, the Owen family commissioned the build of an authentic new BRM Type 15 Mk 1 V16 Chassis IV, based on the design of the original 1950s race car. We welcome to Brooklands members of the Owen family who present the story of how the project was conceived and then executed, whilst also sharing artefacts and film from the extensive BRM archive.
American Car Day with Be Bop Boulevard, Gary and his 1930 Cadillac, Marnie and her 1954 Chevrolet 3100, French Car Day serenaded by Blue Boy and Toulouse with guitarist Paul Steward ex-marketing manager at Brooklands! Cressida talks about her 1927 Delage, Graham with his 1973 Citreon DS23, Martin and his 1926 Citreon B12 truck.
Allan Winn talks about how Brooklands acquired the Napier Railton as it celebrates 90 years since its first show at the track. Martin Gegg share the Bert Denley story. The Rob Walker Blue Plaque is unveiled at Dorking and Chris Roberts talks about the Hawk aircraft as it gets its new wings at Brooklands.
We are at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and BMtv intrepid reporter Fiona Easterby talks with the Brooklands team and meanders around the Cartier Style et Luxe paddock
Alex Patterson talks about the clubhouse renovation and lift installation and MG South East celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the marque.
Duncan tells the story of the Beast and his ownership.Originally conceived in 1911, the FIAT S76, better known as the Beast of Turin, is one of the most outrageous cars ever built. Its colossal inline-four engine displaced 28.4 litres and produced 300 hp at just 1000 rpm. The chassis featured a rigid axle suspension system with leaf springs. Brakes were only installed on the rear axle.Only two were built, and Fiat sold the second Beast to a wealthy Russian Prince named Boris Soukhanov, who hired racing driver Pietro Bordino to drive it at Brooklands and attempt to break the land speed record. But when Bordino took it onto the track, it was so terrifying that he refused to go over 90 mph.After many changes of ownership, the Beast was acquired by Duncan Pittaway in 2003, and a lengthy restoration process began. Duncan discovered that the original engine from the first S76 had survived and managed to acquire it. After several years of hard work that saw the double chain-drive gearbox, body, and many other components being rebuilt using the original Fiat drawings, the Beast of Turin was brought back to life.
After an early career in motorsports PR, representing several F1 drivers and the Jordan Grand Prix team, Louise Goodman broke the mould by entering the male-dominated and highly competitive world of motorsports commentary in the 1990s. Dubbed ‘the first woman of Formula One’ Louise made her name as part of ITV’s Grand Prix presentation team, working alongside F1 luminaries Murray Walker and Martin Brundle, becoming the female face of ITV’s then new ‘Grand Prix’ programme.Best known today as ITV’s co-presenter of the British Touring Car Championship alongside Steve Rider, Louise has also fronted programmes from the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Goodwood Revival and the Le Mans 24 hours, amongst many others.With her insider knowledge gained from a 30 year involvement in top level motorsport, Louise delivers a unique insight into the pit lane beyond the camera. Louise is joined on stage by leading motorsport author, journalist and broadcaster Maurice Hamilton and host Harry Sherrard.
Featuring the opening of the Sir Barnes Wallis exhibition and conversation with Sir Barnes' surviving daughter Elizabeth Gaunt. Also the Award for Best Learning Programme "Learning without borders" from the Bourne Education Trust.
Tim takes a trip up in the new clubhouse lift and presents Philip Hogg and his aviation career with BOAC.
A tribute to Lady Susie Moss and those Ladies who have left their mark on Brooklands history.
Nigel Limb suffered multiple injuries in a motorcycle racing accident in 2015. His life-support was about to be turned off, but he miraculously began to recover and woke up from a coma. Nerves severed in the accident mean that he is partially blind and partially brain dead, but this has not prevented him from living life to the full. Notwithstanding his disabilities, in 2022 Nigel (a.k.a. blindblokeracing on social media) broke the British record for a partially sighted drag strip run, hitting speeds of 83 mph in 8.74 seconds on an Electric TT Zero bike. Nigel and his wife Julie have an incredible and inspiring story to tell about the aftermath of his life changing accident and his determination to show that people with sight loss can achieve amazing things.
Wing Commander Manjeet Ghatoara and Air Specialist 1(Technician) Catherine Ryan talk about todays RAF, reflecting on its past and looking into its future.
The author of the book Richard Jenkins talks about the history of the team. Ken Tyrrell’s famous Formula 1 racing team will forever be associated with Jackie Stewart and the three World Championship titles they won together. But the Tyrrell story is far bigger than that, embracing nearly 40 action-packed years, from initial forays as an entrant in Formula Junior in 1960 to eventual demise in 1998. Along the way, the team with its larger-than-life proprietor was always universally respected in the world’s Formula 1 paddocks, often as the plucky underdog. In compiling this comprehensive history, the author has interviewed dozens of surviving team members — including most of the drivers and many mechanics — to gather their memories and present an energetic, touching, compelling and above all entertaining narrative. in the 50th anniversary year of Tyrrell’s last championship title, this book will be treasured by all racing enthusiasts.
Formed in 1940, the Special Operations Executive put Churchill’s instruction to “Set Europe ablaze” into action. The organization's F section sent more than 400 agents into France, 39 of whom were women. They were given months of arduous fitness, gun, explosives, endurance and code training before parachuting into occupied territory. The women were warned of the likelihood of arrest, torture and a brutal death before they volunteered. None demurred. Of the 29, 13 never returned, having been executed in Hitler's concentration camps.
Our speaker is Dr Kate Vigurs, a professional freelance historian and author of “Mission France. The true story of the women of SOE". In her presentation Kate will focus on the missions of the skilled and courageous women of SOE, tracing their journeys from recruitment, to training, to work undertaken in the field, to evasion from, or capture by, the Gestapo.
On the night of 16/17 May 1943 the RAF’s recently formed 617 Squadron carried out what was probably the most famous air raid of all time. A combination of the genius of Barnes Wallis and the astonishing courage and skill of the crews saw two major German dams breached and a third damaged, leading to loss and disruption to the Nazi war economy. Normally kept top secret, the aerial reconnaissance photos of the ruptured dams and consequent flooding were transmitted around the world, giving the Allies a major propaganda coup.How was the technology for the raid developed? Was the raid worth the lives of the 53 aircrew who perished on the night? How accurate was the epic 1955 Dambusters movie?Harry Sherrard presents a fascinating talk on the 80th anniversary of the raid for a fascinating presentation about one of the greatest feats of arms of World War 2.
Philip Hogge first learned to fly in 1958 by completing a gliding course with the Air Cadets. He then obtained an RAF Flying Scholarship while still at school and learned to fly a Tiger Moth, gaining his Private Pilot’s Licence. In 1962 he joined BOAC where he flew the Britannia 312 (the last propeller service across the Atlantic), then Brooklands built VC10s, Boeing 707s and eventually 747s. He was Flight Training Manager on 707s and then 747s, before becoming Chief Pilot on 747s, and finally GM Flight Operational Services in British Airways’ flight operations department.Airline flying in the 1960s was still an era of glamour, adventure and excitement in what Phil fondly recalls as the Golden Age of Flying. He has written two volumes of short stories in which he recalls, in fictional form, the challenges and enjoyment he and his colleagues shared in those days.
Patrick Lynch, the author of "At The Greatest Speed", tells the story of Gordon Bennett who was an American millionaire who inherited a fortune from his publisher father. He supported emerging technology and sport and, in 1899, fascinated by the new motor cars, he instigated the International Gordon Bennett Cup. The inaugural race took place in 1900 between Paris and Lyon, with three countries participating. The 1903 Cup, which was held in Ireland, was a world first in its use of a closed-circuit course, setting the template for future circuit racing. It was also the first international motor race in the British Isles, and was contested by future Brooklands racer Selwyn Edge. Bennett’s promotion of these events boosted the global car industry and established international motorsport.
This episode is given over to the VSCC Winter Driving Tests held at Brooklands at the end of January.
Britain’s V bombers comprised the RAF’s strategic nuclear strike force aircraft during the Cold War. The three models of bomber were the Vickers Valiant, the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan, which famously flew extremely long-range ground attack missions against Argentine positions in the Falklands War in 1982. Our speaker Andy Richardson served in the RAF from 1960 to 1980, including six years crewing on the Avro Vulcan. His talk will cover the need for these machines in the Cold War era, their design and development, how crews were selected, trained and lived and how events would have unfolded if they ever had to launch in anger.
People lie, cheat, steal and even kill for a variety of reasons, one of which is to go motor racing, a particularly expensive and egotistical sport. This intriguing book, the result of years of research, encompasses not just those who have been ‘driven to crime’ in order to pay for their sport but also characters within motor racing who have been involved in wrongdoing, sometimes through no fault of their own. Over 60 true stories cover webs of deceit and numerous crimes including drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement, robbery, fraud, murder and money laundering. The author investigates misdemeanours at all levels, from drivers, designers and mechanics to team owners, entrants and sponsors. This book will appeal not only to motor racing enthusiasts and cognoscenti on both sides of the Atlantic but also to anyone who enjoys reading about crime.
Tim Morris looks forward to events taking place in the first three months of 2023 at the museum and highlights Mike Wilds talk of nearly 60 years in motorsport.
Tim looks back at two guest speakers who are no longer with us, Paddy Hopkirk and Tony Brooks. He links Synth Pop with Brooklands and in the news section looks at the new events from 2022 and those to look forward to in 2023 and the success of Innovations day in November.
Brooklands welcomes an FIA world champion – Mike Wilds, who won the 1986 Group C2 World Sportscar Championship with Ecurie Ecosse. Mike began racing in 1965 and has competed in a vast array of machinery, including Formula 3, Formula 5000, Le Mans prototypes, GTs and Touring Cars, driving for works teams and collecting 12 British Championships along the way.In the early 1970s Mike reached Formula 1, securing a works BRM drive, before famously being sacked by the team’s mercurial owner, Louis Stanley, for impugning the BRM engine! Mike, who is one of Britain’s most popular racers, will share with us a wealth of anecdotes from his incredible 50 + year motorsport career.
Tim looks back at what was delivered at Brooklands in 2022 and highlights our last talk of the year, car designer Peter Stevens.
The author of this fascinating book on S.F. Edge talks with Brooklands Gareth Tarr about the life of this motoring pioneer.Selwyn Francis Edge, invariably known simply as ‘SF’, was a highly significant pioneer of motoring in Britain. When, in 1902, he drove a Napier to victory in the Gordon Bennett Cup, a mighty event on public roads between Paris in France and Innsbruck in Austria, he initiated serious British endeavour in motor racing. He was deeply involved in the birth of Brooklands, setting a 24-hour solo driving record there when the circuit opened in 1907. As a towering industry figure most closely associated with Napier and AC Cars, he played an important role in the growth of car manufacture in Britain. In the words of ‘Bentley Boy’ S.C.H. ‘Sammy’ Davis, ‘His keen grey eyes, the bushy eyebrows and the hawk-like face… made him a notable figure in any assembly.’ This biography uncovers the life of an extraordinary man whose achievements deserve to be far more widely recognised.
Including Motorsport Day with Mike Ward, the C16 Streamliner with Glenn Billqvist and Phil Reid with Wendy Amy.
Peter Stevens is probably best known as the designer of the ultimate 1990s supercar, the McLaren F1, but that is just one of many accolades he has won in a storied career in vehicle design. Motorsport clients have included the Brabham and Williams Formula One teams and he was consultant designer for BMW and Toyota Le Mans projects. Notable road car designs on his CV include the Jaguar XJR15 supercar, the 1980s Lotus range and the MGs of the 2000s. He was appointed Visiting Professor, Vehicle Design, Royal College of Art and delivers vehicle design masterclasses internationally.
Outright winner of the St Mary's Trophy race at the Goodwood Revival; multiple class winner at Rally GB; management stints with the Brabham and McLaren Formula One teams; BBC Television's Formula One pit lane commentator; ITV's Formula One studio analyst; Sky Sports motorsport expert; host of the British Grand Prix after party. Tony Jardine has an impressively diverse motorsport CV and has worked with the great and the good across all motorsport disciplines. Enjoy a fascinating talk by this multitalented motorsport personality.
THE WORLD'S GREATEST AIRCRAFT. CONCORDE'S MOST EXPERIENCED PILOT. THE DEFINITIVE STORY.For over a quarter of a century, Concorde was the world's only successful supersonic airliner, carrying passengers at speeds faster than a rifle bullet - and at heights that provided a glimpse of the edge of space.As Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways, Mike Bannister knows her like no one else. From displaying Concorde with the Red Arrows over London to landing her back at Heathrow in her last scheduled flight in October 2003, he has seen Concorde's full journey.Now he shares the inside story of this unique and awe-inspiring aircraft for the first time, including his role in the investigation to uncover what really happened when Concorde fell to earth on 25th July 2000.Loved and missed like no other aeroplane, Concorde is part celebration, part history, part detective story and part courtroom drama.
Celebrating the Aston Martin Heritage Festival, introduced by John Johnson and Kay Petre. Interviews with some of the owners by Gillian. What a day!
Martin Shelley tells the story of Frank Halford, the English aircraft engine designer, best known for the series of de Havilland Gipsy engines, widely used by light aircraft in the 1920s and 30s.
From the Motorcycle Show July 2022. Including Project Pitstop, BSA coming to England, Hollis Motorcycles and Eddie about his Fast Lady Combo.
Neil Bailey, Chairman of Brooklands Members presents at the 2022 AGM. Recorded on 21st September 2022
Tamalie Newbery, Director and CEO of Brooklands Museum presents her annual address to the Members at their AGM on 21st September 2022
In 2019 a team of intrepid aviators undertook the most challenging expedition ever attempted in a single-engined World War II era aircraft. After years of planning, the team from Spitfires.com flew a silver Spitfire right around the world, taking in some of the most famous landmarks on the planet from the Grand Canyon in the West, to the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji in the East.
The Spitfire is recognised as an emblem of freedom across the globe, and the expedition promoted the ‘Best of British’ worldwide, showcasing the nation’s heritage in engineering excellence, through an aircraft that changed the course of history. The expedition reunited the Spitfire with many countries that owe their freedom, at least in part, to this iconic aircraft.
120 days after departing Goodwood on 5 August 2019, having visited 24 countries, having flown 22,130 nautical miles, and having overcome many challenges, the Silver Spitfire touched down once again on the West Sussex turf, piloted by Matt Jones. Matt, the chief pilot, delivers a unique, inspiring and abundantly illustrated talk about his adventures on this epic expedition.
Charley Boorman is an English TV presenter, travel writer and actor. As a noted motorbike enthusiast, Boorman is widely known for a series of three long distance motorcycle rides with friend Ewan McGregor, documented in Long Way Round, Long Way Down, and Long Way Up.
Charley is in conversation with Steve Parrish, so be prepared for some lively conversation!
The de Havilland Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder” and was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world.
Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito's use evolved during the war into many roles, including low- to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, high-altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike, and photo-reconnaissance aircraft. It served with the RAF in all theatres of the war.
There is currently no airworthy Mosquito in Europe and The People’s Mosquito is a registered UK charity whose aim is to restore to flight status a Mosquito lost on a training flight in 1949. The talk covers the manufacturing methods of the Mosquito and the operational history of the aircraft, finishing with information about the charity and the project to return a UK-built Mosquito to the skies.
The talk is delivered by Alan Pickford Director of Finance & TPM Club Chairman
Featuring MotorsportUK's StreetCar, the Double Twelve Driving Tests and West Surrey Racing's Dick Bennetts
The Track Episode 21. The Sunbeam 350HP LSR Car and Brooklands Innovation Academy. by Nonesuche Media
We were delighted to welcome to Brooklands Museum the legendary team boss of West Surrey Racing, Dick Bennetts, whose Formula 3 drivers have included Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barrichello and Jonathan Palmer.
WSR bowed out of F3 at the end of 1995 as the most successful team in the history of the series, both in terms of race victories and titles. From 1996 the team has concentrated on the British Touring Car Championship, with drivers including Nigel Mansell, Tom Kristensen, Andy Priaulx and multiple BTCC champion Colin Turkington. In total nine WSR drivers have won an FIA World Championship, while past and present racers have accounted for over 1500 Formula 1 starts, 18 Le Mans 24 Hours wins, two Indycar titles and 36 wins, an Indianapolis 500 victory and over 200 BTCC successes. WSR continues to run the BMW manufacturer assisted team in BTCC in 2022.
With a wealth of anecdotes from more than 30 years in top level motorsport, Dick was in conversation with Harry Sherrard.
Crowds converged on Brooklands Museum as it hosted the land speed record celebration day, in partnership with the National Transport Trust and National Motor Museum Beaulieu, on Tuesday 17th May, exactly 100 years after Brooklands played host to a record-breaking run. This presentation discusses the early history of Sunbeam and the design and evolution of this magnificent racing car. Contributors are Oliver Heal with Andrea Bishop and Doug Hill from Beaulieu Museum.
Crowds converged on Brooklands Museum as it hosted the land speed record celebration day, in partnership with the National Transport Trust and National Motor Museum Beaulieu, on Tuesday 17th May, exactly 100 years after Brooklands played host to a record-breaking run. In the afternoon, attendees were invited to a panel discussion with Andy Green and representatives from McLaren Automotive, McMurtry Automotive and Don Wales, Grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell. The panel discussed the importance of ambitious technical projects like the land speed record in pushing the envelope, enhancing the future of mobility and helping to tackle the climate crisis. Discussion also covered the history, engineering prowess and innovation associated with the land speed record, and how it can lay the groundwork for vehicles today and the mobility of tomorrow.
Back in 2017, Keith Futcher, a 70-year-old living in Malaysia saw an image in a glossy magazine that sent his heart racing. Determined to recreate the photograph, Keith persuaded two other seniors, quickly growing to four, that a journey on heritage motorcycles across the Sahara was a wonderfully absurd notion.
Hooking up with an ex-Special Forces operative and a combat zone photographer made them seven. Wild camping under star-spattered skies from Spain to Tangier, then riding across unforgiving terrain, fourteen dusty boots eventually touched down on the sands of the Sahara at Erg Chebbi, their final destination.
Keith talks with John Bottomley at Brooklands about his adventures
There are none more fitting than Tony Brooks, who once owned the garage just outside the Brooklands gates, to open a new season of Simon Taylor's Motoring Legends in 2017.
Simon joined us in the Brooklands Clubhouse to revisit many of those people he originally interviewed for his famous "Lunch With....." series of articles in motorsport magazine.
Tony Brooks took part in 39 F1 Grands Prix from1956, achieving six wins and 10 podium finishes. He was third in the F1 Championship in 1958 and second in 1959.
A true British Motoring Legend on stage in the Brooklands Clubhouse with Simon Taylor.
Recorded in July 2017
The Track Episode 20 - Dr Eric Gardner and Stars from Secrets of the Transport Museum by Nonesuche Media
Dr Gardner was an amazing man. Not only was he the Brooklands circuit Physician but he also founded Weybridge Museum.
That was not all however, as he was also a Weybridge GP and Surgeon, rower, soldier, hospital governor, local councillor and Mayor, archaeologist, historian, expert map collector, forensic pathologist and the inventor of the safety motor cycle crash helmet!
Local historian Steve McCarthy shines a light on this remarkable man and a corner of Brooklands' history that is little known.
Reine Wisell spoke with BMtv's Robin Cordery on a Zoom call on the 3rd August 2020. Reine was in Thailand and Robin in Surrey so please excuse the quality of the recording.
In 2007 Fiona Easterby combined her passion for cars and travel by buying a VW Beetle for £99 and driving it from the UK to Gambia, via the Sahara Desert. She caught the bug, as it were, and followed that by more international driving adventures, culminating in driving a 1969 Baja Beetle from the UK to Singapore via the Middle East and the Tibetan plateau. She became the first person in the world to drive a VW Beetle to Mount Everest.
For her day job, Fiona is a broadcast camera operator. In addition to working for the BBC, Sky and Channel 4 amongst others, including filming motorsport events, she set up World Rallies Productions. Assignments have included filming the Thunder Dragon Tour of India and Bhutan, and the Samurai Challenge Rally of Japan.
Drawing from both her international motoring and filming experiences, Fiona delivers an entertaining and inspiring presentation.
Tim talks to some of the owners and drivers at the VSCC Driving Tests day at Brooklands in January, followed by the 1964 Monte Carlo rally winner and so much more celebrity Paddy Hopkirk in person talking about his life in a Mini.
Neil Trundle is a former Chief Mechanic for the McLaren F1 team. He is best known for being the chief mechanic for F1 drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost but has a wealth of experience at the cutting edge of Formula 1 over many years.
He also co‐founded Rondel racing with a certain Ron Dennis and would later rejoin him for an epic stint at McLaren after running his own Formula 3 team in the early 80s. His career at the pinnacle of F1 took him around the World with the greatest drivers and he has a resulting treasure trove of memories and motor racing stories to tell.
Neil has been a long‐term member and friend of the Brooklands Members and this evening he will be in conversation with F1 fan and talks organiser, Steve Clarke.
Paddy came to Brooklands to talk about his life with the unique BMC Mini and how his rally triumphs helped set the car. A great conversation wit Harry Sherrard.
Tiff came to Brooklands on the 13th January and spoke with Harry Sherrard about his life behind the wheel, sometimes in front of a camera!
A reunion took place at The Fairmile in Cobham on the 10th February 2022 of some of the former employees at University Motors, the first of its kind in 40 years. Some great stories were shared of working at the garage and its involvement in preparing and selling its version of the last tranche of MGC's together with their tuning of BMC Minis.
The Track interviews participants at the Military Vehicles Day at Brooklands in November 2021.
Henry Cole, tv presenter, producer and director best known for World's Greatest Motorcycle Rides, The Motorbike Show, Shed and Buried and Find it, Fix it, Flog it talks with Steve Parrish about his life in the fast lane.
Please note that Henry's choice of words can be very adult!
Tiff talks with Harry Sherrard about his life behind the wheel, be it motor racing or tv presenting. A great raconteur, expressing some strong held opinions in a forthright way!
Recorded at Brooklands Museum on 13th January 2022.
This episode records interviews at Mini Day and the VSCC Halloween Driving Tests at Brooklands
The tale of Crusader, the jet-powered boat of 1952, appears to be a simple one about the ambition of John Cobb and Reid Railton, two unassuming but deeply gifted men, to break the water speed record on Loch Ness only for their efforts to end in tragedy. In fact the story behind that fateful outcome — Cobb’s death on his first high-speed run — is a complex web of clever design and inspirational endeavour mixed with personality clashes and errors of judgement. After many years of research, including access to a wealth of original documentation, Steve Holter unravels the entire saga of the ill-fated Crusader and presents a compelling detective story.
This is no ordinary memoir. Moving back and forth through time, two stories with fascinating parallels gradually unfold. One is of a Second World War Spitfire ace whose flying career came to a premature end when he was shot down and lost an eye, the other is about his progeny, a second generation fighter pilot who rose to the rank of air marshal. There were times when the lives of both father and son, Robbie and Black Robertson, hung in the balance occasions when survival was simply a matter of luck. The narrative is unique in its use of two separate and distinct voices. The author s own reminiscences are interwoven with those of his father recorded more than thirty years ago. Intensely personal and revealing, controversial too at times, this memoir is above all about people. There is a final irony though. The son spent a lifetime training for the ultimate examination one that despite strictly limited preparation his father passed with flying colours. To Black Robertson s eternal regret he was never able to put his own training to the test. His father was awarded the DFC and retired as a flight lieutenant after five years or so. He himself served for nearly thirty-six years, earned a Queen s Commendation, an OBE and CBE and served as an ADC to HM The Queen. But after reaching almost the top of the RAF tree, in one important sense he retired unfulfilled; his mettle was never tested under fire. Anyone interested to know more about flying, about the RAF, about leadership, about character even, need look no further than this beautifully crafted delivery.
Episode 12 features the event season finally getting under way with the team visiting the Brooklands Classic Car show & Jumble and the Motorcycle show including interviews with author and adventuress Zoe Cano and TV personality Sarah Crabtree from Bangers & Cash. Plus a look at the new McLaren: Driven by Design exhibition. The music is provided b Gentleman Tim & his Contenders performing live at the Classic Car Show.
John Watson talks with Simon Taylor about his life in Formula One and Worlds Sportscar Championship and Le Mans. A very entertaining and insightful interview!
This instalment in Evro’s decade-by-decade series covering all Formula 1 cars and teams is devoted to a period when some normality seemed to return after the ground-effect and turbo excesses of the 1980s, except for one terrible weekend in the spring of 1994. The tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna led to immense change with new emphasis on safety, including measures to slow down the cars and improve their structural strength, and numerous changes to circuits. In many ways Formula 1 became more as we recognise it today, especially as the decade’s dominant teams, McLaren and Williams, remain familiar. Besides the winning cars, there is always much fascination for fans in unsuccessful and obscure efforts, such as Andrea Moda and Venturi, and this authoritative and comprehensively illustrated book covers them all.
This track features a recent MGCC gathering at Brooklands and the re-opening of the London Bus Museum.
In this episode we hear from Sophia Dady about her writing the music and lyrics about Donald Campbell with an exclusive play of a brand new song. We also visit the Byfleet Fire Station Fun Day where we catch up with Julian Temple to tell us all about the desire to save it.
Derek talks with Maurice Hamilton and Harry Sherrard about life as an F1 driver, and his time in motorsport. An engaging and oft humorous tete-a-tete!
'Glorious...gripping and sometimes tragic' Robbie Coltrane The inspirational story of the Bentley Boys and Le Mans – the race they made their own. Le Mans, 1927. W.O. Bentley peered into the dusk. His three cars, which had led from the start, were missing. Two years running he had failed to finish. Once again he was staring into a void. Racing, his shareholders told him, was a waste of money. This race looked like being his last.
W.O’s engineering skills had been forged on the Great Northern railway and in the skies of the First World War, where Bentley-powered Sopwith Camels took the fight to Germany’s Red Baron. Determined to build and race his own cars, he assembled a crack team from all strata of 1920s Britain, from East End boys Leslie Pennal and Wally Hassan to multi-millionaires Woolf Barnato and Tim Birkin, men in search of adventures to blaze their way out of the dark past.
They dedicated themselves to building the perfect road and racing car. In the hayloft above their workshop, the first Bentley was born and soon it was the car of choice for the fast-living upper classes. They raced at the fashionable Brooklands circuit and then set their sights on the fledgling 24 Hours Le Mans race. An audacious goal for a British car, yet the Bentley Boys rose to the challenge. But on that night in 1927, after the biggest crash in racing history claimed their cars, could they still pull it off and put British motor racing on the map?
In the 1920s, Bentley Motors burned brightly but all too briefly; yet its tale, filled with drama, tragedy, determination and glory still shines a century on.
Peter Grimsdale is a bestselling writer, TV producer and former commissioning editor whose credits stretch from Big Brother to Panorama, from The Adam & Joe Show to Finest Hour and Dispatches on Deepwater Horizon and Tony Blair's millions. His first motoring book was the critically acclaimed High Performance: When Britain Ruled the Roads. Racing in the Dark is his second book with Simon & Schuster. Cover image by Cliff Bolton
The author Sam Smith talks with Steve Clarke about the evolution of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, motorsport's fastest growing discipline. A fascinating insight into this action-packed racing series.
Steve Clarke talks with the author Chas Parker about his new book on the insight and design of the Model T and many of its variants. A fascinating read.
In this episode we record the memories of Donald Campbell's daughter Gina and his nephew Don Wales on the 100th anniversary of Donald's birth, and Brooklands reopens its doors on May 19th to the public to view the many exhibits inside as well as out.
Five times winner of Le Mans 24 hours, Daytona three times and the World Sportscar Championship twice, Derek talks from his home in Miami with Harry in Greece and BMtv capturing the recording in Surrey, about his life in the fast lane!
The author Peter Higham talks with Senna's McLaren mechanic and caretaker for McLaren's MP4-4 Neil Trundle. This instalment in Evro’s decade-by-decade series covering all Formula 1 cars and teams is devoted to a period when some normality seemed to return after the ground-effect and turbo excesses of the 1980s, except for one terrible weekend in the spring of 1994. The tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna led to immense change with new emphasis on safety, including measures to slow down the cars and improve their structural strength, and numerous changes to circuits. In many ways Formula 1 became more as we recognise it today, especially as the decade’s dominant teams, McLaren and Williams, remain familiar. Besides the winning cars, there is always much fascination for fans in unsuccessful and obscure efforts, such as Andrea Moda and Venturi, and this authoritative and comprehensively illustrated book covers them all.
One man's tale of high flying adventures and a life in the fast lane. Vic Norman talks with Steve Cropley about his life, family and love of cars and aerobatics. A fascinating and highly enjoyable listen!
Bass guitar in The Blues Band and all round good egg and Brooklands Member performs an acoustic set at Brooklands for our first Livestream to YouTube channel.
As Brooklands Museum prepares to open its doors again to the public as Covid restrictions ease, The track records some of the work involved...
This episode features former Head of Collections John Pulford who was there at the very beginnings of Brooklands Museum as they celebrate 30 years of public opening. We also remember Jazz musician Chris Barber and the 100th birthday of Donald Campbell and look forward to the new TV show "Secrets of the Transport Museum".
Marking the occasion of Donald Campbell's 100th birthday we bring together two members of his family - daughter Gina Campbell and nephew Don Wales talk with Harry Sherrard about not only the public face of Donald and his record breaking achievements, but also personal reminiscences of the private Donald Campbell and family life.
With Dr Iain Murray talking about Barnes Wallis Highball and Bob Webb's memories of the banjo player Tony Pitt who played with the Brooklands All Stars Trad Jazz Band.
For over 50 years, renowned motor sport and aviation artist Michael Turner annually produced a set of paintings depicting stand-out moments from that year’s Formula One and sports car racing season.
The paintings were reproduced as a set of Christmas cards and made available through Michael’s own company, Studio 88, which he formed in 1963. Over the years, these cards became highly-collectable to the extent that, in 1992, Michael’s wife, Helen, formed a Collectors’ Club which quickly gained a worldwide membership. Now, for the first time, the entire collection of cards produced between 1960 and 2016 is published together in the book, ‘The Michael Turner Collection’, written by Chas Parker in conjunction with Michael.
The subjects range from heroes of the 1960s such as Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Graham Hill and John Surtees to modern day drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, and the tracks include classics such as Nürburgring, Spa, Monaco and Silverstone. Some sports car events such as the famous Le Mans 24-Hours are also included.
The Collection provides a unique perspective on the post-war development of motor sport, with Michael’s attention to detail ensuring that the cars and circuits alike are recorded accurately and in a way that could not be captured in a photograph. In order to achieve this, during his career Michael travelled to most of the major Grand Prix circuits across the world.
Here, Michael Turner talks with Steve Clarke about his new book and as an artist painting motorsport.
It all started when Michael sat in Stirling Moss Cooper racing car in 1951!
Dr Iain Murray from the Barnes Wallis Foundation talks with Harry Sherrard about the Highball design, its tests in 1943 and retrieval from Loch Striven in 2017. It is now displayed with other Barnes Wallis designed munitions at Brooklands Museum.
In this Brooklands Radio episode, Simon Taylor talks about his friendship with Sir Stirling Moss and Steve Clarke talks with the renowned artist Michael Turner about his motorsport collection of work.
Oral recordings of those with memories of working at Vickers Brooklands during World War Two.
The Loch Ness Wellington group Jack Waterfall, Rachel Kellett and Vic Attwood discuss their personal involvement in the group and the 80th Anniversary of R for Robert ditching in Loch Ness on 31st December 1940 with Tim Morris.
This year was a record-breaking year for the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Awards. The six judges read, scrutinised and discussed no fewer than 32 high-quality submissions before agreeing the six final nominees and ultimately the winners of both the General and Specialised categories.
SuperFinds author Michael Kliebenstein talks with Steve Clarke about the evolution of SuperFinds and its unique collection of classic car photographs
This is the second BMtv magazine programme delivered on Brooklands Radio about Brooklands Museum, its Members and its many stories.
This is the first BMtv magazine programme delivered on Brooklands Radio about Brooklands Museum, its Members and its many stories.
In Cold War Skies examines the air power of the major powers both at a strategic and at a tactical level throughout the 40 years of the Cold War. In this fascinating book, acclaimed historian Michael Napier looks at each decade of the war in turn, examining the deployment of strategic offensive and defensive forces in North America and Northern Russia as well as the situation in Europe. He details the strategic forces and land-based tactical aircraft used by the air forces of the USA, USSR, NATO, Warsaw Pact countries and the European non-aligned nations. He also describes the aircraft types in the context of the units that operated them and the roles in which they were used.
Oliver Heal talks with Gareth Tarr about Louis Coatalen, the car designer from 1900 to the 1930's whose work with Sunbeam made a significant contribution to the marques success with lad speed records and motor racing.
Harry Sherrard's account of 80 years ago when the Vickers factory at Brooklands came under attack and what happened in the air raids and how Brooklands survived.
Author David Tremayne talks about his book on F1 driver "Jochen Rindt Uncrowned King" with Simon Taylor
Alex spent much of the 1960's flying Valiants and Victor bombers for the RAF primarily as refueling tankers for fighters such as the Lightning and Harrier, servicing the middle and far east. This fascinating talk with Tim Morris explores the art of refueling and the planes used for that purpose.
Elisabeth talks about life in the Barnes Wallis house In Effingham during her formative years.
Round the world 'bird in a biplane' aviator Tracey talks about what she has been doing over the past three years, her passion for more female aviators and her plans for the near future. Wow! What a fascinating and determined adventurer!
Mike Napier the author says;
The Vickers Wellington is the great unsung hero of World War II. One of only two aircraft types that served in the front line of the RAF throughout World War II and remained in production throughout the conflict (the other was the Supermarine Spitfire), the Vickers Wellington was the mainstay of Bomber Command for the first three years of the war and became the workhorse of Coastal Command service, played a vital role during the Middle East and Mediterranean campaigns and also contributed greatly to operations in the Far East theatre. While everyone has heard of the Wellington, few realise its incredible versatility or the vitally important part that it played in RAF operations in all of the theatres of war. I could have written about the Wellington in any of its many theatres or roles, but I decided to concentrate on the Wellington units within Bomber Command. Why? Because the Wellington holds a unique and fascinating place in Bomber Command history.
About The Book ‘A band of stubborn pioneers rose from the embers of Britain’s cities after World War Two and created the finest automobiles the world had ever seen ... High Performance tells the exhilarating tale of their journey down the fast lane.’ Ben Collins, bestselling author of The Man In The White Suit and How To Drive ‘A wonderful glimpse "backstage" at the flamboyant mavericks and crazies who populated the British motor industry in the 60s.’ Alexei Sayle ‘High Performance is a cracking read and an adrenaline-packed tribute to the time when British mavericks “blew the bloody doors off” the competition.’ The Sunday Times
'Peter Grimsdale gives a very different and uplifting slant to the story of ... the post-Second World War British Motor industry. He focuses on people who did things differently and whose achievements are with us still ... thoughtful and stimulating.' Alan Judd, The Oldie
Maurice Hamilton talks with Steve Clarke about his book...
Maurice first came across Lauda in 1971 and in this definitive biography tells his remarkable story. Based on interviews with friends, family, rival drivers and colleagues, it is a superb tribute to a brave, supremely talented and much-missed star of Formula One.
Six weeks after the 1976 crash at the notorious Nürburgring that left him burned and receiving the last rites while obituaries were written, Niki Lauda stepped back into his Ferrari at Monza to defend his first World Champion title. Jackie Stewart called it ‘the most courageous thing I have ever witnessed in sport’. Lauda and Hunt were playing cat-and-mouse for the championship. At the final race of the season in Japan, the weather was appalling and conditions treacherous. Lauda had a narrow lead and an agonising decision to make – high-speed drama at its best.
Following his extraordinary recovery from the accident, Lauda won the title in 1977 and again, following a return from retirement, in 1984 with McLaren. When he eventually hung up his helmet for good, he started his own airline and had to deal with the horrendous aftermath when one of his aircraft crashed, killing all 223 on board. He later returned to the sport in various management roles and successfully persuaded Lewis Hamilton to join Mercedes.
Richard Noble has had the ambition all his adult life to see Britain excel in engineering on the world stage and throw off the country’s dismal culture of safety first and risk aversion. His achievements in the highly insecure world of record-breaking emphatically demonstrate his commitment to his cause: he brought the Land Speed Record back to Britain in 1983 when he drove his Thrust 2 car to 633mph and 14 years later he led the ThrustSSC team to achieve the first supersonic record at 763mph with Andy Green driving. In his book Take Risk! he tells the extraordinary stories of his 11 projects in record-breaking and aviation that all saw people and companies go out of their way to join him in his exciting endeavours — and take risk.
Allan talks about the history of the car, his relationship and experience of driving it.
50 years ago, on 14 June 1970, the first Shadow racing car made its race début in the opening round of the fabled Can-Am Challenge, at Canada’s Mosport circuit. A miniature car, literally knee-high and with tiny tyres, this startling newcomer went fast enough for George Follmer to qualify it sixth but its race ended when the engine overheated.
Now, the first history of Shadow racing cars, by Pete Lyons, has just been released by Evro.
SHADOW: THE MAGNIFICENT MACHINES OF A MAN OF MYSTERY could not have a more appropriate author. Pete was there that day at Mosport, witnessed Shadow evolve to become Can-Am champions by 1974, attended the team’s Formula 1 début at Kyalami in 1973, reported on its Grand Prix exploits for four seasons thereafter — and besides all that in latter years he conducted extensive interviews with Shadowman Don Nichols, the Man of Mystery himself, in preparation for this book. From all this top-quality raw material, together with 600 images, a rather special volume has emerged and Evro is very proud to be its publisher.
Simon Taylor talks about his 50+ years friendship with Sir Stirling. a fascinating insight into the great man. Simon wrote the definitive biography "Sir Stirling Moss - My Racing Life" commissioned by Sir Stirling.
A Race with Love and Death. The story of Britain's first great grand prix driver, Richard Seaman. Chapter 17 read by the author, Richard Williams. https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/A-Race-with-Love-and-Death/Richard-Williams/9781471179358
Round the World motorcyclist, Elspeth Beard is an architect and motorcyclist, and is noted for being one of the first English women to ride a motorcycle around the World. Later she redesigned Munstead Tower in Godalming, winning the 1994 Royal Institute of British Architects award for South East England.
The TSR2 is one of the great "what ifs" of British aviation. If it had been commissioned would aircraft production have continued at Brooklands? How would the British aviation industry have flourished had it continued? Instead rising costs and inter service rivalry plus a new government meant the cancellation of the high tech project with all the existing air frames (bar two) used as artillery test targets or scrapped at Brooklands. The TSR2 was undoubtedly a highly advanced concept and tonight aviation author and journalist Denis J Calvert will explore its development and its ultimate demise.
Re-live the Golden Age of Flying with BOAC in the company of Malcolm Turner A celebration of an iconic British airline which although short lived (1940 to 1974) came to symbolise luxury and exclusivity in the jet age which followed World War II - an era when people dressed to fly and thought that air travel was special, almost as important as the destination itself.
Not only is Carl Fogarty a demon on the track but he is also a King of the Jungle! Foggy is a household name thanks to winning the 2014 - I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here TV show. However his racing career on the track is also extraordinary. He is one of the most successful Superbike racers of all time chalking up 59 victories and 4 World Superbike Championships. Here he is having a right old natter with Steve Parrish, who couldn't get a word in edgeways!
David is a UK based motor racing journalist. He has written extensively about the Land Speed Record. He was the Formula One correspondent for The Independent. He is one of the founding partners of GrandPrix+, the sport's first e-magazine, with fellow journalist Joe Saward.
Here he is in conversation with Steve Cropley talking about his career and his own attempt at a UK Land Speed record.
Maurice Hamilton is an award-winning motor sport journalist, who has been part of the Formula One scene since 1977. After working for the Guardian and Independent newspapers, he became the Observer's motor racing correspondent for 20 years. He edited Autocourse, the Grand Prix annual, and has written more than 20 books, including biographies of James Hunt, Eddie Jordan, Frank Williams and Damon Hill. As well as his written words, Maurice is internationally known as a commentator on Formula One for BBC Radio 5 Live.
Maurice has a fascinating story to tell, from attending his first race as a child in Northern Ireland, to his first Formula One event as a professional journalist, to achieving his status as one of the world’s leading motorsport writers. And along the way he has worked with a pantheon of motor racing personalities, from Ayrton Senna to Bernie Ecclestone, and acquired a rich compilation of insightful anecdotes into the workings of Formula 1
Here he is in conversation with Harry Sherrard.
A hilarious 75 mins of anecdotal conversation between Mick and Steve. Mick Grant was active from 1970 until 1984 and mainly raced Yamahas and Kawasakis. He achieved three GP wins and 7 TT victories amongst his 16 podium positions at the Isle of Man.
Steve Cropley - Editor in Chief Autocar Magazine Paul McNamara - Tech Director Williams Advanced Engineering Will Nightingale - Chief Road Tester What Car magazine Tom Callow - BP Chargemaster Ben Fletcher - former marketing director Renault Electric
A year ago we invited Steve Cropley and industry experts to discuss the development of the electric car.
On that occasion we learnt that sales were rapidly expanding along with charging networks, battery power and range.
Technology races ahead and 12 months on we take stock of the current world of the electric car - are those predictions coming true or not? Tonight we shall find out and look even further ahead as pressure to reduce all emissions step up.
Paul Griffiths talks about the Transatlantic air race and the restoration of his Harrier XV741 - the plane that won the 1969 Transatlantic Air Race with Capt Tom Leckie Thompson piloting. The aircraft is currently on display in the Museum's First to Fastest exhibition.
Malcolm Campbell, Henry Segrave, Kaye Don and John Cobb. These four illustrious racing-drivers, synonymous with Brooklands, are also central to the story of the World Water Speed Record. Their exploits form part of a multimedia presentation with speed at its heart, from author and publisher Nigel Macknight.
Nigel is leading the ‘Quicksilver’ team, which is building a turbofan-propelled, 400-mph superboat to return the record to Britain. Furthermore, he’ll be the boat’s driver. Here he describes and illustrates the background to the challenge and provides an update on the latest progress made.
He’ll also have some tales from his writing career in show business, motorsport, aviation and space exploration, on what is a unique and inspiring evening.
Simon Taylor and Richard Williams discuss the character and legacy of Ayrton Senna, considered by many to be the greatest F1 driver of all time, marking 25 years since his death at Imola. Richard wrote The Death of Ayrton Senna, thought to be the most definitive and compelling book about the legendary racing driver, now a BAFTA award-winning documentary.
Harry Sherrard presents the Apollo 11 story on the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 mission to the moon and Man's first steps on it.
Simon Taylor talks with Steve Cropley about his book John, George and The HWMs, and the history of the marque.
Cyril Mannion presents the remarkable story of the first direct trans Atlantic flight by Alcock and Brown on Saturday 14th June - Sunday 15th June 1919.
Learn about two magnificent pioneering men who overcame all obstacles to become the first to fly the Atlantic nonstop in 1919. Learn how Brown hacked ice from a vital fuel gauge and hear about Alcock’s recovery from a loss of control while disorientated in cloud. These heroes were welcomed back in London by crowds lining the streets. Their achievement was celebrated just as enthusiastically as the first men on the moon 50 years later.
We celebrate this remarkable achievement of 100 years ago.
Local privateers, Connaught Engineering, entered the world of Formula 1 beginning in a small workshop in Send and peaking on the track at Syracuse in 1955 with young driver Tony Brooks driving the first British car since 1923 to win a Grand Prix.
Publisher Guy Loveridge and one of the books authors, Graham Rabagliati, discuss the story.
Matthew Field talks with Michael Deeley, Hazel Collinson and David Salamone about the making of the iconic film in 1969.
Phil Read is a true legend - seven times World Champion at 125cc, 250cc and 500cc and the first man to win championships in all those three categories. He raced from 1961 to 1976 on circuits and TT races with his first TT race in 1961 and last in 1977. He won 8 Isle of Man TT races and also owned a Honda dealership in Hersham!
BTCC commentator Alan Hyde talks to Matt James about the Championship and his book about the BTCC. Long-time touring car journalist Matt James, has compiled a great book on the BTCC with a chapter for each year featuring a summary of the season, 10 photos showing all the top cars and drivers in action, key statistics and a profile of the champion driver. Anyone who has ever enjoyed touring car racing as a participant, spectator or television viewer will treasure this book
A different perspective on our “Finest Hour”, the Battle of Britain. Whilst the courage, skill and sacrifice of the pilots of Fighter Command is unquestionable, were German forces in fact capable of achieving a successful seaborne invasion of Britain in 1940? Has the contribution of both the Royal Navy and Britain’s land forces (as portrayed by Dad’s Army) in preventing an invasion been underestimated by popular history? And to what lengths was the British Government prepared to go in the event on an invasion being attempted?
Harry Sherrard sheds some light on German capabilities and British defensive measures in 1940.
"Shakey" Byrne has won six British Superbike Championships, the only person to win that many. He has also competed in Moto GP and the World Superbike Championship. In May 2018 he suffered a serious crash in practice at Snetterton resulting in multiple fractures to his upper body from which he is still recovering.
"Shakey" talks candidly about that and his highly successful motor cycling career in this conversation with the inimitable Steve Parrish.
Steve Nichols, Richard West and Matthew Jeffreys join Simon Taylor on stage for this look back at statistically the most successful F1 car of all time and led McLaren to the 1988 Constructor Championship and Ayrton Senna to World Championship wins, with Prost and Senna winning 15 out of the season’s 16 Grands Prix.
A special event to commemorate Armistice and the end of the Great War. We look at the effect on Brooklands and the surrounding Surrey area as hostilities came to an end and the country prepared for peace.
We consider all aspects of the war with some personal reminiscences by Brooklands Members about their ancestor's role in the war.
Jenny Lockyer and Vern Griffiths will be performing short prose and poetry pieces throughout the first half of the event.
Steve Cropley, Don Wales and Allan Winn present a discussion on land speed records from the early 1900s to the 1950s. A fascinating conversation recording the characters and cars of the period.
Stephen Archer tells the story of Aston Martin Ulster CMC 314. one of 28 Ulsters built by the company and the most raced Aston Martin. It has been restored to 1935 Le Mans spec. In addition to this Ulster, Stephen also describes Aston Martin's first 20 years in general. A fascinating account delivered with some exuberance and panache!
Hicky" currently holds the record for the fastest lap of the TT circuit at 135.452mph aboard his Superstock Smiths Racing BMW. Here he talks with Steve Parrish about his life on two wheels. A fascinating insight into a top bike racer.
Squadron Leader Graham Laurie MVO was a pilot on the Queens Flight for 26 years. In this presentation he recalls anecdotes from that time involving the Royal Family and VIPs. He also looks at the history of the squadrons serving the Royal Family and of the Queen's Flight itself.
John Barnard was the designer responsible for two major steps forward in F1, design - the carbon composite chassis for McLaren in the 1981 MP4/1 and the semi automatic gearbox for Ferrari in 1989. Here he is talking with the author of "The Perfect Car", Nick Skeens, published by EVRO Publishing.
Eric Verdon-Roe talks about his grandfather's life and times, how his 1908 Triplane within 6 years developed into the Avro 504, leading through to the development of the Avro Lancaster and Vulcan. In addition the Saunders-Roe company of sea-planes is discussed.
Freddie Spencer talks with Steve Parrish about his life on two wheels and his love for motorcycle racing. "Fast Freddie" was one of the greatest racers of he 1980's winning three World Championships on 500cc and 250cc bikes.
Karl Ludvigsen talks about the life of Reid Railton. A fascinating account mirroring his book on this talented designer and engineer, his involvement in world land and water speed records and automotive design and technology from the 1920s through to the 1950s.
World record holder for Fastest Speed Flown in a Wingsuit shares his experiences of jumping out of aircraft at 42,000ft and travelling at 249mph. Simply astonishing!
An affectionate evening of anecdotes recording Allan's tenure at Brooklands. Recorded on 5th April 2018
Simon Taylor and David Hobbs discuss David's 40 years of motor racing. There are some hilarious anecdotes!
Richard Storer from Crossrail talks about the complexities of burrowing underneath London. Presentation date 18 January 2018
Ian Glover and Ron Ayres talk about the amazing Land Speed Record car, it history, the technology and planning for the 1,000 MPH attempt.
Royal Aeronautical Society Weybridge Branch Lecture, Allan Winn looks at how the Brooklands and wider Surrey aviation legacy is being used to inspire the next generation of aerospace professionals.
At the Shepperton Aurora Rotary Club Alan Winn draws on the motoring and aviation heritages of the Brooklands site and how they inform the new Aircraft Factory exhibition space. Also, he explains how this new facility will inspire younger generations to embrace the S.T.E.M. subjects and go on to become the feedstock for the apprenticeships and engineering degrees required for the future of the British economy.
TT rider extraordinaire Ian "Hutchy" Hutchinson joins Steve Parrish in the Napier Room to chat about his career and those ups and downs! Please note: The language is sometimes the Azure sky on a summers day...
The second in Simon Taylor's new series of Motoring legends at Brooklands, Howden Ganley talks about his motorsport career with Bruce McClaren, as a Formula One racing driver with BRM and Williams and as co-director with Tim Schenken running Tiga Race Cars Ltd. A wonderful, detail rich conversation!
Imogen Middleton, project officer for Surrey Heritage on "Surrey in the Great War: A County Remembers" presents what life was like in Surrey and Weybridge during the war.
Albert Ball was England's greatest WW1 fighter ace at the time of his death in may 1917 with 44 victories to his name. His last mission was flying an RAF SE5 on the Western Front and he was only 20 years old when he died. He was highly decorated with the the VC, DSO & two bars, MC, Legion d'Honneur and Order of St George.
Clare Paul from the RAF Museum will take a look at the life and career of Albert Ball and we are pleased that two of his known relatives Vanda and Gordon Day answer questions about him and the life of a WW1 fighter pilot.
On January 5th 2017 James Mac Hulbert enthralled BTM with a superb presentation on his passion of historic cars, in particular English Racing Automobiles (ERA) and his ownership of ERA 4RD.
Charles Trevelyan, the son of Prudence Fawcett talks about his mother's adventures with motor cars and aeroplanes including her entering the 1938 Le Mans 24 hour race in a Morgan!
On May 21st 2017 Melody, together with Helen Mills and Alison Hill talked about the courage of women involved in aviation in Britain during World War two to BTM over Sunday lunch at Brooklands. Melody reads extracts from her book A Spitfire Girl: One of the World's Greatest Female Ferry pilots Tells Her Story.
On May 21st 2017 Alison, together with Helen Mills and Melody Foreman talked about the courage of women involved in aviation in Britain during World War two to BTM over Sunday lunch at Brooklands.
On May 21st 2017 Helen Mills with Alison Hill and Melody Foreman entertained BTM over lunch with memories and poetry about women in aviation in Britain during World War Two.
As part of the "An Evening with..." series, Simon Taylor talks with Tony Brooks about life as a Formula 1 driver from 1955 to 1960.
Simon Taylor talks about his "Lunch with..." series of recordings whilst at Motor Sport magazine with Steve Cropley.
French racing driver Patrick Tambay competed in 123 Formula 1 races from 1977 to 1986 and has raced for teams such as McLaren, Surtees, Renault, lola and Ferrari. He joined motor racing journalist Simon Taylor to discuss those years with Ferrari and shared anecdotes on other motor racing memories.
Davis Richards CBE, chairman of Prodrive in conversation with Editor in Chief of Autocar magazine Steve Cropley. An incredible 80 minutes following a unique gentleman over forty five years in probably every arena of motorsport. A fascinating and extremely rewarding presentation.
Messrs Acher and Young recount their journey in only the second ever Peking Paris Rally, the first being in 1907, driving a 1932 Aston Martin New International. This, the longest ever motoring challenge for vintage and classic motor cars, to mark a famous centenary. Starting in Peking the journey takes them through China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and into Europe via Greece finishing in Paris 16,000kms and 45 days later.
Flight Lieutenant Marcus Ramsden and Flight Sergeant Barry Ramsden talk about life behind the scenes at the Red Arrows.
John Tye, a current Boeing 777 and former Concorde pilot gives a unique insight in to how both these planes are/were operated and flown.
John Surtees CBE, one of the most gifted and versatile racers of all time - holding the outstanding distinction of being the only man to have won World Championships on two and four wheels, and Simon Taylor in conversation at Brooklands Hall, Mercedes Benz World on 14th May 2015
Zoe Cano, author of "Bonneville Go or Bust: On the Roads Less Travelled", a superb book about her journey across the USA from east to west along the back roads talks with Graham Robson, author and journalist about her experiences.
Stuart Derrington gives a wonderful presentation on the life of his father Vic Derrington, Brooklands competitor, entrant and tuner and tuning industry pioneer.
Vernon Creek from RAF Hendon museum gives a fascinating presentation on the lives of those who flew during the 1st World War.
Stephen J. "Steve" Parrish, former motorbike and truck racer, now a motorsport television commentator and speaker/entertainer share his wit and raconteur to a delighted audience in December 2015.
Steve Cropley, Editor -in-chief at Autocar magazine gives us an insight into his world of motoring journalism, with wry humour! "There has been more fundamental change in the past six or seven years of my hacking career than in the past 30" he says...
Sir John Eghan talks about his time as Chairman of Jaguar Cars in the 1980's with a fascinating account of the political, management and industrial relation hoops he had to jump through in making the brand a world class motor car.
John Farley OBE AFC, Chief Development Test Pilot for the Harrier talks about its development and his experiences flying it.
Six times world champion Motorcyclist Jim Redman MBE talks about his life on two wheels.
A fascination talk given by David Stewart of Hybrid Air Vehicles about the evolution of the airship and hybrid aircraft.
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle OM KBE CB FRS FRAeS. A presentation of his life and the development of the jet engine given by his son Ian Whittle.
Sarah Crofts from the National Motor Museum gives a talk on Fast Women in Motor Sport 1888 - 1970.
Agostini spars with Parrish at Brooklands Hall, Mercedes Benz World at the end of a fantastic Auto Italia Day on 30th April 2016
Withe release of his superb book Daring Drivers, Deadly tracks, Brian Redman talks with Henry Hope Frost on 9th May 2016
Alison Hill reads some of her poems from Sisters In Spitfires celebrating the lives of women who flew everything from Tiger Moths to Lancaster bombers with the ATA during WW2.