Date: 01 January, 2016
Location: Brooklands Museum/Race Track, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0QN
On the face of it, the choice seems like a no-brainer for classic car buffs.
What would you rather do on New Year’s Day? Stay at home eating curled-up turkey sandwiches, tolerating relatives who still haven’t gone home yet and suffering The Sound of Music for the umpteenth time?
Or make for Brooklands Museum, where officials are staging a head-clearing, fresh air-filled spectacular classic car gathering?
More than 5,000 people had the same idea earlier this year and headed to the iconic Surrey race track/museum for their annual classic pilgrimage.
They were treated to the sight of almost 1,250 classics spanning a wide spectrum of makes and ages.
Our top picks
Displays aplenty: some of the Brooklands track’s most famous areas will be packed with exhibitions from individuals and car clubs alike.
Motorcycles, super cars, vets, contemporary classics, classics and vintage vehicles will all be there, dotted across the finishing straight, the paddock and members’ banking.
Winter barbecue: forecasters are predicting mild temperatures for the area on New Year’s Day. But January is still January and even the expected 9C should make hot nosh the order of the day.
Best of the rest
- Concorde Experience: take your seat aboard the legendary 1,350mph plane for a 35-minute supersonic virtual “flight” of fantasy at double the speed of sound (£5 adults, £3 children)
- Sunbeam Café: snacks and lunches are available
- Race, Drive or Fly: Brooklands’ high-tech 4D Theatre puts visitors in the driving seat. Again there is an additional charge
- Discovery Centre
- Soft children’s play area
What the museum says…
Brooklands Museum director Allan Winn says the eclectic nature of the vehicles on show is what makes the annual Gathering so special.
He says expected treasures include:
- Ferraris
- Porsches
- Minis
- Bentleys
- Austins
- Fords
- even Routemaster buses
How much do tickets cost?
Adults pay £11, seniors £10, children (5-16) £6 and families £30.
Car clubs can pre-book by ringing Donna Hopton on 01932 857381 or emailing her at events@brooklandsmuseum.com.
The museum celebrates its silver jubilee next year.
COMMENT