Brooklands
 

Drove through today on the way to a meeting in West Molesey. Noted that there are contractors clearing moss off the Byfleet banking opposite TESCOs, and there's a sign outside the old control tower(actually I believe it was known as the clubhouse) next to Curry's/Argos saying there's office space available to rent there.

I keep meaning to go there. I pass occasionally on trains and almost every year it seems even further squeezed by remorseless bureaucratic and commercial expansion. Modern England: "They've paved paradise and put up a huge block of ugly modern glass offices completely out of proportion to the surrounding area" does not scan quite as well as the Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi.

The Brooklands clubhouse is on the Museum site over the river. It has been restored after flooding some years ago. When Mercedes Benz World was built they improved the drainage of the site which prevented serious flooding this Winter.
The building used as offices was I believe used as the watch office and Barnes Wallis had his office there too.
mmitch.

That's the motor racing clubhouse; I believe the one on the west side was also called the clubhouse (think I saw it in a plan published in 'Aeroplane Monthly years ago) for the flying club and it contains what looks like a control tower on top. I think Vickers built another tower on the east side also, the remnants are near the Concorde in the museum.
I did a school visit to Vickers (as it was then) back in about '66 and we were shown Barnes Wallis' office which he was still using (wasn't in when we visited though).

I have been there a couple of times over the past decade. The difference could not be more extreme: Mercedes Benz World is sleek, polished, efficient, with some interesting gizmos, but essentially nothing there of absorbing interest.

The Brooklands Museum is rambling, decayed, and ramshackle, with items of absorbing interest stuffed wherever they will fit, and more outside in odd dark corners. It's utterly fascinating: you could lose yourself there for days. The difference could not be more marked.

Now they've got the London Bus Museum too: well, Nirvana is not strong enough a word.....

btw the VC10 they have there is the aircraft that featured in the film "Born Free": Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers were filmed descending to the tarmac at Nairobi following their leave in the UK.

It is one of my favourite places and fortunately close to my UK base, so I spend a lot of time there. It is a wonderful place and I enjoy the contrast which gruntie pointed out. It's a great place for big boys, small boys, and even the fairer sex enjoy it.

MBW has the upstairs Gull Wing restaurant, very good and great views, and the snack bar on ground level which is simple but excellent. I quite often go for brunch there on weekends.

I've been to a couple of events at The Club House at Brooklands Museum, it's redolent with history and very enjoyable.

What about a Pprune reunion there?

It sounds like my kind of place, will have to go there soon!

Quote from gruntie:
"btw the VC10 they have there is the aircraft that featured in the film "Born Free": Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers were filmed descending to the tarmac at Nairobi following their leave in the UK."

That would have been about 1966. Many will remember her in those BUA days as G-ASIX, the second of three 1103s for the airline, and delivered in 1965. About 6 years later, by which time BUA had become BCAL, she was nearly lost in a jet-upset near Mendoza, in the lee of the Andes, en-route from Ezeiza to Santiago. It was suggested that a B707 might not have survived such turbulence. That may be so, but the "bullet", on which the tailplane is mounted, required extensive repair, as did the wing torsion box.

In 1974, after the fuel crisis, BCAL sold its VC10s, and she went to the Sultan of Oman as his personal transport. Many years later, he kindly donated her to Brooklands Museum.

If you haven't already visited a VC10 cockpit, give yourself a treat. Definitely the best 3-crew cockpit (4-crew, if you include the Nav's station) of its era.

An absolute must!
 

I can thoroughly recommend Brooklands as a great day out & even if your can only spare a couple of hours it's definitely worth the trip, I was lucky enough to be treated to a session in the original BA Concorde simulator they have there -I am still grinning now!
For me it's the atmosphere that most does it, I feel it coming out of the woodwork, do try to go this year & have a great time ;-)

Muzzey

It's a crying shame that the circuit is no longer complete. I've driven it in the Napier Railton and wish it was real not on a stimulator.:(

Yes I crashed.

SGC

Ahem - I have actually driven the Napier-Railton at Brooklands, and got my shoe caught between its throttle pedal and the underside of the brake. Since the Members' Banking river bridge over the Wey was demolished many years ago, and I was bounding towards the gap over the crumbling concrete of the banking, that was most decidedly a mind-concentrating moment (which we got away with)...

I hugely recommend the Brooklands Museum to children of all ages, whether the core interest is cars, motor-cycles, aeroplanes or just the period (1907-1939). I took my grandchildren there recently at half-term and - aged 2-7 - they just adored it. Sitting at the captain's controls on the VC10, or in the pilot's seat of the P1127, or experiencing the interior of a Wellington fuselage mock-up, or sitting in an Ayrton Senna-model Formula 1 McLaren could each be a life-deciding experience. The Concorde Experience, for £4 a ticket, is fantastic - highly recommended. With a flight video, audio effects AND seat vibration pads to heighten the experience my much-travelled infant grand-daughter was so convinced we'd taken off that she burst into tears when she was told that the usual nice lady with the grub and drinkypoos wasn't coming round...

I have no formal connection with the Museum, nor am I one of its volunteers - just a lifelong enthusiast and 68-year-old child who hadn't visited for years...but am now a confirmed fan. Do pay a visit...it offers fantastic value.

... and to add to all the good parts: the Stratosphere chamber has now been reopened after a major refurbishment!

Is the Railton at Brooklands? That would certainly be an impressive sight. Sound too I reckon! Yup, time to plan a visit.

The Railton is usually on display, but sometimes has an away day. It is displayed next to 'Babs' the restored Parry Thomas car.
mmitch.

Brooklands
 

For something special, visit Brooklands on an event day when the Railton is running. I once had the pleasure of helping to start the beast. Three guys heaving to get two tons or so moving and then that Napier rumbles into life with the exhausts right next to you.... Magic ;-)

Jh


Agreed re the Napier.


The chief executive of the Museum is Alan Wynn, former editor of Flight. He commutes to work in his vintage Bentley - so you can tell the interests of both aircraft and car nuts are well catered for!

Brooklands
 

Our "Boss" is Allan WINN.....

Brooklands
 

Aka the 'Clerk of the Course' ;-)

With thanks to Andy Lambert, here's some footage of the refurbished Strat chamber and Sir Barnes Wallis' daughter opening the new exhibit.

I have just spent a very enjoyable day at Brooklands. It represents an important part of the world's aviation Heritage - not just UK - and although it's already excellent, there are plans for improvement. They have 'events' every couple of months, today was a 'roaring forties' and many people made a huge effort not just to turn up in cars of the era but also in period dress.

The volunteers who work there are a cheery and enthusiastic bunch of people, many of them ex-aviators with a wealth of knowledge.

For £85 a year you can get full annual family membership which gives free entry and also use of the excellent clubhouse facilities.
Brooklands Trust Members - Brooklands Museum
I have no connection with Brooklands other than as someone who thoroughly enjoys going there, and I would like to see it better publicised.

I apologise if these photos are of no interest, but I am putting them here in the hope that they will invoke some enthusiasm for people to visit the exhibitions or join the BTM.



https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03677.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03676.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03674.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03673.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03671.JPG


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03669.JPGhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03654.JPG


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03657.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03658.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03659.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03661.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03665.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03666.JPGhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03667.JPGhttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/DSC03668.JPG