Death Hill, Kent.

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Danny_Two

14/07/2005 at 12:43

When I was a nipper my step Dad used to tell me stories of how bikers in the 50's and 60's used to race up a hill and back to beat songs played on a cafe dukebox, and because of the ammount of fatalities it's was nic-named Death Hill. I'm pretty sure this hill was either the A20 past Brands Hatch or it could of been Wrotham hill, and the cafe could of been the Oakdene.
Anyone in the know as to where it was?

Wingnut

14/07/2005 at 12:52

Danny_Two wrote

When I was a nipper my step Dad used to tell me stories of how bikers in the 50's and 60's used to race up a hill and back to beat songs played on a cafe dukebox, and because of the ammount of fatalities it's was nic-named Death Hill. I'm pretty sure this hill was either the A20 past Brands Hatch or it could of been Wrotham hill, and the cafe could of been the Oakdene.
Anyone in the know as to where it was?

I know the Oakdene used to have a bit of a rep for attracting loony cafe racers.

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Carl

14/07/2005 at 13:09

Wasn`t only the ace with record beating my dad used to be a rocker the oakdene was not a bike cafe then don`t even think it was there then. The guys from Catford used to go to the salt box at biggin hill. But yeah the a20 by brands was nicknamed death hill. Also the mad mile at the other end of the a20 by the dutch house was called the mad mile. heard many many stories how many are true god knows!

spitefuljack

14/07/2005 at 13:26

I remember my Dad telling me this, and he said it was the road near Brands.

Danny_Two

14/07/2005 at 13:32

Carl wrote

Wasn`t only the ace with record beating my dad used to be a rocker the oakdene was not a bike cafe then don`t even think it was there then. The guys from Catford used to go to the salt box at biggin hill. But yeah the a20 by brands was nicknamed death hill. Also the mad mile at the other end of the a20 by the dutch house was called the mad mile. heard many many stories how many are true god knows!

Yep, thought it was the A20.

I've noticed the Gatso on the dual carrigway that goes past five arches has disapeared...nothing to do with you was it?

cymruambyth

14/07/2005 at 13:57

Yeah the bikers used to go to the busy-bee on the a41 in watford and then try to get from there to the ace before the song had finished on the juke box, my mum's boyfriends mate broke both his legs twice trying it out nutters they were then.

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TRDman

14/07/2005 at 14:00

I was doing some research for an article on the Ace Cafe and as far as I could ascertain, the whole 'Record Racing' myth was conjured up for an episode of Dixon of Dock Green ( seriously ) by some BBC scriptwriter. As I wrote in the article:

'According to an Ace Cafe regular, Barry Cheese, the concept of Record Racing became 'reality' after the idea was dreamed up by the BBC to illustrate a storyline about the death of a young biker. Indeed, the script shows that after stealing a, and I quote, "seven-fifty, alloy heads, hight-lift cams, rev counter - it's a real potent bike", the two protagonists go for a race and one says, "Just up to the roundabout and up the hill. Put a record on - see if we can get back before it ends."
But that was the power of the Ace. Take one innocuous line from a TV script and the aura of the Ace surrounds it and makes it is own. It sounded so reasonable, given the reputation of the real Ace Cafe, that surely it had to be true. Alas, it wasn't.'

I'll post up ( or PM ) the whole article if anyone's interested.

Rog

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RiceBurner

14/07/2005 at 14:26

TRDman wrote

I was doing some research for an article on the Ace Cafe and as far as I could ascertain, the whole 'Record Racing' myth was conjured up for an episode of Dixon of Dock Green ( seriously ) by some BBC scriptwriter. As I wrote in the article:

'According to an Ace Cafe regular, Barry Cheese, the concept of Record Racing became 'reality' after the idea was dreamed up by the BBC to illustrate a storyline about the death of a young biker. Indeed, the script shows that after stealing a, and I quote, "seven-fifty, alloy heads, hight-lift cams, rev counter - it's a real potent bike", the two protagonists go for a race and one says, "Just up to the roundabout and up the hill. Put a record on - see if we can get back before it ends."
But that was the power of the Ace. Take one innocuous line from a TV script and the aura of the Ace surrounds it and makes it is own. It sounded so reasonable, given the reputation of the real Ace Cafe, that surely it had to be true. Alas, it wasn't.'

I'll post up ( or PM ) the whole article if anyone's interested.

Rog

Did you read Mike Rogers (I think it's Rogers - might not be) "Cafe Racers" while researching that article??

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Carl

14/07/2005 at 14:40

Danny_Two wrote

Yep, thought it was the A20.

I've noticed the Gatso on the dual carrigway that goes past five arches has disapeared...nothing to do with you was it?

no comment

Wingnut

14/07/2005 at 14:44

garethruislip wrote

Yeah the bikers used to go to the busy-bee on the a41 in watford and then try to get from there to the ace before the song had finished on the juke box, my mum's boyfriends mate broke both his legs twice trying it out nutters they were then.

I'd have loved to have been a biker then...

TRDman

14/07/2005 at 14:47

RiceBurner wrote

Did you read Mike Rogers (I think it's Rogers - might not be) "Cafe Racers" while researching that article??

No. I'll see if I can get hold of a copy. I assume there's some relevant info detailed in it?

Edit: Just had a Google for Mike Rogers and Cafe Racers but came up wi' nowt.

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Wingnut

14/07/2005 at 14:52

I have this book at home, very good indeed

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0850456770/qid=1121352728/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_0_2/026-4191502-5632462

Rich_H

14/07/2005 at 14:54

I've heard this story too and always thought it was the A20 past Brands Hatch. The song of choice was 'Diana' by Paul Anka as it was longer than most so it gave them a bit more time.

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Bigger Nige

14/07/2005 at 15:05

It is the road past Brands, now called Gorse Hill I believe.

TRDman

14/07/2005 at 15:06

garethruislip wrote

Yeah the bikers used to go to the busy-bee on the a41 in watford and then try to get from there to the ace before the song had finished on the juke box, my mum's boyfriends mate broke both his legs twice trying it out nutters they were then.

I got a question. How did they know when the record had finished if it was put on at the Busy Bee and they were racing to the Ace?

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RiceBurner

14/07/2005 at 15:13

Wingnut wrote

I have this book at home, very good indeed

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0850456770/qid=1121352728/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_0_2/026-4191502-5632462

That's the one.

(I bought my copy with the money from a school prize - the headmaster was rather taken aback when he picked it up off the table at the prize-giving.

)

RiceBurner

14/07/2005 at 15:13

TRDman wrote

I got a question. How did they know when the record had finished if it was put on at the Busy Bee and they were racing to the Ace?

yeah - that confused me too....

RiceBurner

14/07/2005 at 15:15

There's a fair few stories about Record Racing, the Iron Bridge, Specials, "playing Chicken" (normally across busy Junctions on the red light, but alledgedly one group used to do it head to head!)

Also some hilarious stories about the characters Mike Clay used to know.

Wingnut

14/07/2005 at 15:17

RiceBurner wrote

There's a fair few stories about Record Racing, the Iron Bridge, Specials, "playing Chicken" (normally across busy Junctions on the red light, but alledgedly one group used to do it head to head!)

Also some hilarious stories about the characters Mike Clay used to know.

It is really entertaining to read! My copy was sent in to the office for review. I stole it and it now lives on my bookshelf