P.S. The Kop Hill Facebook page posted this amazing photo taken by Steve Campbell from the top of Kop Hill which is even higher than the roadway. It show very well just how popular weekend has become. A wider angle lens would have shown that this shot only covers half of the area.
The Kop Hill Climb has been growing in popularity and in the supporters that they invite, all in the name of raising money for charities.
This year the event was 'Popularly Crowded' as the next 4 pictures show.
Good News for the Fund Raising.
Arriving at The Kop Hill Climb
Owing to a misunderstanding about timing and Dog Walking, I had to come on my own or not come at all. There was no way I was going to subject the Mog to that dusty old Corn Field car park so it was in the Jag I set off at about 11.30, arriving there at 12pm. (we don't live that far from Princes Risborough, where Kop Hill is located)
Imagine my surprise when I found that the Corn Field was absolutely full and an overfill area was large and beautiful field full of Lush Green Fresh 'Silver Clover', used for animal feed, next door where we had to park today due to the massive increase in visitors this year.
Use of these fields is donated by the landowners, The Hampden Estate
Huddled together in the lush Clover.
Even the Oldies and Exotics, normally in a Special Cornfield area had to park here today.
This special edition Land Rover Defender is by Invision
These chaps came prepared for non existent 'soft ground' with their protective stand pads.
Just inside the gate is the regular sight of this massive Auto Jumble Stand.
I made a quick visit to the 'Hill Climb' before crossing the road into the Paddock area to look at the main Paddock of Vintage Cars. The depth of the crowd meant a squeeze up to the railings to get a few quick shots of the Start Line.
Imagine my surprise when there in the queue were Peter and Michelle Chapman in their recently purchased Morgan 4/4 4 seater. Peter is also the new Deputy Chairman of the Morgan Sports Car Club
One of the Famous Dick Skipworth, Ecurie Ecosse Jaguars, the collection is sadly about to be auctioned and therefore probably broken up.
The deep hedge, which makes getting clean shots very difficult
Could this be Morgan Owner Arthur Mason's Yellow Plane flying overhead?
Here are a selection
This 1926 Neracar C. Its Front Suspension was interesting using a similar 'Sliding Pillar' system to the Morgan Cars.
This Brough has an interesting In Line Flat Twin Engine.
A Pair of Sunbeams with a Velocette behind them.
Another pair of Brough Superiors.
This beautiful Tri Norton had its own Gazebo.
This beautiful Norton with the 'Short Run' fuel tank was in the display area
A Water Cooled Scott just returning from its run up the hill.
A 1961 Arial Arrow in superb condition.
Now for some of the dozens of Cars.
A Beautiful 1925 Bugatti Type 30
This one is called a Fronty-Ford Indianapolis
A 1923 Delage-Bequet
A 1921 Vauxhall E Type 30-98 Velox next to a 1922 Bentley and Citroen B2 Wickerwork.
The All Yellow 1919 Hispano Suiza H6B has a 6500 ltr engine.
Beautiful Big Bentleys.
A 1922 Citroen B2 Wickerwork Special was a labour of love for someone
A 1926 Austin Open Road.
A 1925 Lancia Lambda
Two of Five 1930's BSA Trikes with V Twin engines
This Lagonda was one of my favorites.
One of two 1935 8 Cylinder 4.1 ltr saloons
A Pair of Wolseley Hornet Specials
My favourite 1934 Riley Ulster Imp
1934 Morgan Jap Engined Super Sports
(Thanks for the correction to Martyn Cullen owner of a 1930 Super Sport Aero 'The Elk' )
The artist featured below was busy sketching the two tone on the left
Part of the Magnificent line of Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts.
This little Berkeley B105 4 wheeler has the Enfield 700cc Twin engine. It went very fast up the hill later.
1961 Jaguar Proteus C-Type in front of a D-type
The Brooklands Museum Team brought along the magnificent John Cobb 24 ltr 12 cylinder Napier-Railton Special
1966 Jaguar E Type
One of the cars on the Historics Auctions stand
The Aston Martin GT Car
The Rolls Royce Owners Club display area.
a 1937 Morgan 4/4 Flat Rad. One of the early 4 wheelers.
It was time to grab a sandwich and coffee for lunch. The teams on the Crumbs stall were doing a grand job selling lovely fresh sandwiches and made a delicious Cappuccino.
I decided to look around the stand and on my way I chatted to the Berkeley Owners, having had one myself in the 1960's.
The White Three Wheeler below is just like the one we had.
Moving on I came to the Paddock of the Gravity Racers who would be completing their challenge later in the afternoon. These three belonged to a local Scout Group.
Having a Practise Run.
The Ecurie Ecosse Collection owned by Dick Skipworth has been a star attraction each year at Kop Hill. Sadly it is going up for auction soon and could well be broken up unless a very wealthy collector buys the whole set including the transporter bus.
Jackie Stewart's Car
Miniature Model and Life Sized versions.
Eventually, the Spitfire and the Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Flight flew over a few times . I decided to make a video with my small camera as the best way to record the event. I have loaded it to my Facebook Page so here is a link if you would like to see them.
Lastly I went to watch some of the cars lining up for their run, before crossing the road to the hill for a few last photos before heading home. There were so many cars to see and so much to observe.
Marshalls from The British Motor Sports Marshals Club who were doing a sterling job.
These cars with the Rally stickers from the La Gira Andina Rally were the subject of blind auctions for a ride up the hill in the passenger seat. None of these sold for less than £70 a ride.
Some of the cars taking to the hill.
Heading Home for another year.
Best Wishes
Frank
The early bird catches the worm Frank! I travelled to the event from Cambridgeshire and was parked in the main cornfield car park well before the first cars climbed the hill on both days.
ReplyDeleteHow fortunate that the event organisers provided an overflow clover field for the latecomers.
Next year you must try to get in earlier, particularly as you do not have to drive so far
Hi SteveM.
ReplyDeleteAs they say 'its always those who live closest that are late for work'
As you may have gathered from the Blog, Last year we were early and parked in the Paddock Morgan Sports Car Club Display Area with our Roadster Mog.
As we were prevented by a rule change from being in there this year, it was 'in the Tin Top' and 'parked in the Clover field', which was fine and not dusty like the cornfield.
My lateness was due to waiting for SWMBO to get ready only to find that she intended to take the dog out for an hour, have lunch and only leave home about 3pm. Thus, I was on my own and later than intended !!!!!
I have attended Kop Hill Climb every year since it was re introduced so for me two days would be too much unless I was participating. No chance of that unless I come into a fortune and buy a suitable veteran, something lovely.
Thanks for reading the Blog
Best Wishes
Frank
Frank please do try and get your facts right before badmouthing someone.
ReplyDeleteI am the owner driver of the Morgan three-wheeler that you describe variously as "Lying about the age of the vehicle", implying that I cheated to get an entry, and that I attempted to miss lead and miss-describe the vehicle.
Here are the facts:
I supported Kop Hill and its charities in my 1929 Morgan Brooklands three-wheeler for the first 4 years of the event, and was last year invited to bring my current production Morgan to run in the invited "Supercar" class as a guest.
The car was loud, fast, spun the rear wheel for half of the hill and earned the start-marshalls vote for the most spectacular departure.
As a result, when I entered my usual 1929 car this year, I was asked specifically to bring the new car back "By popular demand" as it is a crowd-pleaser, and they would run me as a guest once again.
This may be difficult for you to grasp, but the Kop Hill computer therefore issued a start number appropriate to the 1929 entry and on the day the organisers were unable and unwilling to change the run order.
I therefore ran the car out of order.
Had you stopped being indignant for just a moment and taken the trouble to look and listen, at all times the car had an information sheet stating the circumstances of it running out of order displayed on the backrest (You can just see it in your photograph), the starting line commentator and the paddock PA interviewer had copies which they quoted from liberally, and when interviewed in the car I was at pains to apologise for running out of year order and explain why.
You say "Hey I would not lower MY standards" ... well they must be pretty low already if you accuse of cheating on a public forum with absolutely no basis in fact ... You say "Honesty does not pay" about one who has behaved absolutely correctly.
You say "For the dishonest among us" firmly placing yourself in the ranks of the dishonest ( I would prefer to think you are merely misinformed and rude)
But here is the question ... Are you man enough to apologise and say "Hey, Sorry I got it wrong?"
You must remember that when making accusations on the internet, which is a public forum, that you can be held to account every bit as easily as if you had taken the front page of a newspaper.
Barry D.
Sensible enough to remove the libel, but not big enough apologise.
ReplyDeleteOh well, I guess that says it all.
Barry D.
Rereading your blog following your enforced editing, it would appear that you are still extremely bitter about the organising committee not allowing your vehicle into the paddock display this year
ReplyDeleteSurely you must understand as the event gets more popular and the choice of paddock exhibits becomes greater, it is not always possible to accommodate the same groups every year?
The blog would be better if you graciously accepted the committees decision and didn't continue to whinge about the few Morgan vehicles that were exhibited
I am sorry but your failure to accept the committees decision and move on tends to rather ruin what otherwise is a good report and record of the event
That's a much more positive blog........Thank you Frank
ReplyDelete