Chequers Inn

January "Newsletter"

Our regurlar date, this month, falls on New Year's Day and so we did not meet as usual at The Chequers. However, in recognition of Mike Hawthorn our monthly page is dedicated to him.

Mike Hawthorn public memorial service.

There will be a 50th anniversary Public memorial service, to be held at St Andrews Church Farnham, on Sunday 25th January 2009 at 1.30pm. There will also be a parade of period cars around Farnham, The route will be :-

Starting at Wagon Yard car park, travelling down Downing Street, then The Borough, South Street, Union Street, and back to Downing Street.
There may be 2/3 laps of the circuit to enable people to see all of the cars.

Diane & Trev

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Rembering Mike Hawthorn

Photographs below
Mike Hawthorn’s Jaguar MK1 outside “The Tourist Trophy Garage”, with a ghostly apparition of Mike, sitting on the offside wing, reflected in the window.

Mike Hawthorn (A Personal Tribute)
Ron Neal worte to me after attending an event in November. The letter, below, records details of a book launch as well as some interesting details of Mike's racing days. With Ron's approval the letter is provided below alongside some photogrpahs taken.

Dear Sir,

I thought the readership might be interested to know of a recent book signing I was invited to, in Farnham Surrey on Thursday 20th November 2008. It was the book launch of ‘Golden Boy’, the life and death of Farnham’s greatest son, ‘John Michael (Mike) Hawthorn’; known to locals as ‘The Farnham Flyer.’ As people know, Mike was killed going down Stag Hill, Guildford, on 22 January 1959; whilst having an alleged burn up with Rob Walker. Although reports at the time suggested they were not racing, people close to Mike said this probably was not the case!

Other interesting facts came to light, during the evening signing session; Mike had not enjoyed good health. He had been suffering from black outs, it was this fact that had prevented him from being drafted into the Armed forces during the period of National Service. His condition had been kept secret from race officials otherwise his racing career would have been over; it was a real dilemma he faced at the time.

A further insight into Mike’s home life came from the daughter of his former house keeper, when he lived at Folly Hill, who said he often gave her sweets and rides in his latest car.
Other friends described him as a “bit of a handful” and parties could often get out of hand! I think he was the person we all secretly wanted to be.

During the afternoon members of the public, and press had been invited into the premises of Jaguar Dealers “Swain and Jones” in East Street Farnham, with invited guests in the evening for an Audio/visual show together with a question and answer session. This was just down the road from the old “Tourist Trophy” Garage that Mike’s father had run decades earlier. The visual display showed the old Hawthorn garage in the 1950s together with pictures of Mike at his home as a small boy and latter, having reached stardom; giving out prizes at Weydon School. There was of course all the usual racing period shots at various famous locations including Goodwood which is now well known for its revival each year in September, I wonder what Mike would have made of that?

There were of course several crash scene photographs taken on the fatal day. Together with press shots of the inevitable funeral procession from St Andrews Church to West Street Cemetery, where Mike was laid to rest.
One fact remains, we will never know why Mike lost control on that day, there have been many theory’s and rumours down the years, but that’s all they are and probably that’s how it should stay, you can’t rewrite history.

Photographs below
Ron Neal standing with a replica of Mike Hawthorn’s D type Jaguar.

Photographs below
Mike Hawthorn enjoying His leisure time casually dressed (pipe and cap) as he would often be seen.

Photographs below
During the signing of the new book "Golden Boy"

Several former TT staff that were present at the signing and spoke very highly of their former employer, one woman brushing away a tear as she spoke, caught up in the moment of it all. It was this evening session that I had been kindly invited to, with much excitement, for two very famous people were to be in attendance that had strong links with Mike. First was Jaguars chief test engineer, Norman Dewis, who is simply a legend in his life time, secondly, and probably the person who knew Mike Hawthorn better that most: Jean Howarth, Mikes fiancée at the time of his untimely death.

Jean latter married Innes Ireland, another racing legend, and it is her married name that most people will remember her by. Both Norman, Jean and other people from the racing world sat by a long table in front of guests, seated in summer chairs in the car showrooms. Out in the workshops a ‘D’ TYPE Jaguar and a replica of Mikes 3•4 saloon were on show as well as other cars that Mike had associations with. A letter was read out from Lewis Hamilton apologising for not being able to attend, as he was on a prebooked, holiday, but he was a great admirer of Hawthorn. Both had won their championships within 50 years of each other, and by one point.

During the coffee break, Norman and Jean signed copies of the new book, including mine. Before the break a short DVD, had been complied by some students as part of their course, this included footage of Mike in a ‘D’Type on a French circuit with a microphone mounted on his chest commentating as he drove round, with normal road traffic coming the other way, this included a Renault doing a three point turn in front of him! Silent footage of the funeral service (not seen before) was shown, and this brought quite a lump to my throat as you can imagine. Someone recently said, “The life you have is the only one you have”.

I think that’s true and Mike probably knowing he was on borrowed time, certainly lived life to the line,” flamboyant to the end. Its not everyday you get to meet these sort of people, who have a direct link with the past, and because Mike’s career was so short he is often overlooked in some circles. There is no obvious Memorial to Mike in Farnham, and I for one think that should be addressed, perhaps a statue in the park by the river Wey. The evening was a step back in time, when the world was a different place, the world of my childhood and schoolboy heroes, like Hawthorn, Moss and Surtees.

The book ‘Golden Boy’ is not cheap, but it is certainly well worth every penny, the authors must be congratulated, and as more information comes to light I’m sure further volumes will be produced and updated.

All too soon the evening came to an close, but as I was driving back down the Farnham bypass, towards the Coxbridge roundabout, I glanced over towards West Street Cemetery, where Mike is laid to rest, I noted some headlights in the cemetery grounds near to Mike’s grave, obviously some of the participants paying their last respects. Or maybe it was just Mike starting up his Jag for one last thrash over The Hog’s Back, just for old times sake, I’d like to think so anyway!
“Sleep well Mike”

Ron Neal.
“M.G” AND “British made car clubs”
Bordon, Hants

P.S In case your wondering, I was just 6 years old when Mike died, and yet as I grew up in Fleet I got to know a little more about this legend. When I latter went to work as the “National Gas Turbine Establishment” at Pyestock, Farnborough, I met people who had known Mike or who had, had dealings with the’Tourest Trophy’ Garage in East Street Farnham.
As years went by it seemed the interest in Mike Hawthorn had not diminished. Lets hope it stays that way, people will I think always see him as the brightest star in the sky, that shone, but for a short time.