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Brands Hatch 1950s photographs from Kent Messenger archives


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#1 bradbury west

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Posted 05 July 2012 - 19:36

Following up a non-motorsport photograph I came across the archivist for this fascinating site based largely on the old Kent Messenger negatives, rescued from the tip by archive historians etc.
http://www.kentphoto...rg.uk/index.php
If you click on the War and Peace link then onto the ABC buttons onto Towns A-C, and scroll down to Brands Hatch you get this lot.
http://www.kentphoto....php?page=intro

http://www.kentphoto...page=thumbnails

No doubt dates and names will be forthcoming from TNFers. Perhaps when we have the answers we can advise them via the Contacts link at the bottom centre on their home page,
I have not checked the rest of their site in any detail, but their archivist Roger Smoothy, to whom I have spoken, is a very professional archivist, specialising in glass plate negs.
Roger Lund

edit. I cannot get the thumbnails for Brands to copy so use the A-C link for Brands

Edited by bradbury west, 05 July 2012 - 19:43.


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#2 Vitesse2

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Posted 05 July 2012 - 19:51

There can't have been many televised meetings. A quick scan through The Times and taking the bareness of the trees into account suggests either April 7th 1958 or Boxing Day 1959. Other televised meetings seem to have been in August.

#3 Robin Fairservice

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Posted 06 July 2012 - 00:14

There can't have been many televised meetings. A quick scan through The Times and taking the bareness of the trees into account suggests either April 7th 1958 or Boxing Day 1959. Other televised meetings seem to have been in August.

My guess is April 7, 1958. I'm sure that I was marshalling there, but can't remember anything about it.

Edited by Robin Fairservice, 06 July 2012 - 00:21.


#4 Eric Dunsdon

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 07:44

Following up a non-motorsport photograph I came across the archivist for this fascinating site based largely on the old Kent Messenger negatives, rescued from the tip by archive historians etc.
http://www.kentphoto...rg.uk/index.php
If you click on the War and Peace link then onto the ABC buttons onto Towns A-C, and scroll down to Brands Hatch you get this lot.
http://www.kentphoto....php?page=intro

http://www.kentphoto...page=thumbnails

No doubt dates and names will be forthcoming from TNFers. Perhaps when we have the answers we can advise them via the Contacts link at the bottom centre on their home page,
I have not checked the rest of their site in any detail, but their archivist Roger Smoothy, to whom I have spoken, is a very professional archivist, specialising in glass plate negs.
Roger Lund

edit. I cannot get the thumbnails for Brands to copy so use the A-C link for Brands

Some nice pictures there, especially the one of Tom Bridger and George Wicken's Cooper-Nortons from the inside of Padock Bend.

#5 HiRich

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 15:41

It's the Easter Meeting, 6th April 1956.
As well as Eric's correct identification of George Wicken & Tommy Bridger in the second heat of the Sporting Record Trophy Race, you can see Eugene Hall (white Cooper with nose stripes) being harassed by Stuart Lewis-Evans (dark Cooper) in the first.
RAP has filled in the details of the sports car races, which have been sent to Roger.

#6 Eric Dunsdon

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 16:22

It's the Easter Meeting, 6th April 1956.
As well as Eric's correct identification of George Wicken & Tommy Bridger in the second heat of the Sporting Record Trophy Race, you can see Eugene Hall (white Cooper with nose stripes) being harassed by Stuart Lewis-Evans (dark Cooper) in the first.
RAP has filled in the details of the sports car races, which have been sent to Roger.

Seeing Eugene Hall certainly brought back a few Brands Hatch memories. His Cooper was actually white and blue, the American racing colours as Eugene was a U.S. Serviceman at the time.

#7 Robin Fairservice

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 18:58


From the 500 cc Association web site:

Brands Hatch 3rd April 1956 Sporting Record Trophy

Heat 1

1st Eugene Hall - Cooper Mk VI, 2nd Stewart Lewis-Evans - Cooper, 3rd Henry Taylor - Cooper DNF: Derek Strange - Cooper

Heat 2

1st Tommy Bridger - Cooper Mk IX, 2nd George Wicken - Cooper Mk VIII, 3rd David Boshier-Jones - Cooper Mk IX, 4th Ian Raby - Cooper Mk X

Consolation Race

1st Ian Raby - Cooper Mk X, 2nd Reg Barrett - Cooper, 3rd Donald Iszatt - Cooper DNF: Gordon Jones - Kieft

Second Final

1st Roy Mayne - Cooper Mk IX, 2nd Charles Heyward - CHS, 3rd Chris Summers - Cooper

First Final

1st George Wicken - Cooper Mk VIII, 2nd Stewart Lewis-Evans - Cooper, 3rd Tommy Bridger - Cooper Mk IX DNF: Eugene Hall - Cooper, Alan Eccles - Cooper, Henry Koring - Smith Mk III

JAP Race

1st Henry Taylor - Cooper Mk VIII, 2nd Gordon Jones - Kieft, 3rd Tom Bennett - Arnott, 4th Donald Iszatt - Cooper



#8 D-Type

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 21:42

There's something strange about the dates.

In 1956 Easter Sunday was on 1st April so an Easter Monday meeting would be on 2nd April
In 1958 Easter Sunday was on 6th April so an Easter Monday meeting would be on 7th April

#9 Doug Nye

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 22:10

http://www.kentphoto....php?page=intro

Shot WanPs-2718 doesn't half look like Maurice Phillippe's intriguing monocoque-hulled special, the MPS... But is it?

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 07 July 2012 - 22:12.


#10 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 July 2012 - 22:19

There's something strange about the dates.

In 1956 Easter Sunday was on 1st April so an Easter Monday meeting would be on 2nd April
In 1958 Easter Sunday was on 6th April so an Easter Monday meeting would be on 7th April

The April 2nd 1956 meeting was also televised, although only in the London area.

#11 HiRich

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Posted 08 July 2012 - 09:55

I'm a twonk, I meant 2nd April 1956.

By car No.s, the crashing car (8) should be DC Godfrey, with a Buckler. The MPS was there running 9, but close inspection of the photo really does seem to show a full "8" on the nose. How does that stack up, Doug? Also, does anyone have a view on the site of the crash? I can only place it at the bottom of Paddock, but I would have expected it to be a bit busier over the bank.
Another question is about the curvy sports car "6", chasing in image 2719. Supposedly a Lotus, it's beyond my knowledge.