Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb

Article, Photos & Videos By: Migz 8/17/2018

The following is a story of my visit to Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb in 2018. It includes my trip from Paddington station through to my return and the adventures along the way. The real story encapsulated in my journey is that of meeting John Kerruish, don't miss the section marked "THE REAL STORY"....

The Beginning

I was gifted a pair of tickets from my friend Mahmood Ansari upon my visit to the Drivetribe headquarters in London. This was an exciting surprise since I only planned on visiting the office during my stay. To be able to cover a car event and have car culture content from overseas was fantastic! Additional thanks to the generosity of STRATSTONE UK!

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It was the early morning of Sunday August 12th 2018. After prepping the night before we answered the knock at the door from room service and quickly devoured breakfast before heading out. We paged a black cab from the Marriott hotel on Maida Vale to catch a train out of Paddington station.

Early AM Start

The earliest rail out was at 8am, arriving at 10:37am (2hrs & 37min). We arrived at the station early and patiently waited for the GWR!

The Turkish Delight At Paddington Station Looked Amazing!

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Almost 3 Hour Trip!

The train started off to Slough. We stopped to let die hard fans off at "Maidenhead". From Reading we headed to, what I thought they called "Dick Clark Parkway" (was actually Didcot Parkway). The next stops were: Oxford, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore. There were a few delays along the way and eventually an announcement was made stating that the last stop would be Worcester Shrub due to lack of workers.

Stops and photos along the way

The following link is a detailed map of our GWR line from Paddington to Worcester Foregate for the Shelsley Hill Climb (in case you decide to make the same trip next year! FYI - Link downloads the map to your device.):

Taxi?

We arrived at Worcester Shrub and there was one taxi for a train full of people who unexpectedly got stranded there. Many were on their way to the hill climb. We waited about 1/2 hour and finally got in the third cab.

Arrival & Hospitality Tent

The taxi took a little over 1/2 an hour to get to the event location. Upon arrival, the hospitality tent was cozy, clean and accommodating, offering a selection of beverages, sweets and snacks. Then at noon there was a food truck offering cook to order burgers, nachos, hot dogs etc. This sectioned off area was quiet and offered a private grandstand viewing just near Kennel bend.

There was no cell phone reception and supposedly there was guest wifi, however, my phone couldn't find it. After wondering around a bit, I decided to head up the hill.

The Climb

Some of the cars along the spectator walk before the hill.

I made my way to the hill to get shots from various spots along the track. As I began the climb, I noticed a gentleman wearing an oilskin duster coat and matching hat walking next to me. The incline was steep and muddy and as we climbed, I looked over to him and jested... "With all the cars climbing this hill, you might think we could get a ride up"! This conversation breaker led to the making of a great friendship and an education of Shelsley Walsh from an enthusiast that had attended for over 45 years!

THE REAL STORY

An Interview with my new friend, John Kerruish!

Throughout the day, John pointed out every car going up the hill, the previous and current owners, the engines, the vintages, and more! I was in awe at the information that he could recite on the spot about this event!

The Track

I did manage to check in on my wife here and there (but remember, no cell service or wifi), as well as take some pics and video from various vantage points along the track. Below, I have broken them all down starting with a map of the track and a single video from each spot. Below each of these sections I also offer a link to a playlist for additional videos that I have taken at that location on the track.

The following is a map of the track provided by the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb website.

Image Credit: https://www.shelsleywalsh.com/info

Image Credit: https://www.shelsleywalsh.com/info

Videos From Various Parts Of The Track

The Paddock - Photos

The Paddock - Video

To see more from the Paddock: Click Here

To read more about the GN Spider: Click Here

Mitch Evans from formula E takes his car up the hill climb!

For more from Mitch Evans: Click Here

The Grandstand - Launches

For more launches: Click Here

The Crossing

For more from the crossing: Click Here

The Bottom 'S'

For more from the bottom 'S': Click Here

The Top 'S'

For more from the top 'S': Click Here

The Finish

For more from the finish: Click Here

To see the entire playlist of videos from this event (listed in the order I took them): Click Here

Racing The Train

A bit later in the day John says, "hey Chris, you better get going, didn't you say you had to catch a train at 7:?? pm?". Having lost track of time, I look down at my watch and it reads 5:45pm! I say farewell to my new friend and frantically scramble. The adventure continues.

I run down the hill like a competitor in the L class series as my tires spin in the mud. At 6:00pm, I finally reach the bottom and my wife (her eyes seeing red and steam coming out of her ears). Somehow while not speaking to me, she manages to get out, that the train leaves at 7:20 and we have no cellular service to call a cab.....

I unbutton my shirt and finally expose a large “S”. In one bound, I jump over to the MAC office and am greeted with jubilation by two office workers who are more than happy to put aside their duties to offer assistance and save the day! Meanwhile my wife is standing at gate A assuming that we have been stranded out in the country (and needs to be in London for work the next morning)....

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The white haired gentleman dressed in office attire (who could have possibly have been the CEO of Europe) goes out of his way to pull up the most recent train schedule. He then lets me know that the 7:20 train has actually been cancelled!

As my face goes flush, he advises me not to fret and tells me that the next train out is at 8:28 from Worcester Foregate. This is good news because it was going to take 30 min for the cab to arrive and another 30 to get us there. They call a cab, I thank them both for saving my marriage and return to my bride impatiently panicking by the roadside. The cab arrives at 6:50pm and gets us to the station at 7:17. After my wife pays a 50% tip to the driver, she suggests that we find a place to eat while waiting.

The Pub

Worcester is a ghost town with only a few people, who are catching a late train, wondering the streets. Every pub we visit is only serving drinks, until someone points us down an alleyway...

Hidden through the alley and up a ramp is a local hot spot called "The Crown" which is laden with locals, and has wifi! We have our fill and return to the station with more than enough time to spare. The train home is actually busier that it was up. With not much to look at through the window, we patiently wait to reach Paddington. From Paddington we catch a cab back to the hotel and arrive at approx. 11:00pm!

For more information about the crown: Click Here

Conclusion

Not to worry, all is well. I took Dawn to a little place called platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross the very next day. I had told her to visit in the past, but she thought I was crazy. Being a fan of the movies, she was ecstatic about the find!

Shelsley Walsh was an amazing visit, and a historical one at that...

"Shelsley Walsh is the oldest motorsport venue in the world still using its original course. Since 12th August 1905 Shelsley Walsh has been attracting world famous drivers through the ages such as Campbell, Segrave, Caracciola, Bira, Collins, Stuck, carved their sporting careers hurtling up the 1,000 yard, 1 in 6 gradient track. In recent years John Surtees, Sir Stirling Moss, Andy Priaulx, Derek Bell and Hans-Joachim Stuck have driven the famous Shelsley Walsh tarmac that is nestled in amongst one of Britain’s most quintessential countryside locations in the rolling hills of Worcestershire." - Shelsley Walsh Website

Thank You

Thank you for reading, join in and comment below!

Best,

Migz

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