Paddie Naismith

Eirane Naismith, better known as Paddy, although she herself used the spelling Paddie, was an actress and aviatrix who raced at Brooklands in the early thirties.

Driving the Salmson owned by fellow actor, pilot and sometime Labour MP for the Everton divison of Liverpool, Sir Derwent Hall-Caine, Paddie managed to get herself banned from the track at the final meeting of the 1934 season. This was the same meeting where Fay Taylour refused to come in at the end of a race and had to be black flagged. Two events that confirmed some in their belief that allowing women to race at Brooklands had been a great mistake.

Although her acting and racing exploits are long forgotten, Miss Naismith's image will live on, for Paddie was the girl seen in the very first high definition colour television picture transmitted by John Logie Baird in 1940 (see above).