Brooklands Society News

The A.G.M. was held, very conveniently, at the Headfort Place Hotel on April 15th, the Chair being taken by the senior Vice-President, Alan Hess. The report of the Committee and the audited accounts were approved by the members present. T. A. S. O. Mathieson was then unanimously voted the new President, the existing Committee and Officers, with the exception of Lord Montagu who has withdrawn, were re-elected, and five new Committee members were appointed.

A vote of thanks to Mr. Tee of Motor Sport was proposed by Mr. Stanley Sedgwick, in recognition of the financial help he had provided to cover the establishment of the Society and the expenses of maintaining it in its first year. Thanks were also tendered to Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Morgan for putting the Committee room at the Society’s disposal free of charge.

During general discussion such matters as the preservation of Brooklands, the co-ordination of the various bodies interested in the old Track, the future status of Associates of the Society, and the desirability of having an annual dinner and a full programme for the rest of this season were discussed, and action taken. Every effort was to be made to enrol new members and subscriptions are to run for a full 12 month from January 1st, even if taken out late in the previous year. After the A.G.M. a special was held at The Steering Wheel Club.

The following day three Committee members of the Society were at Brooklands when Cliff Michelmore was producing part of a Billy Cotton memorial programme for B.B.C. Television, to be shown on May 6th. This involved Wilky Wilkinson, who prepared Cotton’s Bellevue Garage cars, being interviewed on the Byfleet banking sitting in the ex-J. H. T. Smith M.G. Magnetic single-seater which had been rigged up with a 2-litre E.R.A. Brooklands’ exhaust system. As Cotton drove a two-seater M.G. Magnette and the car used was a non-runner, it seems a pity no effort was made to use the ex-Cotton E.R.A., which is in good fettle, owned by C. P. Marsh. Freddie Thatcher, who raced an M.G., was also interviewed. Billy Cotton won his first race on Brooklands Track in 1936 and the last Mountain handicap held there, in 1939, when his 1½-litre E.R.A. beat Maclure’s Riley by 1/5 of a sec. It is nice that all his fine trophies are intact, and were used in the film.

The Brooklands Society looks forward to an active future under its new President, T. A. S. O. Mathieson, who raced at the Track from 1932 to 1938 with O.M., Buggati and Darracq cars. Those who subscriptions are overdue (Members, £2; Associates, 10s.) are asked to send them at once, to The Brooklands Society Ltd., Standard House, Bonhill Street. London, E.C.2.

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Will the reader in the Andover area who mentioned to the Editor that he has a picture of one of the 1914 T.T. Humbers in France please contact us, as we would like to see this picture.