Frazer Nashes at Screw Hill (May 21st)

The original event organised by the then-new Fraser Nash CC was an ascent of the “impossible” Screw HiII in N. Wales, in 1933.

This year the FN Section of the VSCC decided to visit this notorious hill again—freak hill-climbs may not he as admissable as speed hill climbs, but just once in a while . . . Nearly a mile long, with six tight hairpins, and mostly on a 1 in 2/1 in 3 gradient, Screw Hill certainly belongs in the former category! But ten ‘Nashes, a GN and a gate crashing Alvis Silver Eagle ventured to vanquish it, some even on standard 11.75 bottom ratios. The GN, however, had sagely resorted in 14-to-1 sprockets. Newton’s car had tried in 1933 and Higgins, who was there years ago, came to watch. The same hotel, the Nanhoran Arms, was used as headquarters, the village at the foot of the hill was renamed “Nashville”, and a memento made of some broken chain links from organiser Freddie Giles’ car was cemented into a large rock beside the hill. For the record, this is what befell:—