Brooklands Museum Review

Brooklands Museum – A Brilliant Day Out!

Even though the weather was dull and showery, we had a wonderful visit to the amazing Brooklands Museum.

Setting up this trip had been quite a headache. As we approached the closing date for applications, we thought we might have to cancel because we didn’t have enough people, which would have meant a big financial loss. Then we decided to ask neighbouring U3A groups if any of their members would like to join us and, thankfully, nine people came to the rescue. This meant we could go ahead and just

about break even... phew!

Despite only four hours’ sleep the night before—worrying if my first attempt at running a trip would go smoothly—I loved it and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

We were split into four smaller groups, each with a volunteer guide. This was supposed to be a one-hour tour of the

museum – but it turned out to last more like 90 minutes. Our guides were excellent: enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about Brooklands. I’m so glad we chose the tour, as it really set us up for exploring the rest of the museum at our own pace.

The Concorde Experience

Quite a few of us paid extra for the “Concorde Experience,” which was excellent. This included sitting in the iconic aircraft for a simulated “flight” on screen—complete with vibrations! A very unusual but fun experience.

This was my second visit to Brooklands, and I don’t imagine it will be my last. There is so much to see—perhaps next time I’ll be brave enough to try the McLaren F1 simulator! Of course, the real challenge might be climbing in... or out. Maybe that’s an embarrassment best left for another time.

It may have been my second visit, but Brooklands still has plenty in store. Here’s to many more adventures—rain or shine!

Joan Hersey