It was between the
wars that the young Richard Shuttleworth began to form what is now the
collection that is so admired all over the world. Only he had the
foresight to preserve machines that were quickly being superseded and
becoming obsolete. He was a man obsessed speed and built himself an
enviable reputation as a racing driver, frequently taking part in events
at Brooklands as well as many overseas events. He frequently practised
his driving skills by thrashing has Alfa Romeo racing car around the
perimeter tracks of the family estate in Bedfordshire – much to the
chagrin of the many groundsmen and animals that shared the trackways. My
painting shows Richard in the British racing green Alfa at Donnington.
Bravo Shuttleworth
by Ivan Berryman.
In 1928, Richard
purchased the Panhard Levassor motor car that still runs regularly today
- even though it was almost thirty years old when he bought it!
This unique car
regularly took part in the London to Brighton rally and it is at the
start of this event that I chose to depict this historic vehicle for it
was this very machine that sparked the entire collection that we see
today. Visitors to Old Warden flying days will enjoy seeing this
landmark vehicle trundling along the flight line as if 100 years had
barely passed.
London to Brighton by Ivan Berryman.
For Richard, sadly,
his time was short. At the outbreak of World War Two he joined the RAF
as a service pilot, but lost his life in a flying accident whilst
piloting a Fairey Battle in 1940. But his legacy, thankfully, lived on
due to the foresight of his mother, Mrs Dorothy Shuttleworth OBE, who
founded the Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth Rememberence Trust.
During the war, the
collection was put into storage and the airfield at Old Warden pressed
into service as a maintenance facility. In many ways, it is still such
today, as well as being a fine museum and education centre.
My
association with this wonderful collection of aircraft, vehicles and
machinery was brief, but memorable, and I really must thank everyone at
Old Warden that offered me support, advice and a warm welcome to support
my endeavours as an artist. I have many times visited this wonderful
site of aviation heritage and have never been disappointed.
