17 replies to this topic

[Henk A. Hazelaar]

Dear all,

I'll go tomorrow for a few days to the UK, Thursday till Sunday, visiting both Croydon, Morden and Sutton but I doubt if I find anything motorsporthistory-related there.
Are there any bookshops/second hand bookshops I should visit to find some older or newer English motorsport books?
Any other less-obvious tips are welcome too

Best regards,


Henk A. Hazelaar

[Bauble]

Dear all,

I'll go tomorrow for a few days to the UK, Thursday till Sunday, visiting both Croydon, Morden and Sutton but I doubt if I find anything motorsporthistory-related there.
Are there any bookshops/second hand bookshops I should visit to find some older or newer English motorsport books?
Any other less-obvious tips are welcome too

Best regards,


Henk A. Hazelaar

Henk,
Welcome to Britain, but i suspect you will find little of interest in South London, although Crystal Palace is not too far away at Penge.

Regards,

Bauble

[David McKinney]

It's relatively fast and cheap to get from there to Central London by underground railway - Motor Books, a walk of just a few minutes from the Leicester Square or Charing Cross stations, should have plenty to interest you in the way of new and secondhand books

[Vitesse2]

As Bauble says, not a lot of motor sport history except for what little remains of Crystal Palace. But if you're into 1930s aviation, Croydon Airport Visitor Centre will be open on Sunday:

http://www.allabout-...museum-184.html

The Imperial War Museum is an easy journey on the 109 bus from Croydon.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/

David's also slightly misled you: you can only get the Tube from Morden and it's a long, hot, boring and rattly journey. Far better to get a main line train into Victoria from East Croydon.

Don't expect much of Croydon. It's a bit like the rebuilt part of Rotterdam. But with narrower streets. Morden is an absolute ****hole. Sutton's pretty much okay though.

[Gary C]

'It's relatively fast and cheap to get from there to Central London by underground railway - Motor Books, a walk of just a few minutes from the Leicester Square or Charing Cross stations, should have plenty to interest you in the way of new and secondhand books.'
Hasn't Motorbooks recently closed?

[Bauble]

I do not know the area that well, but what about Brooklands, isn't that a feasible venue?

[Vitesse2]

I do not know the area that well, but what about Brooklands, isn't that a feasible venue?

Depends on whether Henk has transport. By public transport it means going up to Clapham Junction and changing, then bus from either Woking or Byfleet. Getting across South London rather than into the city centre is notoriously difficult, even by car.

Edited by Vitesse2, 01 June 2011 - 19:16.

[Simon Arron]

Don't forget Trojan, which built eponymous racing cars (and customer McLarens) on Beddington Lane, Croydon, during the 1960s and early '70s. Sadly, there is nothing as dignified as a plaque on Beddington Lane (although you will find a sewage works and a large Asda).

The Brooklands Museum is only 30-odd minutes from Sutton by car, or there's a two-day club meeting at Brands Hatch this weekend (although most of the content is modern - timetable here: http://ticket.motors...vr_45062011.pdf).

It's also worth checking racedates.net to see what else might be on.

Happy hunting.

[David McKinney]

Hasn't Motorbooks recently closed?

There website's still live
They moved from one lane to the one parallel about 18 months ago

[RS2000]

although you will find a sewage works.

which was used as a special stage on the 1977 Happy Eater Rally, so there is a motorsport connection there (although it was a rubbish stage with some impossibly tight junctions...).

[Vitesse2]

The Brooklands Museum is only 30-odd minutes from Sutton by car ...

... through Alta and Fox & Nichol country in Tolworth at that! But perhaps not quite that quick a journey for someone without intimate knowledge of the subtleties of lanechanging on the A3! Although missing the Brooklands turn would of course offer the opportunity to visit the old Tyrrell factory in Ockham - or even DCN!

Edited by Vitesse2, 01 June 2011 - 20:06.

[Henk A. Hazelaar]

OK guys,

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions.
But ................ I only have three days !!!!!!!
Saturday night I was invited to visit Wimbledon Stadium (Greyhound Racing)

Go for sure enjoy this beautiful days in my favorite country United Kingdom.


Best regards,

Henk A. Hazelaar

[sterling49]

Brands is not that far away......................could be track day, or testing on too...........

[962C]

Depends on whether Henk has transport. By public transport it means going up to Clapham Junction and changing, then bus from either Woking or Byfleet. Getting across South London rather than into the city centre is notoriously difficult, even by car.

Brooklands is a 15-20 min walk away from Weybridge train station.

[Tom Glowacki]

Brooklands is a 15-20 min walk away from Weybridge train station.

Take the train from Clapham Junction to Wyebridge, go right out of the station, right at road at the top of the hill and keep walking to the right. Great way to spend a day. A lot of walking since you enter at the far end from the Mercedes Center and the preserved builidngs. At least it's downhill from the station, which makes i uphlill on the way back . . .

[Vitesse2]

The bus service I mentioned (the 436) also serves Weybridge station and stops right outside the museum. I believe I read somewhere that Brooklands were hoping to reopen the path to the Members' Bridge, which would considerably shorten the journey on foot.

[man]

If you do venture to central London, the motorsport section of Folyes book store is not bad at all. In between Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross. Northern Line will take you straight there from Modern.

Edited by man, 02 June 2011 - 13:50.

[LittleChris]

Don't forget to let us know if you see Lewis

http://forums.autosp...w...&hl=croydon