Mum's Monday: The Ghost at Brooklands Museum by Mark Richardson

Although this is a children’s book as an adult reading this as a ghost book and having visited the museum I enjoyed the story and reading about the places that are now familiar to me. If you are interested in the three topics, car racing, ghosts and time travel an adult would have no problem reading this book. A child between 6 and 10 may find this book exciting and some may relate to some of the issues Jake has been through, when he has moved house numerous times and starting a new school every so often, and the issue of making new friends, being the new pupil.

Brooklands is the first purpose built racing track, it opened in 1907 in Weybridge Surry. This book is based around the 500-mile race held at Brooklands back in the 1930s.

Jake Elmbridge has moved into a house that has been built on what was part of the Brooklands race circuit he can see some of the track from his bedroom window. This book is extensively researched and captures the area around what was the track and what is now the museum really well. When I visited recently I went to the supermarket that is mentioned in this book and it is so excellently written, it was like I was standing back there again.

There are ghost stories associated with Brooklands and this, although a clever fictional one, the cars in this book are part of the exhibit at the museum. Jake meets the ghost of Sir William Hugh-Laurel racing his car the Napier-Railton.

Jake has moved house and is also starting a new school and when given homework to tell an exciting event that happened, Jake tells the class about his meeting with the ghost. This book is great at capturing that people ridicule any mention of ghosts, spirits or anything relating to the paranormal, but as we see at the end of this book people’s minds can be changed if you know the right ghost.

Sir William needs Jake’s help, although he won the 500 mile race he snatched victory in a photo finish. His opponent, Count Unterheim racing the Duesenberg is understandably angry gives up racing to trade in clocks. Two of these clocks are based on the timing clocks used during the race, which he swaps with the original, that once set will keep resetting the race until he wins. What this book doesn’t explain is what would have happened if he had won. Would he still have started the clock business to then build the time machine to then go back to win? This is a clever paradox that Unterheim was ultimately never going to win.

The museum is worth a visit and there is much more there now than just the racing aspect. As racing stopped during World War 2, it was turned into an aerodrome but you will spot the track; it is an immense iconic feature around the area. If you are lucky or unlucky depending on your way of thinking you may meet a spirit or two still reliving the fast lane.