Sunday, July 6, 2008

Eric Fernihough...holder of the world Land Speed Record for Motorcycles...
The picture shows Eric Fernihough at Brooklands, on his special Brough Superior racer...taken in 1936, it is suitably autographed to Allan Schafer of Grafton, NSW, Australia.

Allan was a prolific letter writer to most of the "notables" in motorcycling during the 1930s as a young man, including Fernihough.
For some years now, I have been custodian of Allan's literature collection.
The menu is from a year later, he was in a titanic stuggle to keep the world's land speed record for motorcycles with England, his protangonist was Ernst Henne on the factory BMW, equally intent on wresting it back for Germany. Following a successful attempt, Eric was honoured with a dinner, at the Ship Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey,UK, just nearby to Brooklands and the menu featured....itself an interesting item, illustrating the humour of the day... is autographed by many on the motorcycling and trade luminaries of the day.

Sadly Fernihough was to lose his life shortly after on the Gyon Road in Hungary, attempting the record again for England...
Left click on photos to enlarge.

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