24 replies to this topic

[BRG]

Just noticed a few roadside signs for this new event, the Shere Hill Climb, running for the first time on 8 September. For those unfamiliar with it, Shere is a pretty village in leafy Surrey often favoured as a film location. However, the course isn't exactly in Shere, as it uses Staple Lane, a country road ascending the North Downs which also featured on last year's Olympic bike race. It looks interesting if anyone fancies a quiet day out.

Of course, being the UK, they can't actually race up the hill (unlike cyclists who as we all know are not covered by the Road Traffic Act) so the regulations say that "The event is a cavalcade for interesting vehicles and will not be timed.". Still that is all another story.

[Tim Murray]

However, the course isn't exactly in Shere ...

Indeed - should they not have called it the East Clandon hill climb?

[Doug Nye]

We used to photograph road test cars on this picturesque hill in its sunken setting with tree cover over the top during the 1960s and for much of the 70s. I remember scaring myself badly coming down it once in a Steyr-Puch 650...you steer, and I'll puch... Photographer Michael Cooper used to live just the other side of the A25, up in the hills south of Shere village.

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 09 August 2013 - 21:21.

[BRG]

We used to photograph road test cars on this picturesque hill in its sunken setting with tree cover over the top during the 1960s and for much of the 70s.

Going by the peculiarly amateurish 'map' of the course on the website (which looks like it was drawn by the organiser's 5 year child), they will only use the open part of the hill, finishing before the narrower part that you mention. Not sure how they will collect and turn the cars round. They may run up to Western Hanger car park for this. I believe that it is a local dogging site, but probably won't be in use for that nocturnal activity during a summer Sunday!

The photos of the entries on the website show a very eclectic selection from de Dion Bouton, through classic Bentleys and Bugattis, C-type, Metro 6R4 to modern stuff. Even a Subaru 360 which I had never heard of!

[h4887]

You'll be flagged down if you go too fast. Not my idea of a hillclimb...

[hillsprint]

Well you all could have seen a proper closed road hillclimb last weekend at Craigantlet, it was the Centenary event as well, new course record for Scott Moran to boot

You'll be flagged down if you go too fast. Not my idea of a hillclimb...

Edited by hillsprint, 10 August 2013 - 21:29.

[fuzzi]

I dare say that like any open road parade event in Britain the organisers will ask drivers to stay within the speed limit (they could hardly do otherwise). The Drivers briefing at Kop Hill included the sensible advice "Have fun, but don't do anything stupid". Going up there in an Austin Seven was fun, but in a Straight-8 Maserati 26M was really exciting!

As far as I'm concerned my Austin Seven (which is entered for Shere) will hit 60mph in top on the flat - I've not been brave enough to try for more, but uphill is a different matter.

Most of the Irish road hill climb courses are in a totally different league from anything over this side of the Irish Sea.

Edited by fuzzi, 11 August 2013 - 08:47.

[Doug Nye]

And then the great European venues prove to be a different planet again...

DCN

[arttidesco]

Even a Subaru 360 which I had never heard of!

You've obviously never played Gran Turismo 4

[Perruqueporte]

The Subaru 360 which is entered is one of two local to this part of the world (SW Surrey) - I think they may be the only two in this country. As far as I remember they both took part in a recent Rome-Liege event, and one or both are used as taxis at the Goodwood Revival. Vertical twin two strokes.

I have entered two cars for the Shere event which promises to be a gentle good fun day out and, given its non-competitive status, which will afford a rare opportunity to look the part in a period competition machine wearing a period crash helmet! Two good causes will benefit from the day - a local infants school and what looks to be an exemplary charity which teaches motor mechanics to young people.

I must look up Irish road hill climb courses as mentioned above - does anybody here have experience of these? However challenging and difficult our mainland courses may be in my (limited) experience, it would be interesting to explore any which may be longer in Ireland. I competed for the first time at Loton on Sunday (what a a beautiful part of the world) - which I found very challenging and relatively narrow, which in turn led to a couple of unintentional gardening moments.

Christopher Wigdor

[BRG]

Another triumph for TNF! You post about a minor new event and someone pops up who is actually doing it!

Best of luck, Mr Wigdor, and I plan to attend if only to rectify my abysmal ignorance about Subaru 360s

[fuzzi]

Another triumph for TNF! You post about a minor new event and someone pops up who is actually doing it!

Best of luck, Mr Wigdor, and I plan to attend if only to rectify my abysmal ignorance about Subaru 360s

[hillsprint]

Christopher,

There are numerous hillclimb location is Ireland, both North and South. In Northern Ireland, we run To the RAC MSA rules, as per the rest of the UK, there are 9 or 10 venues, all run just once a year, the longest is Cairncastle at 1.7 miles, with a track record in the 67 secs mark., most of the rest are around 1 mile in length, while Cultra is the shortest and is run on private ground, just like GB hills. Craigantlet is one of the 5 original British Hillclimb championship venues and hosts it round of the BHC on the 1st Saturday in August each year. If you check out the ANICC website you'll get the NI regs and if you go to the Hilclimb and Sprint Association's site you'll see Drive It articles of some of the venues.

In Eire, they run to Motorsport Ireland regs, I think you need a triple layer suit and a HANS device, plus an extinguisher in the car, but you can check on the MI website for the regs. I've lost touch with the events going on down there, but there is a thriving Championship and you can see YouTube hero Simon McKinley in sideways action in either his Escort or Lant single seater. Again all events are on public roads and there are plenty of on-board vids to be had on the web

If you want any more info, PM me

Cheers

Michael Beattie

[Perruqueporte]

Christopher,

There are numerous hillclimb location is Ireland, both North and South. In Northern Ireland, we run To the RAC MSA rules, as per the rest of the UK, there are 9 or 10 venues, all run just once a year, the longest is Cairncastle at 1.7 miles, with a track record in the 67 secs mark., most of the rest are around 1 mile in length, while Cultra is the shortest and is run on private ground, just like GB hills. Craigantlet is one of the 5 original British Hillclimb championship venues and hosts it round of the BHC on the 1st Saturday in August each year. If you check out the ANICC website you'll get the NI regs and if you go to the Hilclimb and Sprint Association's site you'll see Drive It articles of some of the venues.

In Eire, they run to Motorsport Ireland regs, I think you need a triple layer suit and a HANS device, plus an extinguisher in the car, but you can check on the MI website for the regs. I've lost touch with the events going on down there, but there is a thriving Championship and you can see YouTube hero Simon McKinley in sideways action in either his Escort or Lant single seater. Again all events are on public roads and there are plenty of on-board vids to be had on the web

If you want any more info, PM me

Cheers

Michael Beattie

Michael,

That's very kind of you - I shall certainly have a look at the ANICC website and at the related copy on the HSA site.

Strange how things happen. I had been told about the upcoming Shere event earlier this year, and was dismissive of the idea until I looked at a map of the area and saw that the course is close to a local scenic attraction called The Silent Pool. I had just been listening to a radio broadcast from NPR in the USA of a conversation between the British-born jazz pianists George Shearing and Marion McPartland, during which Ms McPartland played a beautiful composition of her own called...."Silent Pool" which she said had been inspired by childhood walks around the pond when visiting an aunt who lived nearby. I said to myself - must go and have a look - and promptly submitted an entry to the "hillclimb". Incidentally, you can still hear that broadcast here if you're interested: http://www.npr.org/2...g-on-piano-jazz

Thanks again.

Christopher Wigdor

[Cirrus]

And then the great European venues prove to be a different planet again...

DCN

A bit OT, but this clip shows how things can go wrong very quickly, thankfully with only mechanical damage on one of the slower sections... My first thought was of Helmuth Koinigg



Those barriers look very similar to the ones at the side of the road whilst driving in to Spa from Stavelot.

Edited by Cirrus, 18 August 2013 - 18:21.

[RTH]

This has to be a most welcome development - let us hope it is really well supported gets lots of publicity for all the right reasons and heralds similar new schemes right around the country. Do go and support it if you can.

Fellow TNF contributer Fuzzi ( aka Julian Hunt) is too modest to mention it but he has written a simply superb book which catalogues with details over 800 historic locations of motor sport venues in Britain , big thick heavy 450 pages on art paper with loads of photos and illustrations
It is an astonishing piece of work (must have taken decades to research) an essential reference work part of everyones motor sport book collection.Really good.
Called "Motorsport Explorer"

http://www.amazon.co...rsport explorer

Edited by RTH, 19 August 2013 - 07:18.

[Perruqueporte]

The Shere Hill Climb was a fun day, if a little damp as the afternoon progressed, with an abundance of interesting machinery and nice people.

 

Here is a link to a photograph of the Subaru 360 which elicited some interest earlier in this thread (http://jamesewing.ze...92e60#h7a092e60) and another to a YouTube clip of the same machine ascending the hill (http://www.youtube.c...h?v=F5rwe7oSjj8).

 

Official photos of all of the cars which took part may be seen here (http://www.denpollit...d=5&gid=4#false), and the website of the official photographer is here (http://www.denpollitt.com) - the opening page of which has a rather atmospheric photo (in my biassed opinion) of James Ewing pedalling one of my machines up the hill.

 

The organisers have announced that the event raised around £10,000 for the two charities supported, and that next year they are planning to have a longer course, more spectator viewing platforms, more marshalls, better PA and allocated spaces in the paddock.

 

From a personal perspective I thought it a tremendous enterprise and very enjoyable.

 

Christopher W.

 

 

[BRG]

Thanks for that.  Having set this hare running, in the end I was unable to go along on the day.  Glad to hear it went well and that you had a good time. 

[elansprint72]

According to the excellent Motorsport Explorer book by Julian Hunt, there was a hill-climb in this area run by the Surrey MC and LCC on 16th April 1921, if I may quote:

 

"Newlands Corner Hill-Climb, lies on the A25 between Merrow and Shere, the steady half-mile climb up the lane from Merrow to Newlands Corner is the most likely course, ERC Schofield in the light car class set BTD in his Morgan in 40.4 sec.

 

I'm only vaguely familiar with the area, does it sound like the same bit of road?

[fuzzi]

Hello

 

Ironically it is not the same piece of road. The return route after the climb led up the (A25) hill to Newlands Corner from Shere and down the other side to the junction with the A246. I almost took the route down the lane to Merrow, which I believe was the route of the original event, but the sorry state of the lanes in Surrey made me decide to stay on the 'A' road.

 

I endorse the praise given to the event and the organisers, I hope they can do it again - with better weather all day next time.

Edited by fuzzi, 19 September 2013 - 15:53.

[BRG]

I almost took the route down the lane to Merrow, which I believe was the route of the original event, but the sorry state of the lanes in Surrey made me decide to stay on the 'A' road. 

It's actually a very nice bit of road which I always think would be great for some sort of motorsport.  And the surface is OK.  Well, one road is Surrey has to be OK, I guess.

[BRG]

I see that Gordon Cruickshank of MotorSport attending this event and has put a nice little piece about it in the latest edition.  Even mentions the Subaru 360 of which I was so ignorant.

 

Maybe it will be a a bit bigger and better next year.  Interesting to hear that the necessary road closure order was in doubt because of Surrey's growing discontent about cycling events and their county disrupting closures.  Apparently, once it was realised that it was for cars, there was no problem!   That makes a refreshing change, doesn't it!

[BRG]

Just to advise that this event (a sort of mini-Kop) is scheduled to run again this year on 7th Spetember.  The pedallers have had their fun up Staple Lane and now it is over to the petrolheads!  The inaugural event last year raised £10,000 for charity and this year will support Surrey Air Ambulance, GASP Motor Project and Brooklands Museum amongst other more local causes.

 

They are promising a bigger and better event and this year I will be trying to actually get there!  

[BRG]

I got along to the hill climb this morning for an hour or so.  A nice grass-roots, low-key gathering of people who just like nice cars - old and new from a 1907 Berliet Curtis, in pristine condition, to a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador, also pristine.  Everything from a Fiat 500 to a Lexus LFA, via a Ford GT, Metro 6R4, Citron 2CV, Lagonda, Fraser-Nash and Bentley.   I would post all my photos, but as soon as I tried to take my first, my smartphone pointed out gently that its battery was flat.  Ho hum, I will master this technology stuff one day. 

 

And for us Surrey residents, a nice touch of schadenfreude as a steady flow of indignant cyclists were turned away from the closed ascent of Staple Lane!  You had 50+ miles of road closed for you last month, pedal-mongers, so don't begrudge us a couple of miles!

[BRG]

The event is running again tomorrow (6th Sept).  I can't make it this time, but if you are in the area, it is enjoyable to visit for a few hours.  Especially to enjoy those frustrated cyclists!