PIONEERS and adventurers will visit the New Forest for a spring lecture series.

The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu is to host a programme of talks exploring motoring adventures, pioneering aviators and iconic machinery.

The series will start in January 12 with a talk on the Spitfire.

Steve Milne, founder and chairman of British Film Company, will present a documentary featuring aerial footage from top aviation photographer John Dibbs and rare digitally re-mastered archive footage from the 1940s.

 

Following this on January 26, the museum will host a talk about Charles Rolls and Britain’s First International Aviation Meeting.

Visitors will hear the fascinating story behind one of Britain’s most famous early aviators which led to his death in the country’s first fatal plane crash.

Stephen Robson, chairman of the Charles Rolls Memorial Trust, will look back at the life of Charles, who was half of the famous Rolls-Royce partnership and had a passion for all forms of transport.

On February 16, a lecture entitled “Across Africa and Beyond – the Incredible Story of the 1988 London-Sydney Vintage Rally “ will explore one of the world’s most gruelling rallies.

Paul Davies and James Wheildon will recount their 10,000 mile journey in a 1930 Talbot tourer, which they had bought as a wreck and restored in time for the 1988 London-Sydney Vintage Rally.

They reached the Sydney finish line in just 84 days to win the event.

 

The event will start at 7.30pm with exclusive access to the museum at 6pm.

On March 9, visitors will have the opportunity to meet Steph Jeavons – author, journalist and adventurer.

She will be talking about her solo around-the-world trip on a 250cc Honda motorbike that took her to 53 countries and seven continents.

Steph travelled at total of 74,000 mile and will be recalling her journey at 7.30pm.

 

On April 5, the museum will host a talk on acclaimed motoring author Karl Ludvigsen’s in an evening dubbed “Cars and Stars”.

Having held top positions with General Motors, Fiat and Ford, the motor industry veteran’s impressive range of motoring books includes histories of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz racing, the VW Beetle and Chevrolet Corvette.

On April 13 and April 27, "Under the Bonnet" will return due to popular demand.

Join museum manager and chief engineer Doug Hill for an insight into some of the most extraordinary and iconic vehicles in the collection.

Doug will give an informative guided tour of the museum’s magnificent machines and explain the remarkable engineering that makes each of these cars special.

All of the talks take place in the Lecture Theatre of the National Motor Museum’s Collections Centre. Tickets are £10 (or £7.50 for Friends of the National Motor Museum Trust) which are available from Theresa Browning at friends@beaulieu.co.uk or 01590 614792. All profits help support the trust.