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Bristol. Who recognises this rock ?

frank rabbets

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This rock was known as "eat more fruit" in 1970 I assume as that was what was written on it at that time. You could clearly see it from the road leading down to the Portway where it looked vertical. Anyway I decided to take a look in my series 1 SWB Landrover. In those days you could get anywhere with a 4x4 but there are gates now I think. I managed to reverse right to the top. Very frightening and good thing the brakes did not fail as that would have meant instant death. I reckon it must be 45% angle. Be interesting to hear other members thoughts if they know this landmark.
 

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Wow thats quite a feet. When i was younger we were planning on mountain biking down it but never got chance
 
Series did well to climb that, as did your nerves, but some of the things i did with my ex WD LWB 2a on 750x16 road pattern light lorry tyres i'd not consider doing now, quite how it made it through ditches and the like with those tyres blowed if i know but don't recall any times getting stuck despite having not a clue what i was doing.
Series were prone to breaking half shafts, mine did several times on the road, always a rear shaft, had one of those snapped half way up that cliff, well you know the outcome.

When you look back and think of some of the daft things, you me and most who were raised before everything was H&S approved, its a wonder we ever made old bones.
 
I had some friends in the early eighties who painted a massive dope leaf on it. My first four wheel drive was a series three LWB ‘Safari’ I had from my parents. It had the petrol and I eventually chopped it out for a diesel 110 county which was the slowest car I have ever driven! Flat out on the level was fifty !
 
When you Zoom in on it, Its certainly had some interesting Graffiti on it...... Brave Man Frank, in a series 1 LR..
 
I would not even think about it now. A few months later I was in the Quantock hills driving across a scree. What started out as a mild angle began to get steeper and the LR started sliding sideways. I was on the upper side of the car and had to lean out to keep the drivers side wheels on the ground. I stopped to consider reverse and then realised I was about to drop off a cliff. I saw a large crowd of people watching from below. My wife was in the crowd and the consensus was that I was about to die. I thought the same too. I could see the cliff edge ended about 20 ft in front on the left. I decided to drive forwards very slowly in bottom low gear with front wheels on hard lock facing uphill. The relief was unbelievable as I reached the end of the cliff edge and was able to drive downhill to safety. Completely frightening for what seemed an eternity.

The rock in Bristol ended at ground level on a level surface so I even had a job getting off it as the bumper wedged on the ground.
 
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