Brooklands

Yesterday we were doing the tourist guide to London bit for a young lady mad keen on formula one and motor cars. After some discussion, we decided to visit Brooklands Museum.

It’s easy to get to. 30 minutes or so from Waterloo to Weybridge, many trains per hour, plus a bit of a walk round the houses but it’s reasonably clearly marked.

Brooklands is the site of one of the world’s first racing tracks. They were racing on it in 1907. It has had a mixed history, including at one time being the site of the biggest airplane manufacturer in the country.

Here is a very good video about it:

When he says it’s forgotten, we don’t think that’s fair. It is a very famous track, with huge banking and still largely intact. We couldn’t walk on the track when we were there as work was being done.

There are plenty of racing cars, old and new, planes, including Concorde, buses and lots of stuff relating to Barnes Wallis in the museum. Every hut had lovely people to give you the chat and there were some interactive jollies too.

If this is something you might be interested in, it’s not cheap but it is good fun.

Not sponsored. Just a genuine suggestion.

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

Five days out

If you are coming to London for the first time, for a week perhaps, there’s plenty of different stuff to keep you amused, all easily accessible.

If you come back, you may want to see other places. Here are five, a bit of a train journey away but worth the effort.

We have included some links. You can look up more details of the individual places yourself.

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

Five iconic London things we miss…

…even though they have not really gone away.

The red post box

No-one sends letters any more?

Well yes, they do of course. You can see old red postboxes, but they are getting fewer.

So many in London are doubles, like the one above. You can tell the age from the front. This one says EIIR for Queen Elizabeth the second, so, since the mid-1950s.

Modern ones have no character, but there are some very old ones about. We remember Hampstead and Windsor.

Posted in London, Rant | Tagged | Leave a comment