Photos sort please

robert77 · 10 Feb 2006, 12:19 (Ref:1519572)

Hi there guy n gals.
I'm doing some research for a book I'm putting together, with a view to publishing in the next year or two.
I'm looking for some photos from pre-WW1 hill climb events in the Midlands area.
Particuarly from venues;

Birdlip Hill, near Cheltenham
Chatcombe Pitch, near Cheltenham
Coalport Hill, near Ironbridge
Dinmore Hill North/South on the Hereford/Leominster Road
Frome's Hill, near hereford
Mucklow Hill, near Haleowen
Hint's Hill, near Tamworth
and Weatheroak Hill, near Bromsgrove.

If anyone has any photographs etc from these events, please email or PM me through Ten-Tenths.

Thanks, Moxey

allenbrown · 10 Feb 2006, 12:38 (Ref:1519583)

Mucklow's Hill!!??!!

I'm amazed!

robert77 · 10 Feb 2006, 12:43 (Ref:1519591)

Quote:

Originally Posted by allenbrown

Mucklow's Hill!!??!!

I'm amazed!

Indeed Allen. The venue was only used for one event, in Jan 1901 for vehicles being exhibited ie the Birmingham Midlands Cycle and Motor Show. According to the text I have it was won by a Mors 'Petit Duc' (french for 'Small Duck' I guess) in very muddy, not very pleasant conditions. The course used was approx 1 mile in length.

ss_collins · 10 Feb 2006, 12:38 (Ref:1519584)

Autocar will have them in Teddington

robert77 · 10 Feb 2006, 13:08 (Ref:1519604)

By the way, I'm not looking for the original photo, just a good scanned/ emailed version to include in the book.

Darren Galpin · 10 Feb 2006, 15:21 (Ref:1519708)

Petit Duc is little Duke in English. Duck is Canard......

Darren Galpin · 10 Feb 2006, 15:25 (Ref:1519710)

By the way, what is your source for the Mucklow Hill event? Hans Etzrodt's hillclimb list has the event on the 27th January 1900, being won in a time of 9m02.4

robert77 · 10 Feb 2006, 21:26 (Ref:1519934)

Thanks for the explination of "Petit Duc" Darren.

Re: the Mucklow Hill, hill climb event. This was researched from local newspapers of the time by the Shelsley Walsh archivist, Mark Joseland, who is also a Vice-President for the Midlands Automobile Club.

Darren Galpin · 14 Feb 2006, 10:23 (Ref:1522445)

I mailed Hans Etzrodt, and he told me the following:

"I have two secondary sources:

T.R. Nicholson SPRINT Speed Hillclimbs and Speed Trials in Britain: 1899-1925, 1969, pg. 25: date = last weekend of January 1900

Chris Mason Uphill Racers, 1990, pg. 7-8: Date = month of January 1900; fastest car was a Mors 'Petit Duc' in 9m2.4s

It appears to me that Chris Mason leaned quite a bit on Tim Nicholson's research for those early years.

Maybe you can suggest to this lad who wants to write a book to go to Collindale, they should have that information. It would definitely be helpful to sort out this controversy."

It is quite possible that Nicholson got the date wrong of course. Any chance you could get hold of the newspaper in question and confirm the date?

robert77 · 14 Feb 2006, 10:33 (Ref:1522454)

I will try and get in touch with Mark Joseland to see if he has it from when he did his research or knows where it's kept.

As for the "lad" writing the book, that'll be me. Things were going quite well but my research seemws to have hit a bit of a stumbling block at the moment.

Thanks Darren.

Darren Galpin · 14 Feb 2006, 10:36 (Ref:1522457)

I know how it feels! If you have any questions, fire away and I'll see what I can dig out. Can't promise pictures though!

robert77 · 14 Feb 2006, 10:48 (Ref:1522460)

Well, I dunno if you can help with this one.

There's a gent that keeps cropping up called Mr F.A. Bolton as the man with FTD in several events (see thread http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79427 ) driving either a 40hp Ariel, or a 35 or 40hp Daimler.

Do you have any knowlage of this person? he seems an interesting fellow and might be a good subject for a chapter in my book.

robert77 · 15 Feb 2006, 09:31 (Ref:1523207)

Right, I think I can say this has been cleared up. I have recived an email from Mark Joseland which reads as follows,

--------------
Dear Rob

I think that Bob Cooper took his information from Tim Nicholson's book "Sprint", which is highly misleading as he states that the twentieth century opened with the Mucklow Hill event. The twentieth century certainly started in 1901, but the event was actually in 1900 - the last year of the 19th century. The Motor Car Journal says that it was on Thursday, 1st February, but The Autocar says Wednesday, 31st January, 1900. The Autocar gives a fairly full report, and is more likely to be correct. Best Time of Day was made by Archie Millership's Tricycle (probably an Ariel) in 4 mins 23 secs. The Mors Petit Duc was the best car in 9 mins 25 2/5 secs. The conditions were apparently very poor.

Our Archive has a very good collection of early motoring magazines.

Best wishes

Mark Joseland
---------------

So there we go, mystery solved.

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