FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
16 August 2011Not just on the circuit: Brooklands celebrates speed in the sky
Women’s spirit of competition lives on at ‘100 years of Women in Aviation’ event
The home of British motorsport hosts a weekend celebrating human endeavour and achievement with its ‘Women in Aviation’ weekend at Brooklands, on 20-21 August.
Fittingly, for a venue rich in both aviation and motoring competition history, Brooklands is the backdrop for the centenary of the first British woman, Hilda Hewlett, gaining a pilot’s licence: as well as being the most famous race circuit of the time, Brooklands also had the first Flying School (founded by Hilda Hewlett and Gustav Blondeau in 1910) and saw many exciting races taking place with women at the wheel of powerful machinery both in the air and on the circuit.
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| Hilda Hewlett |
From those pioneering days to WWII and all the way to modern times, women have played their part, matching their talents to aircraft and race car speeds. It was indeed at Brooklands that both sexes built their impressive racing history: the very first person to drive on the brand new circuit was in fact a woman: Ethel Locke-King, in her Itala. Motor racing records, such as Gwenda Hawkes’ double-12 motorcycle endurance in 1922 and the Hon. Mrs Victor Bruce, who raced in Brooklands’ first women race in 1927 in an aluminium AC, achieving 17 world records overall in cars, boats and aeroplanes, were as eagerly sought-after as aviation firsts. Perhaps Hilda Hewlett could have competed with women such as Kay Petre and Gwenda Hawkes for the true "Brooklands Speed Queen" title.
In recognition of such records and achievement, the ‘Women in Aviation’ weekend hosts a new exhibition using original material from the Museum Archive, tracing some of the history surrounding those early days of flying at Brooklands.
Air Cadets’ and Astro-Sim’s state-of-the-art Flight Simulators will be there for those not brave enough to try the real skies. Inside the iconic Edwardian Clubhouse, the Blue Bird Room will host a display of career opportunities from the LAA (Light Aircraft Association), Brunel University, Air Cadets and ‘Red Letter Day’ charity Fly2Help. Automotive PR consultant Angie Voluti will be there with her brand new début novel, ‘Clay Ghosts in Sicily’, based on a true story about a Cypriot pilot and women’s contribution to the war in Sicily. Seminars and talks about flight and aerodynamics will be an added bonus.
ENDS
For more information and relevant photos, please contact:
Paul Stewart,
Marketing and PR Manager
Brooklands Museum
Brooklands Rd, Weybridge
Surrey
KT13 0QN
Tel: 01932 857 381 Ext 249
Angie Voluti PR
The Studio
Forest Road
Hartwell
Nr Northampton
NN7 2HE
Tel. +44 (0) 1604 863 044
Mob. +44 (0) 7584 306 014
Website: http://www.angievoluti.co.uk/
Twitter: angievoluti
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Do you love Classic Cars like we love Classic Cars? Join us at All About Detail Classic Cars.
Did you get an opportunity to read our last News/Blog "Chasing Classic Cars VI"
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