Hill Climb - 4

With night descending on Nuwara-Eliya, I headed to the Hill Club: for some inspiration and a cup of tea. Built in 1930, it's the bastion of all things British. You see over the years people who kept up these traditions were called ‘Brown Sahibs’; and there again, that was very much earlier  after independence... Auto racing continued in spite of all the difficulties, and all those things...when there was a time when there were no spare parts and everything...but motor racing continued. Ananda de Alvis has been racing for 42 years. When they started, as I mentioned earlier, it was only a gravel track; and only three or four participants in the first event; and thereafter, every year, the numbers increased. The vehicles improved, and it went on, and [is] still going on. Still going on too: the work on the Standard Eight. As Nuwara-Eliya awakes to the big race day, crowds will be gathering around Hill Climb. All the real racers are looking a little readier than me. And Nishan Wurasurya is trying his best to look relaxed, unthreatened, and nauseatingly confident. While for me and my race machine a moment of truth had arrived. Now, I was really desperate. Can I borrow your car? Can I borrow your car? Can I borrow your car? Can I borrow the bus? Drive the bus up the hill? It won’t take long! I promise to look after it! Want to race like that! I can’t borrow? This isn’t easy!