15 replies to this topic

[Hse289]

Hi,

This could be a very short thread but was wondering if there were any other hill climb events held in the Cotswold area other than Shelsley Walsh and Prescott just after the war. Reason being i have an elderly friend who is sure he went to one where motorcycles took part as well as cars in either 1946 or 1947. He thinks it was in the Worcester area but i would branch out a bit just to be safe.  

Paul

[Vitesse2]

Shelsley, October 5th 1946 would fit ...

 

Originally an invitation event for bikes only but expanded to cars after various planned September events failed to happen. First combined meeting at Shelsley since 1912.

[Allen Brown]

Chateau Impney?  But that would be 1957, not 1947.

[Hse289]

Yes Chateau Impney too late I'm afraid. Is Redmarley in the area?

[lesmo]

Red Marley nr Great Witley was in use after WW2 up to 1971  but only for 'bikes not cars    http://witleysoralhi...ley-hill-climb/

[RobMk2a]

Is it possible that your friend attending something like the Colmore Trial. 

 

Rob 

Edited by RobMk2a, 06 November 2018 - 12:44.

[Hse289]

Hi Rob,

it could be possible. I would like to know the results, that would be a VSCC event would`nt it? Perhaps someone here might have a program from 1946 and 1947.

[RobMk2a]

Hi Rob,

it could be possible. I would like to know the results, that would be a VSCC event would`nt it? Perhaps someone here might have a program from 1946 and 1947.

Not VSCC - there were a number of trials organised at the time - by Clubs such as SUNBAC best to find some Motor Sport magazine (Online versions available) and see which one looks most likely. Rob 

Edited by RobMk2a, 07 November 2018 - 14:35.

[Rupertlt1]

Motor Sport, April 1946, Page 72:

K. Hutchison, back on pre-war form,

won the Colmore Trophy with his V8

Allard. The famous Sunbac Trial was

run off under snow and Laverton and

Kineton hills proved to be real "stoppers."

In the timed test Hutchison tied with

Newton's 1½-litre H.R.G., with a time of

17 sec. The Club Team Trophy was won

by Allard, Hutchison and Price with a

V8 Ford. Lund's blown PB MG took

the Rhode Cup, Evan's now-famous

"Ophelia" the Shell Cup, and Allard the

Bernard Norris Cup. The sole first-class

award was won by Delingpole's 1½-litre

H.R.G., while Price and Mansell (blown

1,292-c.c. M.G.) took second-class awards.

etc...

 

RGDS RLT  

Edited by Rupertlt1, 07 November 2018 - 16:21.

[Hse289]

Hi, thanks for the replies. The person I am looking for in a motorcycle class in a car and motorcycle hill climb is Ken Miles. His friend who is elderly said he watched him at a hill climb in the Worcester area. Considering they both lived in the Sutton Coldfield area I am thinking they might not have travelled too far. This would have been 1946 or 1947. A while back I did contact someone from SUNBAC who had lots of reports etc but did not have the time to go through it all.

[RobMk2a]

Hi, thanks for the replies. The person I am looking for in a motorcycle class in a car and motorcycle hill climb is Ken Miles. His friend who is elderly said he watched him at a hill climb in the Worcester area. Considering they both lived in the Sutton Coldfield area I am thinking they might not have travelled too far. This would have been 1946 or 1947. A while back I did contact someone from SUNBAC who had lots of reports etc but did not have the time to go through it all.

There was very little motorsport at this time due to petrol rationing, I would have thought any car event would have been reported in Motor Sport. One other possible source of info may be the Frazer Nash archive. I believe Ken had a Frazer Nash at some point. frazernasharchives.co.uk/ I'm not sure where you are but the VSCC library in Chipping Norton have most periodicals from the time. From memory the librarians are on duty on Wednesdays. 

 

Rob 

[Rupertlt1]

This has all the hallmarks of Shelsley Walsh, which is in the Worcester area  - they did run at least one joint car and motorcycle meeting on 5th October 1946.

However I can find no sign of Ken Miles. The search goes on.

 

RGDS RLT

 

P.S. The Shelsley Walsh Archives would be an obvious place to look. According to Motor Sport there is a biography of the motorcyclists in the programme.

Edited by Rupertlt1, 11 November 2018 - 00:15.

[Rupertlt1]

According to David Moore, MAC archivist:

 

"Ken Miles, he only competed once at Shelsley and that was in June 1950 in the Triangle Special."

 

So where did he compete on a motorcycle? Remains a mystery.

 

RGDS RLT

[Rupertlt1]

Was Ken Miles here on a motorcycle in 1948? About ten miles from Worcester?

 

"There is also news of another

new track which is to be used

in the form of a "nursury"

for the members of the Sunbac

Club, who consider themselves

potential British hill climb

champions. This track is an

uphill kilometre of metalled

road on the Winnings Estate,

Colwall, near Malvern, and on

July 10, 50 members of the

Sunbac Club will compete over

its tarred surface for cups and

trophies.

It is considered by Sunbac

officials that the track will

provide an opportunity for

younger drivers to learn the

art of racing driving."

Coventry Evening Telegraph, Friday 2 July 1948

 

S.U.N.B.A.C. SPEED HILL-CLIMB

This experimental event, over a one-

kilometre course near Malvern, attracted

40 entries. J. L. Evans (blown Austin

Seven) won his class from Cracknell's

Ford-engined Austin and Oliver's un-

blown Austin, the times being 70.8, 78.0

and 78.8., respectively. K. Rawlings

won the next class, clocking 65.2 sec.

in his 1,172-c.c. Rawlings-Special and

beating Gibbs' Riley, which took 66.8

sec. and Goodall's Morgan 4/4, which

needed 68.2 sec. The final car class was

won by Mansell's Allard-Special, in

62.2 sec., from May's Ford V8, 62.3 sec.,

and Delingpole's H.R.G., 63.4 sec. F.t.d.

went to a B.S.A. motor-cycle, in 60.4 sec.

The hill has great possibilities.

Motor Sport, August 1948, Page 249

 

See also: https://forums.autos...nd-entry-lists/

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 10 December 2019 - 11:18.

[Rupertlt1]

S.U.N.B.A.C., Winnings Estate, Colwall, near Malvern, 10 July 1948

"The climb comprised a kilo-

metre of tarred road running

through wooded parkland with

two right-angled bends and a

very acute hairpin."

Results:

Cars up to 750 c.c. supercharged

and 1,000 c.c. unsupercharged: J.

L. Evans (Austin). 70 4-5 sec

Motor-cycles up to 350 c.c.: C. C.

Sandford (Velocette). 63 1-5 sec.: E.

V. C. Hardy (Norton). 65 2-5 sec.

Cars 750 to 1,000 c.c. super-

charged and 1,000 c.c. to 1,300 c.c.

unsupercharged: K. Rawlings

(Rawlings Special) 65 1-5 sec.: L.

E. Gibbs (Riley). 66 4-5 sec.

Motor-cycles over 350 c.c.: H.

Taft (B.S.A.) 60 2-5 sec.: C. V. Taft

(H.R.D. Rapide). 60 4-5 sec.

All cars not eligible for previous

classes: G. N. Mansell (Allard

Special) 62 2-5 sec.; C. A. N. May

(Ford), 62 3-5 sec.

 

RGDS RLT 

[Rupertlt1]

A S.U.N.B.A.C. hill climb meeting was set for 28 May 1949 at Colwall.

"The Colwall Hill climb organised by the Sunbac Club, which was to take place this Saturday, has been cancelled because of difficulties that have arisen with the occupiers of property adjacent to the course."

This might have been an end to it, but no:

1950:

"The Herefordshire Motor Club was

formed at a meeting held in Leominster

on April 27th, when about twenty-five

enthusiasts were present at the Talbot

Hotel."

29 April 1951 Herefordshire M.C. Hill-Climb, private road, Bucknell (Shropshire), 8/10ths of a mile. FTD: J. MacVitie, S.S.100, 1 min 27 sec

6? Oct 1951 Herefordshire M.C., Colwall, FTD: "Peter Walker, the Club's president, in his Jaguar XK120. His time was 1 minute 5 2-5 seconds."

17 May 1952 Herefordshire M.C. Hill-Climb, Colwall, Malvern C.

(A Herefordshire M.C. hill climb was held at Alderwood Drive, Hill Wood Farm, Eastham, near Tenbury, on the 18th. Tenbury Wells 4½ miles. Worcester 18 miles. FTD: A.E. Marsh, Dellow s/c.) 

7 Sept 1952 Herefordshire M.C. Hill-Climb, Colwall, Malvern C.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 10 January 2020 - 13:12.