Brooklands or RM heaven - picture heavy

Post by **SJG** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:15 pm

We went to Brooklands last weekend, what with the car problems this week i have had a chance to post any pictures. I have always been facinated by the racetrack and when i was a child used to cycle from home to byfleet and explore bits of the track.

Richard, there are some pictures of the plane we talked about landing when we saw each other the other week.

Post by **Richard Moss** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:06 am

It was my mate Steve "Jimmy" Jewel who flew that VC10 into Brooklands. They had to get the RAF to do it because the runway was too short for a civilian VC10 to land, but we didn't have to follow those rules.

Oddly, although the VC10 was built at Brooklands, through a peculiarity of their performance they were able to take-off from there but were too big and heavy to land.

Thanks for the pictures Simon - although it's about time they gave it a decent wash.

Post by **SJG** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:01 pm

Just to let everyone else know how this conversation came about. When Richard and i tried to collect the Metro he nearly bought he saw the picture of the Brooklands track i have in our living room.

Richard then mentioned about the VC10 which landed at the site, and that his friend had flown it in. The plane was a personal plane of the Sultan of Oman and he had given it as a gift, to the Queen i think.

Anyway i told Richard that i had seen the plane circling and land as i used to work at St Georges Hill golf course, which is next to the track, back then, this was in 1987(?).

I quite agree it needs a wash, actually the whole site needs a good spruce up.

A litle more information is here...

http://www.vc10.net/History/Individual/GASIX.html

The Professor · Post by **The Professor** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:25 pm

I must make a trip to Brooklands some time.
It has such a rich history both as a race track and airfield.
Its a shame it was left to deteriorate and the track allowed to be broken up and finally a part sold off for development.
I enjoyed watching James May's Toy stories recently where they built the large scalextric circuit at Brooklands.
Is the Mercedes Benz visitor centre worth looking at?

Post by **Richard Moss** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:22 pm

The Professor wrote:Its a shame it was left to deteriorate and the track allowed to be broken up and finally a part sold off for development.

One of my customers used to work for Mercedes and he says that when they set up at Brooklands, they offered to rebuild the circuit (or at least the parts that remain) but the local council wouldn't let them. I guess the lure of a couple more industrial units proved too strong.

Nuts4my827 · Post by **Nuts4my827** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:29 pm

The state of Brooklands makes me want to cry.

Such a historic place, and ripped up. Worse than what they have done to the circuit at Crystal Palace.

Some old circuits should be preserved. Shame on the Council....

The Professor · Post by **The Professor** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:36 am

i agree should have had a preservation order placed on it.
Thats local council for you.

The Professor · Post by **The Professor** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:09 pm

I was reading last week that the freehold of the 30 acre site of Brooklands owned by Japanese tobacco has been given to The Brooklands Museum trust its 25 year tenant . I think it was very generous of them and good news for the Museum Trust.

Nuts4my827 · Post by **Nuts4my827** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:40 pm

Wow!! Thats excellent news

Very Tall Brad · Post by **Very Tall Brad** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 8:36 am

I just picked up on this thread.

The VC10 was bought by Freddie Laker after the Sultan finished with it. It has a panel near the front passenger exit where it could accept his Rolls Royce. I was on this plane recently, at Brooklands, and there are pictures of them loading this huge car into the plane - he took it with him on a lot of his travels, apparently.

I was on Concorde as a teenager and went on the static plane on display and forgot how tiny it is inside - I couldn't stand up, it was too low.

I can recommend a trip to Brooklands - it isn't cheap and it is a bit weather worn in parts. Remember it is fortunate for us that it exists at all, though - it is not Alton Towers!

As for Mercedes World. GO GO GO ! It is free to get in. They welcome you and will show you all sorts of stuff. Great for a wet day as well as it is all under cover apart from the test track. My son (10) and daughter (12) have been getting driving lessons there in new A Class cars. These you do pay for and they aren't cheap but are taken on old sections of the Brooklands circuit. I think the charge is Â£90 an hour. But they enjoy it and are getting a grounding in the basics of car control and are 100% safe.

So, Brooklands and Merc World...a great place to spend a couple of days, in fact.

Post by **Richard Moss** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:37 am

Very Tall Brad wrote:The VC10 was bought by Freddie Laker after the Sultan finished with it. It has a panel near the front passenger exit where it could accept his Rolls Royce. I was on this plane recently, at Brooklands, and there are pictures of them loading this huge car into the plane - he took it with him on a lot of his travels, apparently.

It's the other way around - Freddie bought it new for British United Airways then it went to Caledonian before the Sultan bought it and had it fitted out.

http://www.vc10.net/History/Individual/GASIX.html

I'm surprised that a Rolls Royce would fit through the cargo door - we struggled to get Landrovers through!

Very Tall Brad · Post by **Very Tall Brad** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:26 am

Ah. Sorry - got it the round wrong way.

Russell820i · Post by **Russell820i** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 4:39 pm

Fantastic day out by the looks of it. I was at Leauchars the other weekend, was excellent.

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Brooklands or RM heaven - picture heavy

Brooklands or RM heaven - picture heavy

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