Friday 28 February 2025 - Walton Hill

This was a little more than an hour's walk from a National Trust car park (Nimmings Wood) and cafe in the Clent Hills. Just a short break on a journey further south, a few minutes to the west of Juncion 3 on the M5.

I set off on an anticlockwise circuit and soon came across Phil and two Sues. By coincidence they were doing a similar walk in the opposite direction.

I left them to their snacks and continued on from the viewpoint that provides fine views over the Midlands. Albeit rather hazy views today.

A little further up the hill I encountered The Four Stones. These  may look ancient and mysterious, but they were actually created in the eighteenth century for Lord Lyttleton as a folly to be viewed by visitors from down in the valley. 

My 5km circuit followed undulating paths like the one in the next two pictures.

There's a trig point on the 315 metre summit of Walton Hill. I'm still not good at selfies.

A broad path led back to the car park, where Sue was waiting and a latte and a cheese toastie went down well before our journeys continued.

Here's my route - 5.6km with 200 metres ascent, taking little more than an hour.

Sunday 2 July 2023 - Yet Another Visit to Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb

Today it's a 'Vintage' day, with much slower cars than last time's.

Soon after we arrived, the brakes of a little red car failed as it was descending back down the hill. It crashed into a silver car before nearly rolling over. That would have been painful for the lady driver..

After removal of the debris, the cars continued their descent, including this little yellow car.

I took a few photos in the car park. Without my decent camera, these were easier to get into focus than the pictures taken on the hill.

Many more pictures were taken, all slightly or more out of focus.

We had a good look around the paddock.

Then it was back past the car park for a final view from the hill.

This is just a selection of the photos taken. The rest are in a Dropbox file here.

Sunday 4 June 2023 - Another Visit to Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb

Shelsley Walsh is the oldest motorsport venue in the world still to run events on the original course and is older than Indianapolis, Le Mans or Monza.

Sunday was the perfect day for a visit. Sue's mum and dad joined us, travelling in the MG pictured above. If I'd still had my 1972 Ford Capri, I'd have come in that. It was a rather better version than the yellow object in the photo - mine was bright blue with a black vinyl roof, pictured below on a trip to Istanbul. Happy Days!

Back in the Shelsley paddock, a selection of vehicles was preparing to storm up the hill, whilst we enjoyed breakfast in the sunshine.

Visitors' vehicles were duly admired. My first car was a green version of the Mini pictured below.

Sue and I went up the hill to watch from a selection of vantage points. It's steeper than it looks!

At the top there are good views across Worcestershire from a lovely buttercup meadow.

The commentators have an encyclopaedic knowledge of everyone and their cars who are competing, from cleverly placed boxes on the course.

Buzzards circled continuously overhead.

We settled down to watch from a few spots on the hill.

This tatty Austin Seven took pride of place amongst the visiting Jaguars and Ferraris. Our friend Barry had one of these for a while. He only just fitted into it. It had a roof.

After our alfresco lunch we pottered off, back up the hill.

The next picture is for Conrad (Sir Hugh) - albeit I know it's not quite the model of company car in which he used to go racing.

There were some very powerful motors on show - these get up the hill in as fast as 23 seconds, whereas the slower racers take over 40 seconds.

That was a lovely day out.

Sadly we missed Mike Dunne's Memorial Run at Wythenshawe (see previous blog entry), but he was in our thoughts as Sue and I completed a virtual 5km up and down the hilly course, taking over an hour.