The Motorcyles of the Brooklands Motorcycle Team
When I visited Brooklands for its annual Motorcycle Day on June 30, 2019, I was privileged to be able to not only sketch the wonderful Freddy Clarke replica Triumph, but was afforded the opportunity to promote my ‘Banked Track Heroes’ project in the historic Press office, where, in the circuit’s heyday, all the times and results were recorded and sent out from.
It was while sketching the Clarke replica and thinking about the other motorcycles campaigned by what is now known as the ‘Brooklands Motorcycle Team’ I started to realise how important the volunteers and machines are to the public’s perception of the museum.
Since the 1980s, when the museum was opened, there has always been someone working on the motorcycles. Over time, the amount of machines and volunteers has increased, leading to the use of the McEvoy shed as a motorcycle workshop.
As the volunteer numbers grew, John Bottomley started to push the loose group of volunteers in a more formal direction. As well as John, Michael Sands was instrumental in organising more motorcycle events and evolving the group.
Every Thursday, at least 10 members of the motorcycle team (of a 15-plus core group) turn up to ‘work’ on varying levels. The volunteers range from retired gentlemen seeking camaraderie with like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts, to more dedicated members, who restore and recreate Brooklands motorcycles and help organise and run events. The team also take motorcycles out to various
