The Headwaters British Car Club had a notice on their web site about a
get together to drive up the old hill climb route used in competitions
in the 1950's and early 60's. Since my '59 Plus 4 is feeling much
better after some fettling by the Beer brothers in Bolton I decided to
crash the hill climb party. The weather looked iffy, but the radar map
showed just the minimum precipitation rate so I went for it. Half of my
trip was on the highway so with no traffic jam I managed to drive dry
through the last of the drizzle. By the time I got up to Hockley Vally
Road and 3rd Line the sun was out. I wasn't the only party crasher, a
group from Collingwood drove in after I did giving a total of 26 cars.
Three of the cars at the recreation were driven in races on the hill
back in its day, a MG racer and the Sands' Morgan and Allard.
You can see what the original event looked like in a video on this web
page of the 'In the Hills' magazine:
http://www.inthehills.ca/2013/06/current/a-classic-love-story/#hillClimb
Now days the bridge is wider and the hedge rows have grown thicker.
Not only were there cars that had raced on the hill but also drivers who
had competed here. Some driving like Al Sands and some as spectators.
Bob Crossan approached me when I got back down the hill and kindly gave
me copies of two photographs of him competing in his '53 Plus 4.
The weather on the trip home started to look ominous as I passed through
Brampton on the 410 but a traffic jam provided enough of a delay that
the worst of it moved east of my route before I got to it. So I got
home with just some road spray all over the outside of the car.
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