Brooklands Trust Members Forum

new Brooklands Motorcycle DVD !

2011-11-18T17:34:18Z

I just wanted to let you all know that the 2nd Brooklands Motorcycle DVD is ready to be shipped. I received the sleeves from the printer today, so copies will be available from the shop at the Main Entrance from next week.
This video is a compilation of events of the last two years or so and includes footage of the Spring Gathering last year, Brooklands Relived, Test Hill Centenary, Brands Hatch and also very rare previously un-seen black and white film of the 1992 Brooklands Reunion on the old runway. Plus much more! Running time is 70- minutes Expect the price to be £15, I think. Well worth it and great Christmas present for the bike-loving husband / brother / boyfriend!
Here’s a photo of the sleeve and disc it self :

FIVA Rally

2011-06-04T05:08:41Z

What a fantastic gathering and selection of continental machines with a very large contingent from Switzerland yesterday. Can anyone post some photographs?

New Member with a Rex Acme

2011-03-26T11:08:07Z

I’ve just joined the BT Happy Band, after receiving much-appreciated help from Brooklands Museumin researching the background of my 1925/1927 Rex Acme Blackburne 348cc ohv TT. The machine was mine in a past life (1962) having been acquired the from Col JMTF Churchill of Mayford, who in turn got it and other machines in racing trim from a certain Robert (Lofty) Dunkeld of Coulsdon. Having managed to re-acquire my old Rex Acme last year after 47 years I am trying to fill in its early years. Although “Lofty” is now long deceased, I managed to find his Daughter in an effort to find more of the Rex Acme’s history. Her mention of Lofty being a founder-member of The Surrey Hills Motorcycle Club(now defunct) set me off advertising in the Sunbeam MCC ‘s Newsletter.Through the kind facility of the Sunbeam Club I had a phone call from Ken Blake, who knew Lofty and was in the Surrey Hills Club also just post war.
Ken rembers the Rex, and Lofty’s assertion that “the bike was ridden at Brooklands pre-war by a famous rider and records were broken on it”. Lofty had no apparent racing exploits at Brooklands or elsewhere, as far as John Pulford,Roger Bird and myself can find, but there is a thread left to follow. Assuming that Ken/Lofty’s remarks on the “rider/records/Brooklands” are well-founded, the machine could have a connection with a certain Walter Handley. His Junior TT- winning entry in 1925 had the same bolt-up (seperate under-tank rails and added torque-stays under chain-stays) frame as mine, introduced in 1925 on the racers. Post-TT, Handley took his bike to Brooklands in August, and broke Class B records in the 200 mile event at 79mph. The detachable tank-rails came in handy, as he was able to fit a larger saddle-tank whose lower surfaces would have fouled the two original rails. My 1925-framed machine was registered in 1927; has a 1927 engine, and was later modified by ?? with SA HW Gearbox to replace the Burman ETTA. Any connection between my example and Handley’s Rex Acme is ,at the moment, pie in the sky.So, if any member can throw any more bits and bobs into my quest for Rex Acme-Brooklands history I would be most grateful. The other ex Dunkeld Rex Acme (1928 348cc) is currently owned by the actor Ewan Macgregor.
I look forward to viewing the Museum’s ex Allen, ex Whitworth Rex Acme .

Brian Thorby

2011 New Year’s Day gathering

2011-01-02T07:18:21Z

What a marvellous gathering yesterday…....I’ve never seen so many people at the Museum.

Where were all the motor cycles though?

A happy new year to everyone

Vic

Motorcycle Christmas Lunch ; next Thursday

2010-12-12T11:32:26Z

don’t forget it’s the motorcycle section Christmas Lunch next Thursday, £17 a ticket. Looking forward to it!

Brooklands Relived - 13th September

2009-09-11T11:32:42Z

Great day for all those interested in motorcycling and Brooklands - things are taking shape here with a huge marquee covering the Staff Car Park and Barriers up ready for the bikes to leave the museum for runs on Merceds Benz Worlds’s track - should be a brilliant day - see you there.

Motorcycle DVD

2010-09-28T19:21:53Z

hi all, just wanted to mention the motyorcycle DVD. It’s been available exclusively through the shop for a little while now, but just wanted to draw your attention to it.
It runs for 80 minutes and contains footage from the Motorcycle Centenary event in 2008. There are one or two little ‘extras’ on the end spotlighting some of the bikes in the Museum Collection. It retails at £14.99.
Here’s a link to it in the shop : http://www.brooklandsmuseumshop.com/Shop/Brooklands-Motorcycles-a-A-Centenary-Celebration-DVD/prod_2.html

Spring Motorcycle Gathering, 18th April.

2010-02-09T10:48:05Z

Everyone, don’t forget the Spring Motorcycle Gathering on the 18th April. Should be good fun, tell all your friends!

Brough Superior in paddock today

2010-08-05T17:46:43Z

The Brough Superior was used in a photoshoot for the new Hogs Back Brooklands Gold Star beer today.

Here’s a nice shot of it in front of the clubhouse.

The other shot is of the Hogs Back brewery’s Chopped Harley complete with beer barrel sidecar and hand pump gear shift !

Alan Dunn Brooklands Zenith + Brough

2009-12-29T17:41:57Z

A brief mention of Alan Dunn in the current Bulletin has prompted me to post this note. It was March 1969 when Allan Dunn founded the section, Gordon Bruce (because he had a nice loud voice) was elected Chairman and Alan Secretary and Main Organizer of Brooklands Section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club. Venue was the Brooklands room of the Hand a Spear.
Alan’s records for the first year of the section show an average meeting attendance of 70, Talks by Bod Dicker, Charles Mortimer, Gordon Bruce a his film of the new bike maker in Japan - Honda! more talks included Miss Shilling (Naylor), Stan Greenway, H.R. Nash, Frances Beart and Bert Denly, plus a Jumble sale when you could have bought a good complete 250 JAP engine for £2.00 or HRDVincent workshop book 0.40pence. The committee were busy planning and mapping the first Little Switzerland run which took place the following year on 15.3.70 and Brooklands to Beaulieu run on 28.6.70 entries (in those days only pre 1940 bikes) for both were oversubscribed. I/Alan have lots more in manuscript made at early talks etc. if any interest.
Alan and I keep in touch, for those of you not familiar with his name or exploits here is a tiny snapshot - Allan had a collection of big capacity Vintage a Post vintage bikes, Zenith, Brough and HRDVincent. He wont mind me saying he was an oily biker rather than a polish a pose type.
His in paddock procedure, sight smell and sounds, for warming up his methanol burning, R lubed, flame belching big Brooklands bikes with late wife Margaret, no mean rider herself, always in attendance. is a spectacle those of us present will not forget. (this was an era when intervention in such entertainment by Health a Safety was still to be invented).
Alan’s furiously quick often hairy yet fearless ‘demonstration’ runs down the runway on the former outer circuit big ZenithJAP became a regular top feature draw at early Reunions.
Alan has for many years now lived in Norfolk, these days confined to a wheel chair and as he says ‘getting on a bit’. He sold all his bikes and MG cars many many years ago taking up restoring and racing vintage sailing yachts on the Norfolk Broads instead. He retains his encyclopedic knowledge of Brooklands bikes and riders and still has quite a few notes about Section events in those formative years, if any one has any questions I am happy to relay them to him. just get in touch thanks. Malcolm Nash