Saturday 17 July 2021

Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb

On Sunday 4th July (yep, I know, I've been very busy so a late post here!), my partner Ben and I decided that because of limited football options that day, we would go and do something completely different: watch some car racing at Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb. Shelsley Walsh is situated in the middle of nowhere (you know, the type of place with no phone signal) around 11 miles west of Worcester. Worcester was where I grew up and we used to see some interesting cars going past our house whenever there was an event on at Shelsley, though we didn't have a car (you can't get to it on public transport) so was never able to go. So, being back in the area that weekend, I suggested it as an idea.

Luckily, there was an event on (vintage cars, even better) so we just went for it! It was reasonably priced too, at £16 per adult for a day ticket if bought before the event (it's more on the day). The gates open for spectators around 8am and I think the races finish around 5pm, so it's definitely good value for money. We didn't quite know what to expect, so only allowed time for 3-4 hours there, though if we were to go again to anything similar, I'd like to stay for longer. There was so much to photograph!

One of the benefits of it being 'in the middle of nowhere' was that the track was nestled within the countryside, making for extremely photogenic views. As I'm usually used to photographing football, this was quite a change in that respect and it took some time to get my eye in. After a while, I knew what type of shots would work (and what would not) and ended up with some pictures I was very pleased with.

It's definitely something I would love to go back to, whether that be at the same location (or elsewhere), though I don't think it will take over from the football..!

You can view the full set of photographs here.