Profile of Graham Hill, South West London DA

Profile of Graham Hill

Profile - Graham Hill
Do you remember the day they executed G. I. Eddie Slovic for desertion? No perhaps you'll remember the day G. H. Stancer retired as Secretary of the CTC? Well I do, they went out the day we came in; we being yours truly and younger (twin) brother Malcolm. Our 15 pounds 4 ounces (a record then for Kingston Hospital) was why Mum couldn't wait just 10 minutes to give Dad a birthday present to remember.

Granddad ran a cycle/car repair business in Westbury, Wilts. In the 1940s, I don't recall much stock or customers, but I was fascinated by his accounts. Only later did I learn that these were works of fiction. In my early teens this shop (then run by an uncle) was the source of my first bicycle, a black/yellow BSA with Benelux gears. Used mainly for trips to school and friends, we did go further afield but our enthusiasm was tempered greatly by Pebblecombe, Whitedown, etc. We hostelled - a saddlebag and a musette made from a deckchair cover holding my belongings. Rock climbing was popular, cheap and a lot less effort but local outcrops like Stone Farm or Harrison's meant a double dose of Wray Lane.

In 1963 George Best and I made our Man U debuts. Not the same one naturally; mine (the University) was older and in its glory days featured Rutherford, Chadwick, and Geiger. Having a twin means sharing so my only bicycle left at his girlfriend's house disappeared. I found easier ways to travel needing only thumb movements. Trips resulted to Turkey, Morocco and the lumpier parts of Britain. To climbing I added walking and the Pennine Way, Offa's Dyke, Lyke Wake, Three Peaks and others were overcome. Only once did I fail (temporarily) - the South Downs Way where my companion thought a bin liner would do nicely as rainwear!

By the early 70s I was the owner of a new bicycle, a Dawes. Public transport was unreliable and I worked in Victoria. British Rail's decision to abolish charges sparked my first long tour. I chose Scotland as my sister lived there. It rained every day but something clicked. My Wester Ross is a legacy of that trip and I've returned over twenty times. But I've toured elsewhere: the Alps, Pyrenees, Ireland and much of Britain.

In 2001 I gave up work after 35 years in computing and headed across America. I rather enjoyed it until run down (dislocated shoulder) in the Nevada desert, five days short of completing a Coast to Coast. Amazingly I had a witness; two months later I received an unexpected police report blaming the other driver and felt inspired to fly back and finish the ride - so three months later I finished it. Since 2002 I've wardened in (YHA, SYHA and independent hostels) and 2006 saw me in Raasay, Hindhead, Clun and Rogart. In 2005 I finished my third End to End (via the Scottish Islands) with C&M member, Irene North; one of us rode every hill.

Currently I amuse myself as C&M Secretary, using a PC to maintain the attendance records and the Section's tea stops list, and I'm helping to get the new CTC Routes website up and running.

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This page updated by Lisa Colombo 17th December 2006