Think of British Motor racing and the names of famous racing drivers quickly come to mind: Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, James Hunt and Lewis Hamilton to name but a few. Just as iconic are the names of the tracks where they raced for glory: Goodwood, Brands Hatch, Donnington Park, Silverstone and Bexhill-on-Sea. Yes, you heard it right – Bexhill-on-Sea. Believe it or not this quiet seaside resort was the birthplace of British Motor racing. The first race was held on Monday 19thMay 1902 and was won by Frenchman Leon Serpollet who sped along the seafront at an eye-watering 54 miles per hour.
It just goes to remind us that everything has to begin somewhere and sometimes that somewhere is not what we might have expected. Not surprising then that when Jews in the first century were longing to see the birth of a Messiah who would usher in God’s new kingdom, the backwater village of Nazareth wasn’t high on the list and when an early disciple, Philip, told his friend that Jesus of Nazareth was the longed-for Messiah, he exclaimed, ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’
Well unlikely as it may seem Bexhill did birth what was to become a global super sport watched by millions and Nazareth was indeed the birthplace of the Saviour of the world.
