Welcome to 'Hobby' Videographer Andy's Video Index and Website

Modern Brooklands Videos (i.e. after 2000)

This playlist is made up of many of my recent videos I have made that are associated with Brooklands. These include some Aircraft Recoveries, like the transportation of the Brooklands Vimy after it landed at Brooklands. Behind the scenes at some of the Museums weekend events like the Double Twelve and New Year motoring events. Inside the famous Barnes Wallis Stratosphere Chamber and Balloon Hangar Moving the Brooklands Concorde and Concorde Model. Aviation fly-ins and much more, most of which is in HD quality and more recently 4K UHD.

Older Brooklands Videos (i.e. before 2000)

This playlist contains miscellanies much older videos that are associated with Brooklands that I made when MD of National Rescue from around 1983 up to 1999. These includes the Recovery of many of the current Aircraft, plus some that have now gone to other locations. Early site clearance videos, show parts of Brooklands long gone and there is some rare footage of early fly-ins. It also includes some of the fund raising trips we took in Vickers Viscounts, with some live Viscount Cockpit footage (but don't tell the CAA). If you know Brooklands today, then this is what it did look like.

Vehicle and Aircraft Recovery 1980 -2000

Again these are older videos from my years at National Rescue. This is not quality videoing, more often than not, I was working under pressure to get the job done and so videoing became secondary to the task in hand. It shows accidents on (or off) the A3, M3 and M25 and how we dealt with them. (BTW You can also see some of our aircraft recoveries in these playlist if recovery interests you). Anyone in the game today, may wonder how we lived through it, without the help of H and S! I know I do when I look at them now.

Vehicle and Aircraft Recovery after 2000

This playlist is made up of more recent recovery videos I have made. These include some Aircraft Recoveries, like the transportation of the Brooklands Vimy after it landed at Brooklands. Moving aircraft including the Brooklands Concorde and Concorde Model. The time myself a few recovery friends were invited to REMA Boron to see how tank recovery is done. There are a couple of videos on Milly Tant my historic AEC Mk1 Militant and much more, most of which is again in super HD quality, plus there is a little in 4K UHD.

How myself and some friends, Rescued Brooklands Exhibits

When you walk around Brooklands and marvel at some of the many exhibits, you may also wonder how did they get to the museum? You may be surprised to know that many planes like Concorde, came by road (only 4 arrived by flying into Brooklands).

So here you can see a few of the many aircraft recoveries myself and other members of BREAST (Brooklands Recovery Engineering And Salvage Team) have carried out over the last 30 plus years acquiring the collection. There is also footage of other exhibits, I was also involved in collecting, some of which later left the museum. It is by no means complete as on many occasions I was too busy to film as I was operating the crane on Milly, or the Belle, but if I was lucky I sometime found someone else to film for me.

All my Aviation or Aviation related Videos

This large section is for all aviation enthusiasts, In it you will find all my aviation related videos from 1983 to present in one long Playlist (except the fly-ins which have their own Playlist). It includes some rare footage of some very interesting, retired aircraft, both on the ground and in the air.

It includes looks around aviation building that no longer exist Lastly because of my work with Aviation Heritage UK, it includes many of the fascinating presentations and talks I have attended at other Museums and aviation related sites. Sadly, it also has a few tributes to departed individuals which of course reminds us of the many good people we have lost over the years from the industry.

Brooklands New Year's Day Classic Car Event

Each year on New Year's Day Brook lands Museum lays open the site to anyone with an interesting classic car, the only restriction is on age of vehicle. The weather is often bad, but it does not stop, Capri, A30, A40, Escort, Minor, Cortina, Cambridge, 2000, 3500, P5, Allegro, Jag, Transit, MG and most other classics you can think of, from turning up. For many it is the best event of the year, because no competitions or other events take place, you are free to just chat and admire the cars.

Emergence Service Vehicles Day (Mayday)

Brooklands Museum Emergency Services Mayday events, were once held each year on the 'May Day' Monday (this did change in 2022) and attracts Emergency Vehicles from all sectors and services, including Fire Brigades, Police Forces, Ambulance Services, Recovery Services and The Military. This event once presented an exciting but safe environment for you to witness the serious nature of what men and women do all over the country every day to make our world safe and save lives and of course meet Fireman Sam

The early Dunsfold Wings and Wheels

Dunsfold the way the public don't normally get to see it! For the very first two Wings and Wheels Commander Crutch and myself operated the Tower. As the event grew 'professional' event organisers were brought in and I looked after the recovery of the display vehicles.

When I could, I recorded some items from the 'Behind the scenes' as it were. You can see aircraft like the two Lancaster that visited in 2014 and of course the incredible Vulcan, Harriers, Hunters and Daks. Plus, some incredible cars -You can even go round parts of the Top Gear circuit in the 24 litre 1933 Napier-Railton!

Early Brooklands Double Twelve

This playlist is from the recreated historic double twelve event at Brooklands Museum it is one of the biggest events and goes on over two days. It was recreated to remember that on the 28 and 29 of June 1907 just eleven days after the Brooklands circuit opened, the world's first 24-hour motor event on a closed circuit, took place at Brooklands

However, in the years that followed, objections from local residents meant that the race was modified into two 12-hour sections from 8am to 8pm, with the cars locked away overnight. Here you can get a flavour of some of these annual occurrences in recent years.

Videos of the amazing Fly-ins at Brooklands

Many view Brooklands as the 'cradle' if not the 'birth place' of early aviation in Europe, without any doubt up until it closed in the eighties more aircraft have been produced on the Brooklands site than anywhere else!

This is a playlist showing some of the Fly-in events held at Brooklands Museum and Mercedes-Benz I have videoed over the years. I am not a professional videographer and so some of the videos are not great quality, especial the early ones filmed in 405 VHS format. More recently in fully HD and sometimes in 4K UHD There are also some associated videos dealing with events where aircraft flew by but did not land.

Auto Italia - Italian Car Day at Brooklands

This playlist contains a huge number of videos from the Auto Italia Event at Brooklands Museum again it used to be one of the biggest events of the year at Brooklands, celebrating the UK’s obsession with all things Italian.

Each year the site is full of all types of Italian cars vans and motorbikes. This playlist shows all the videos from over the last few years that I have covered it. It includes vehicles arriving, flying around the Mercedes Benz World (MBW) and vehicles going up Test Hill.

For the last few years I have not bothered to cover it as the new  BMTV does now..

The Re-Engineering of Brooklands and the track

This Playlist is largely about the Re-Engineering of the Brooklands site in Weybridge and Byfleet. No longer a 'Race Track' it is home to many business and the Brooklands Museum. The museum part of the estate is undergoing an extensive development including a new flight shed and the relocation of the Brooklands Bellman Hangar.

It also covers the relocation of the Brooklands Concorde, Vimy and Wellington Aircraft. It remembers some of the buildings demolished to make way for the new and perhaps most significantly an ongoing aerial record of the historic Brooklands Banked Race Track.

Vehicle Recovery Meetings and Events

This Playlist , is about Important Vehicle Recovery meetings and events like the Tow Shows and PROFCOM.

There are also videos about the many of us who over the years have worked on safety, forcing through legislation like RED LIGHTS and working on Electric Vehicles.

This is the playlist for active Vehicle Recovery Operators  and other people associated with the UK Recovery Industry, but others may find it interesting

Brooklands Vickers Vimy replica related videos

The famous Vimy replica has flown around the world, recreating many of the record flights its fellow Vimys had previously made some 100 years ago. These include recreating the Smith Brothers' flight from England to Australia in G-EAOU, Brand and van Ryneveld's Brooklands to South Africa epic flight and of course Alcock and Brown's first non-stop transatlantic Flight. These videos are roughly in time order and include the background to its eventual final landing at Brooklands the birth place of the Vimy. For aircraft recovery fans it also show how I roped in some recovery mates and with their help transported it into the Museum by road. Lastly it gives you a chance to experience seating at the front of the aircraft in flight.

Brooklands Concorde related Videos

The fully story about the first Concorde Brooklands was to have and then lost cannot be told here, but after a lot of planning we got the chance of a second one, which in the end turned out to be the best one in my opinion.

Moving it was hard but with the help from good friends Chris Jones from CeeJay and Terry Palfrey from Queens Motors. We transported the outer wings, front fuselage, rear fuselage and many other bits to Brooklands. The centre section had to be moved with a police escort and this was done while I was away and so I did not get to film it. But once rebuilt at Brooklands we have had a lot of fun moving it around      

Vickers Viscount related Videos

Back in 1990 Brooklands Museum asked me to recover a Vickers Viscount named Stephen Piercey G-APIM. When I agreed I had no idea how much this one job would come to mean to me, or prepare me for the wonderful people who I would soon meet and with time call my friends as a result of the project. This section deals with VSP's recovery by myself and my team at National Rescue, but it also shows in some details (from the cockpit in some cases) flights we took in other Viscounts to raise money for VSP restoration. You can also see a lot more about G-APIM at www.vsp.org.uk

Vickers Vanguard related Videos

On the 17th of October 1996 the worlds only surviving Vanguard (Merchantman) G-APEP made its last ever flight into Brooklands and then on into the Museum Site itself. I had been involved at looking to moving it by road, but in the end it was flown in. The story behind that flat is a legend amongst Vanguard enthusiasts because it came very close to going very wrong. If you don’t know the story watch the video! Since that great day I have filmed it and the team that look after it at Brooklands. I have also added a little footage of its sisters.

The Loch Ness Vickers Wellington

The Brooklands Wellington first flew out of Brooklands in November 1939 and was given the RAF designation N2980 and Squadron Code ‘R’ for ‘Robert’. The Wellington with its geodesic construction devised by aircraft designer and inventor Barnes Wallis, has the distinction of being the only Bomber being produced throughout the war with some 11,500 produced . 'Robert' was in service until New Years Eve 1940 when it crashed in to Loch Ness, where it stayed until located in 1976. A plan was put together to salvage the wreck and this happened in 1985, sadly for me it is one of the few Brooklands aircraft recoveries I was not in some way involved with. in subsequently years however, I have Air Bagged, Lifted and Towed Robert as you will see in my videos here. NOTE: in the 360 image section above there are also some internal images of this aircraft.

The Vickers VC10 Collection

The Vickers VC10 first flew out of Brooklands 29June 1962 piloted by Vickers chief test pilot G R 'Jock' Bryce. Development of the aircraft was slow with many set backs but it was dearly loved by both crew and passenger and arguably were it not for politics and problem in the aviation industry would have been a huge success. Brooklands Museum has the Ex Sultan of Oman's aircraft on display, after it flew in to Brooklands in 1987, along with two fuselage sections. The Sultan aircraft is quite unique fitted out as flying VIP apartment, and is used by Farther Christmas once a year. The last Brooklands built VC 10 - ZA150 went out of service in September 2013 when it flew into Dunsfold where as you will see in this playlist it still does taxiing demonstration, although as I write this it may be flying back into service.

The World first 100mph man Percy Lambert

Percy Lambert was the first person in the world to travel over 100 miles in one hour. He did it on the Brooklands Circuit on the 15th February 1913, driving a 25 hp "Invincible Talbot". Percy first raced at Brooklands in 1910 aged 29 and in his tragically short carrier he became a popular driver, winning seven races and being placed in six more. He was aware of the dangers of going so fast and promised his Fiancée now he had the record he would give it all up. Unfortunately a few days later a Frenchman went faster and he had 'one last attempt' on October 21st, 1913. For the first 20 laps he averaged 110 mph, enough to give him the record back. On the 21st lap a rear tyre disintegrated and Percy died. He is buried at Brompton Cemetery in the Old Brompton Road London. His gravestone is inscribed: "A modest friend, a fine gentleman and a thorough sportsman".

Videos of the now demolished Woodley Factory

A collection videos showing the surviving buildings of the former Phillips & Powis - later Miles Aircraft - factory at Woodley, all designed in 1938 by the modernist architect Guy Morgan and officially opened by the Air Minister Sir Kingsley Wood on 29th January 1939. Filmed largely on 10th August 2022, just a few days before Thermal Management Solutions reluctantly closed down this well known engineering site after ending production of automotive engine parts at the end of July. .

Their departure sadly brings to an end 83 years of continuous engineering activity in these buildings which made such an important contribution to both Woodley's history and to this country's aviation and automotive industries'.

Former London Transport and National Rescue AEC Militant

Milly is responsible for moving most of the Brooklands collection around and reassembling many of the aircraft there She was constructed by AEC in 1954 as a 6 Wheel Drive Militant Chassis Cab for the British Army She had done very few miles when she was purchased by London Transport in October 1966 who had Boughton Engineering body her as Master Breakdown Tenders. The Cranes fitted were full power slewing models.

Milly, spent the next 14 years working for London Transport, based at Camberwell Garage until sold for scrap in 1981. I found her in 1983 and purchased her to work at National Rescues new depot at Brooklands. In the nineties when I retired from NRG I moved her onto the Brooklands Museum site and she worked there until 2024 when she finally retired to the London Bus Museum. See more at www.millytant.com.

The unique record breaking Brooklands Napier-Railton

The incredible Brooklands Napier-Railton although a Museum Exhibit also gets to come out and perform at special events like Goodwood, Dunsfold wings and wheel as well as on the Brooklands Circuit, where possible I try to film it.

It is a 24 litre aero-engined race and endurance car producing some 560 BHP, it was built in 1933, by Reid Railton to a commission by John Cobb, and built by Thomson & Taylor. Cobb, drove mainly at the Brooklands race track where it holds the all-time lap record (143.44 mph) which was set in 1935. In 1951 the Napier-Railton was purchased by the GQ Parachute Company of Woking and modified to test aircraft parachutes at Dunsfold airfield. It was eventually purchased by the Brooklands Museum trust in 1997 and is usually on display there.

Aerial Videos from Brooklands, around the UK and abroad

This growing playlist is made up of videos I have made that I think may interest other people. It includes some interesting locations ranging from New Zealand, through Spain and back to England. and includes Homes, Churches even aircraft. The view is always great and some of the sites you have to have good contacts to get access to.

These videos have been made largely with various DJI Quad-copters (Drones) from 2015 to date, I always enjoy filming interesting building, vehicles, or landscapes and I am happy to do them for free if it is an interesting and unique location. .

Elliott School Putney now the Ark Putney Academy

I was lucky enough to go to school in 1958, at the brand new Elliott Comprehensive school at Putney Heath. There were some 2500 of us there and a lot of us have kept in touch and there is even a website that I maintain.

Some fifty years after I left the school we had a reunion there and I was very sad to see how this wonderful building had deteriorated. However, like all good stories it has a happy ending, as the School has been refurbished. This was not without controversy however, as part of the school grounds were sold off, to pay for the work and the Elliott name was lost when it became the ARK Putney academy. www.elliottonians.com.

Our Worldwide Travel with a camera collection

I have recently started to make a playlist of the holiday trips the wife Chris and I have taken together, many will only be of interest to the family, but some may be of interest to others because we visit some wonderful places, like the M*A*S*H film set in LA and two of the Lord of Rings film sets in New Zealand.

We spent some time in the Hollywood Hills researching the pop culture around Laurel Canyon and rode in the Annual 10-4 Police Parade. You can join us in an Air-boat ride up Alligator Alley and a flight over San Francisco. Or join us holding baby Tiger Cubs and going for a walk with fully grown Lions in Africa. sadly we also visited and Filmed New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina hit. Maybe Formula One is your thing - enjoy Indianapolis on the day only 6 cars started the race to the disgust of the fans.

Personal Videos for Friends and Family

This section is mainly for friends, family and those that like to Travel, it's what you may call my Home and Family videos and if you know some of the family and any of my crazy friends, they may amuse you and explain why I am like I am.

There is also a little bit more about the traveling we have done ranging from the crazy police 10-4 event in LA where we were honoured guests, and got to bring the city to a stand still. To visiting the MASH 4077 Camp and showing you how to get to what remains of the film set. You can see how my 'so called' friends and family set me up for my sixtieth birthday and got me traveling in sixty different forms of transport! There are few other birthday events and other parties. You can even Canoe the Historic River Wey beneath the old Brooklands Circuit with us, plus much, much more.