the Museum will agree that the efforts were extremely worthwhile, and it is a project that we can be proud of. It is nearly 10 years since the BTM was estab-


lished. The original rules drawn up at that time anticipated a merger with the Brooklands Society that never materialised and in several other respects were outdated. With the encouragement of the Trustees we decided to completely revise the rules to ensure that they were fit for purpose and appropriate for an organisation with a total membership of over 10,000. Our Secretary, Kevin Lee, agreed to take on this task and the revised rules were approved by the Trustees and the Museum earlier this year. The new rules impose term limits on Committee members, and the application of the rules immediately would have been unduly disruptive, so transitional arrange- ments were agreed by the Trustees and ratified by the Committee in April this year. The new rules will be posted on our website and copies were available for members attending the Annual General Meeting. A difficult issue for your Committee was the


increase in membership subscriptions that we introduced earlier this year. For several years the rates, which are linked to the cost of public admission to the Museum, had been frozen, as with all the disruption on site it had not been considered appropriate to raise admission prices. This meant that after these were raised at the end of 2017 following the opening of the Flight Shed and Aircraft Factory, it was inevitable that when we came to discuss membership subscriptions, there would be an element of 'catching up' in those discussions. We agreed revised rates with the Museum and, although for most membership categories these were relatively modest, the Club Level subscription was increased significantly, from £95 to £125. Although I recognise that this is a steep increase, it still represents outstanding value for money, and this increase will hopefully obviate the need to introduce a cap on Club Level membership. Overall, membership numbers continue to grow, albeit at a slower rate than in previous years, although as a result of the increase in Club level subscriptions we anticipate that the growth at that level will slow down significantly. Allowing for Gift Aid, the BTM now raises almost £500,000 annually for the Museum. The departure of Allan Winn was a very


significant milestone in the history of the Museum, and his legacy is immense. Although he


46


could be difficult at times (the answer to the question ‘What is the difference between Allan Winn and a terrorist?’ is quite simple – you can negotiate with a terrorist!), the Museum has been his passion and he has always had the interest of the Museum at heart. At the ‘Au revoir Allan Winn’ evening we presented him with a framed photograph of him behind the wheel of the Napier-Railton on behalf of the BTM, and awarded him honorary membership. Since then he has been appointed Vice President of the Museum by the Trustees, a very fitting recognition of his immense contribution to the development of the Museum. Tamalie Newbery, his replacement as Director


and CEO, has a strong background in the funding and management of museums, and she has already made clear her total commitment to working together with the BTM and the Trustees as we move forward. We look forward to a long, productive relationship with her and the senior management team, working together as a team (TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More). Another significant departure was that of Sir


Stirling Moss, our President for nearly 10 years, and of the Brooklands Society before that, due to ill health. My predecessor, Philip Strickland, has reported extensively in the Bulletin on Stirling’s achievements


and his commitment to


Brooklands, so all I add in this report is a heartfelt thank you to him for all his support over many years, and to wish him well for the future. Seeking a replacement to follow Stirling was


always going to be difficult, but there was no doubt in my mind that Damon Hill (an existing honorary member) was the outstanding candidate for the role, but with his broadcasting and charitable commitments it seemed likely to prove difficult to persuade him. However, I am delighted to report that he was persuaded, and I welcome him warmly as our new President. He has already visited our Outreach team at the recent Motorcycle Day, and we look forward to welcoming him here whenever his busy schedule permits – I hope he will be at our Annual Dinner on Friday 16th November, which helpfully falls between Grand Prix weekends! The Bulletin continues to be popular with our


members, but we are aware of the limitations imposed by the A5 format. Discussions have progressed throughout the year, following sugges- tions for change from both the Trustees and Allan Winn. Whilst these discussions are at an early


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