news Brooklands book launch


Stirling Moss 1929-2020 Former Brooklands Trust


Members’ President and long-time Brooklands supporter Sir Stirling Moss has died following a long illness. He was aged 90 and had been in poor health since contracting a virus while in Singapore in December 2016.


Brooklands Museum was the appropriate venue for the launch of author David Blumlein’s new book Brooklands: The Sports Car Endurance Races. Held on 13 March in the Clubhouse, David was on hand to discuss the inspiration for his book and sign copies for Members. The event was also attended by several classic cars that lined up outside of the Clubhouse, including a Delahaye (pictured foreground) that competed in period. Brooklands: The Sports Car Endurance Races is a detailed history of these often overlooked events. It is superbly illustrated with many period photographs and there is a full list of results for endurance races held between 1926 and 1932. A review of Brooklands: The Sports Car Endurance Races is on page 49 of this issue of the Bulletin. The book is available now from good booksellers priced £30.


Mike Venables


Message from Members’ Chairman As I sit at home typing this message, the Museum has


been closed for two weeks and we still have no clear idea when it will be able to reopen. The safety of staff, Volunteers, Members and visitors must always take priority, and commercial considerations are of far less importance. The Coronavirus has hit organisations like ours particularly hard, with most of the income streams fl owing from visitors drying up overnight. The income that you provide through your subscription is more important now than it has ever been, and we really hope that you will renew your membership as normal. We recognise that for some of you this may cause fi nancial stress during this time of uncertainty and we have announced an option for you to extend this year’s membership to cover the period during which the Museum is closed. Sir Gerald Acher, the Chairman of our Trustees, has explained the overall position in greater detail elsewhere in this edition (see page 5), and it makes clear how serious the position is for the Museum. We will of course keep you informed and engaged over the coming months through the Newsletter, which has an increased frequency, and the Bulletin, but regrettably will not be able to welcome you back to Brooklands until the Museum reopens. The programmes of Events and Talks have been postponed and clearly the AGM, scheduled for July, will not go ahead then. I


6 BROOKLANDS BULLETIN | MAY - JUNE 2020


Stirling was always labelled, somewhat disingenuously, as the greatest British Grand Prix driver never to win the World Championship. This belied the fact that he was until recent times also the UK’s most successful driver in all disciplines, winning 16 Grands Prix out of 66 starts when there were often only eight or so races each season. He also won the Mille Miglia in 1955 and no fewer than 195 other races in everything from touring cars to sports cars, sometimes winning more than one race on the same day.


He had an ability that transcended the machinery he was driving, never better demonstrated than his victory in the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix where, despite a huge power defi cit to the rival Ferraris, he won in his tiny Lotus 18. He survived three huge accidents, at Spa in 1960, Goodwood in 1962 which ended his racing career, and more recently when he fell down a lift shaft at his Mayfair fl at. All Brooklands Trust Members will wish to join in sending their heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie Moss and all his family. A full obituary will appear in a later edition.


Philip Strickland


will advise you of a new date as soon as possible. While other


postponements are likely and I will advise you as the situation becomes clearer, we are still


planning for our Annual Dinner, as you can read on page 8.


I leave you with the simple wish that you


and your loved ones stay safe and well throughout this trying time, and look forward to seeing you at Brooklands again as soon as that is possible. Please


remember: Brooklands needs your support more than ever at this diffi cult time!


As this edition went to press, we heard the very sad news of the death of our past President, Sir Stirling Moss. A brief tribute by Philip Strickland appears in this edition, with a fuller tribute to be published.


Neil Bailey


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