It was a beautiful sunny day as we made our way to Brooklands Motor Museum in Weybridge, Surrey; the birthplace of british motorsport and aviation. After driving through Woking, Chobham, Byfleet and New Haw, (ok, so we got lost!), we finally arrived just before mid-day. The bank of old racing track surround Brooklands perimeter greeted us as we pulled into the car park; old and new vehicles were parked alongside one another, we wandered around these first before paying to get in. Once inside, every conceivable walkway was lined with aero/autojumble stalls ranging from diecast models, old pilot uniforms, car/bike/aeroplane parts to memorabilia, used crash hats, (see photos), and nuts and bolts. Andy left us to take millions of photos while Dave and I met up with the Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac MKII owners club.
The museum itself was open to the public & inside the hangars were planes being painstakingly restored & there were replica cockpits you could walk through. The car museum took you through the story of how racing began and how the cars were built and have evolved through the years. Did you know that the musician Billy Cotton won the last ever race at Brooklands? winning at a speed of 118mph. In the motorbike museum the same again, showing you how the bikes developed over time, alongside was a skootamoto being won by a lady! Girl Power! thats what I say, Go Girl Go! Also a small collection of bicycles were on show donated by the family of the late R.G. Nash who at the peak of racing at Brooklands had a hut in the centre of the track capturing 100 years worth of competitive transport, until it was bombed in 1938.
We met up with Andy later, who introduced me to his friend, a fellow rocker called Titch. I’ve seen Titch at many bike events over the years and always wanted to ask - tell me what you remember of the 50s/60s? Today I finally got the chance to meet him and chat -we did for some time. He was a regular at the Old Manor Cafe in Camberley (same place my dad, Jacko, used to go). I can tell you now, I listened in awe as he talked fondly of the era I feel I've missed out on - "I am not worthy."
At the end of a hot day, three tired monkies climbed into Connie and she took us home at her own pace. If you've never been to Brooklands and are interested in the history of speed and racing, then I suggest you make the time to go. It’s in a period setting with famous workshops being recreated to give you a taste of how things were during its hey-day. I've had my injection of nostalgia for now - I think I'll sleep in my leather jacket tonight!

-Janie