Sydney’s Prescott perch

Interesting stuff
Prescott Hill Climb, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, was the scene of many Allard successes throughout the immediate post-war years and into the 1950’s. In 1949 it was the venue where Sydney Allard finally clinched the British Hillclimb Championship in his formidable Steyr engined single-seater Allard. (The true ‘guts and glory’ of that moment is captured perfectly in the painting by Graham Turner shown below).

50 years after The Guv’nor claimed the title, a small group of AOC Members fronted by John Peskett (the current custodian of the ex-Sydney and Eleanor prototype Allard J2, much raced at Prescott)  commemorated the occasion with the unveiling of a painting, plaque and a memorial bench at Prescott.

The natural topography of Hill Climb courses often makes for tired spectators legs, so if you need a breather the next time you visit Prescott, take a seat with Sydney ! Tailwagger Editor and regular Prescott competitor Mike Knapman is shown in the top photo doing just that. Mike has yet to confirm whether any of Sydney’s Prescott secrets ‘rubbed off’ and converted themselves into class winning times…!