As the F1 season begins, we look back to the 1930s when UK motor racing began to open up to woman drivers.

Doreen Evans became a leading light, based out of the family garage on Bellevue Road. She competed successfully on the UK and international circuit with her two brothers, and at Le Mans with Captain Eyston’s Dancing Daughters team.

She won numerous races, including the Ladies Cup in the London Gloucester, and the Ladies Award at Brooklands. Her considerable sang-froid was demonstrated when she had to leap to safety as her MG Midget caught fire before crashing during the 250-mile International Trophy race: reportedly she was quite unmoved by the experience.

Retiring from racing on her marriage to a team mate, she moved to the US and promptly qualified as a pilot!

This and other colourful stories focussed on and around the Common are told in our forthcoming book ‘The Wandsworth Common Story’ available from mid May

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