Your favourite hill climb?

[Bob Gale]

For sheer adrenaline rush especially when you get it right must be Shelsley although I shall take it a bit easier this year after my 'severe off' at Crossing last May. I would agree with Prescott for viewing and facilities and Loton for value for money.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Wolley, are you sure there were only SEVEN?

[listernoble]

[QUOTE=Steve Wilkinson]I 'failed' to list Rest & Be Thnkful as I had never visited the venue.

Others that I 'missed' were:

Stapleford - ?

Steve,I think it must be Stapleford Aerodrome near Abridge Essex,I remember going to hillclimbs there in the 1950's.The tarmac track was up the side of the grass airfield.
I recall Keith and Sid Green driving various cars and also an ERA was there once.
Lister

[Steve Wilkinson]

Listernoble - correct w.r.t. the aerodrome connection. The diagram in Paul Sheldon's book has a hangar featuring in the landscape.

Championship events only ran in 1959/1960 and 1961.

A bit before my time!

[Cameron Winton]

Digressing a little but I would like to mention Bo'ness.
Held the first Championship hillclimb ever in 1947 and was used up until the mid sixties when the inevitable housing development took over part of the hill. I have a soft spot for it's history as my father & grandfather used spectate there in it's heyday in the fifties. Got quite a few photos. My parents moved away from that area last year so Dad and I drove out to see what remains. It is in the grounds of Kinneil House and apart from the expected surface deterioration, only the top third of the hill is lost under a housing estate and all the interesting bits are still there. I have a picture of David Boshier Jones going through the courtyard and there are gouges in the stonework of the building around which the track curves. They are still there!
Pity it was lost as it looks quite challenging as a hill. On the other hand, Bo'ness going caused Doune to be created so clouds and silver linings.
Strathclyde Country Park was a long hill. My first one back in 91.
If you park at the top of the Rest & Be Thankful. You can still just see the line painted across the road for the finish line.

[Bob Gale]

Who remembers Furnace Grange Farm hillclimb, Trescott near Dudley, during the '60's, where the finish car park was in a kale field. I seem to remember Ken McMaster competing with a BMW 1800 Ti and his wife's Hillman Imp! Also competing were Geoff Rollason and Malcolm Eaves.
Also Brunton, a short hill between Salisbury and Marlborough, I think at Collingbourne Kingston. Records held by Patsy Burt and Peter Westbury.
As for sprints, the Fire services Training College at Morton in Marsh, May 1970, 24 Minis took part also people like Harry Phillips and Herbert Shepherd in 'E' Types, Wridgeway Horton in the 3.8 MK2 Jag, Malcolm Eaves and Bob Rose.

[Fireblade]

Furnace Grange, Trescott was Nr Wolverhampton, situated on the A454 Wolverhampton - Bridgnorth Rd. I grew up just down the road in Seisdon although I never to have attended an event there, although I rode up the track on my bicycle many times. If I recall correctly it was organised by the Dudley Car Club.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Bob - did you by any chance attend the British Sprint Championship event at Moreton on 11th October 1970?

If so do you have details of the Top Ten Run-off?

I'm compiling a results database of the Sprint Championship - see www.britishsprint.org for the latest version.

[Bob Gale]

Steve-the only sprint I remember doing at Moreton in Marsh was 31st May 1970 for which I have results if they are any use to you. Furnace Grange Farm was the first event I ever did with that Moreton being the second. I have just looked on your link to the British Sprint Championship history; what a lot of familiar names, some still competing, a few sadly deceased. Good luck with your research.

[Pugdriver205]

Not experienced to many but out of the ones I have I would have to say...

Wiscombe For the sheer challenge and yes the setting
Finlake -(When it was running) For the atmosphere
Oddicombe -(When it was running) For fun with a capital F
Werrington - For its abilty to scare you poo less through the cattle grid !
Mamhead - For technicality... and THE best setting ever !

Favourite out of those 5 ? - Depends on the weather !

Now what about sprints !

[robert77]

Like Mr Wooley, Shelsley Walsh would have to be my favourite, as like him, it was the first place I ever marshaled, it's brilliant atmosphere, whatever the time of year or meeting and the pure nostalgia

And also in agreement with Wooley, Prescot comes a very close second for the technicality of the course, facilities and viewing for speccies.

[Fireblade]

Originally Posted by Pugdriver205

Now what about sprints !

Acaster Malbis gets my vote every time.

[blackx]

Originally Posted by Fireblade

Acaster Malbis gets my vote every time.

Ahhhh the Cathedral of Speed in sprinting circles

[robert77]

Sounds interesting, is there a website?

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

I 'failed' to list Rest & Be Thnkful as I had never visited the venue.

Others that I 'missed' were:

Bo'ness - near Grangemouth
Dyrham Park - near Stroud
Great Auclum - near Bristol
Pontypool Park - GUESS
Stapleford - ?
Tholt-y-Will - Isle of Man
Westbrook Hay - nr Berkhamsted

A few years back I compiled a list of over 100 hillclimb venues that had been dropped from the motor sport calendar. This was for the RAC MSA who wanted the list to for the English Tourist Board!

Well last week-end I was up in Scotland for the Bo'ness Revival meeting so that is one of the 'lost venues' back on stream and duly crossed off the list.

I understand that there is a club up & running whose one goal in life is to get hillclimbing back at Rest & Be Thankful. Fingers crossed.

[MDF]

Steve, I think you will find Great Auclum was nearer Reading than Bristol

[steve88]

until recently,have only ever done Bouley Bay,jersey, a great hill very technical not the best paddock tho as no slip road . Val de terres in guernsey they are just mad over there only hill ever seen a ford anglia get into the top 12 run off and harewood ,good hill good facilities and a great team of officials.This year have been to a couple of hill climbs in france and can sing nothing but praise for them. You can only run as demo ,you get your times but they are not included in official results but the hills are a lot longer and fasster than uk hills La pommeraye at about 2.5.k and St Goueno at 3.2K the latter being the best hill i have ever run. The organisers really look after you and the crowds are fantastic even on the way too and from the actual hill.Would thouroughly recommend it to anyone and hope to try a few more different hills out next year

[jo white]

Hooraah i get to post after some delay

Having recently paid my first ever trip to Jersey and competed at Le Greve i would have to say it was the most exciting dangerous hill i have ever driven on..
infact we enjoyed it so much we are trying to take 3 cars there next year and probably come back with 2 as i will have destroyed one (i nearly did this year and it wasnt mine)

Jo white

[mcb666]

We had a camera there

[jo white]

my mate paul ran on the saturday (no 11) and i ran on the sunday (no 111). you cant miss the car as its bright green. being as it was our first time there i reckon our performance was admirable and we managed a 3rd in the class in the festival which included a short sprint on the friday. i was also taking pics on pauls cameras on the saturday as i was doing his job of freelance journalism/photography

[vauxypower]

well for spectating definatly PRESSCOTT. As I am just starting in 2009 I cant say much about the driving but my farther tells me that loton is a good one. Also PRESSCOTT. If you didn't guess I kinda like PRESSCOTT. lol its good

Richard

[Westysprinter]

for me its limited by the hills I have competed on
so in ranked order Loton Park, Harewood, Shelsley, Olivers mount.
I spectated at Barbon Manor and was impressd with the big telly screen on the start line

[mctaff]

No mention of our new hill, Epynt. 2 events in 2009, May 24th & June 21st.

www.breconmotorclub.co.uk

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by mctaff

No mention of our new hill, Epynt. 2 events in 2009, May 24th & June 21st.

www.breconmotorclub.co.uk

Probably because of the limited numbers who have attended or competed. I have pencilled in the May date but will be bound to miss the one in June as currently I have Doune in the diary.

[rescue dude]

If i'm competing i have to say Loton Park with Prescott a pretty close second.
Not that i,ve competed at a lot of hills.

Marshalling wise it has to be Prescott. The marshals facilities are second to none.