martinmauger

Portillo is quite personable without his politican's hat, one of my favourite programmes travelling through probably my favourite part of the British Isles via one of my favourite modes of transoprt. There is much to like and this programme alone is almost worth the price of the licence fee, almost....

Yeah from memory the above reccomdations (difficult to go wrong with Torun & Warsaw) plus you could do worse than to show them 2018 SGP series once more just to see Tai winning. I have relatives experiencing similar such health issues to varying degrees and I know how great it feels personally if you can do something to help make their day....

Yeah, Happy New Year to all in speedway. Hope every track that begins the season finishes it ok and is at the tapes in 2021 and maybe some new tracks too. You never know....

This ^^, he's not wrong. Used to wonder about the static shots, now we know obvious when you think about it....

I can easily believe it is....

When chatting to a promoter once he told me that of the requirement of x number of acres for a speedway stadium half would be taken by the car park, more if stock cars were operated. Same promoter told me that when stox run at Sheffield an armco barrier is erected in front of the speedway safety fence and there are, or were, many holes around the outside of the track which are dug out for the armco support posts. At Scunny the armco barrier is behind the speedway fence....

Bit of a tail for Christmas (s'ok a happy-ish ending with some speedway thrown in). We also had a collie, totally black from head to foot, obtained from a local lowlife who proudly proclaimed the dog was 'too much trouble' for him and was to be soon despatched with a spade. We couldn't let that happen so took her in, had her signed over to us and she lived with our other 3 dogs (lab look-a-likes mongrels, all spayed bitches). Her first 3-4 years with us could be quite heart-breaking as she spent 90% of her time in 'shut down' or 'stand-by mode' and wouldn't join in with the other dogs, so we let her be. Then one day she came out her shell and you couldn't meet a more gentle, loyal, loving dog - the kind you would introduce to people who are scared of dogs, everyone remarked how happy she was. She lived to be 15, never suffered, and like our other dogs who are no longer with us but lived to be 16-17, she died of old age and kindness and we console ourselves that we gave her 11 years of happiness she otherwise would not have (no sugar, Sherlock). Yeah collies defo like long walks, the longer the better, ideally accompanied by a ball. Sorry to 'bring the forum down' a little but to turn things around: we since acquired a sprocker spaniel (springer / cocker cross). Nutshell: spaniels never, ever get bored or tired. Ever. I don't think I've even seen ours sleep. If you feel at all down - consider a spaniel, but get it trained, or train it yourself and be prepared for it to be 100% full-on, 24/7. Always. Back on track; Kirky Lane obviously wasn't ideal but kept the Aces in business between losing Hyde Rd (heck of a circuit / stadium) and acquiring the NSS (destined to Hyde Rd 2, or too soon ?). Stock cars can being in invaluable income but I don't see them racing at the NSS due possible damage to the expensive pitches but they don't necessarily need to destroy a shale speedway track. I was suprised that Scunny didn't get seriously ripped up and rutted by stox, I'm told this mostly happens when cars lose a tyre or wheel or roll over, but at Scunny it is probably also due to the speedway promotion running stock cars and prepping the track for both....

I don't get involved in on-line spats but to clarify I meant to say we hear good and bad aspects of anything, of any sport, situation, etc. Obviously badly performing speedway riders aren't executed but if it's true that badly performing racing dogs and horses are then obviously it's terrible and shouldn't happen....

I've witnessed horse racing in the flesh, as it were, just the once but took in dog racing at Craven Park, Hull a few times. It is the instinct of greyhounds and horses to run fast, they love it, you do hear stories of good and bad trainers and I absolutely detest animal cuelty of any kind. But like anything, speedway included, you hear both the positives and extremely negative aspects of such 'animal sports' and the honest truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle. Though overall I'm not a fan of animal sports and in fact gave up fishing some 20 years ago....

As a self-confessed 'track anorak' (there is no known cure) it began when Hull altered the Boulevard track Winter 1977 at Ivan's insistance prior to his arrival, I also visited Craven Park regularly in early 1995 to witness the track being constructed; where does the time go. I'm interested to see exactly the Berwick management achieve the alterations to the Shielfield Park circuit and it can only make the racing better and good news for Bandits & away fans and all riders....

Clever idea, be interesting how it pans out....

Touching on Wulfsport jackets, I have 4 Hull Vikings coats but do only wear them at speedway. New they cost / used to cost £70ish but I browsed F1 merch once and identical coats, all-over print design & obv F1 team logos as opposed to speedway related, they cost circa £130 (!)....

Loved the stampede of the crowd to get in and while Guy IS a talented motorcyclist he had to have practice before racing the local champ and Guy maybe should had taken him to the fence . I'm kidding, ok . Just imagine though: a Japanese SGP with Ole Olsen and his 'temporary track laying crew' laying a shale track and installing an air fence into that Japanese stadium....

Saw an ad for Guy Martin's 'Our Guy In Japan', C4 Sunday Nite 9:00PM, clip showed him having a bash at Japanese Speedway, or Autorace as I believe they call it. "It's speedway, Jim, but not as we know it".....

Pretty sure I saw Cecil Forbes (sp) in the Hull pits in 2005. He was wandering around in his leathers & boots but no body colour, I kept a look out for him on track but don't think he actually got to ride. He must have experienced machinery problems as there used to be plenty of time, typically 40 mins+, at Hull for 2nd half spins, shame if true as it's a long way to travel not to get a skid....

Like this....

I have heard of Barry Briggs, you might say that. One of my uncles, after many years of hearing me prattle on about speedway (guilty), one day out of the blue said "Did I ever mention I used to watch speedway, at Wimbledon when I worked in London, someone called Barry Briggs rode for them". No, he hadn't.... (Now in correct thread....)

I have heard of Barry Briggs, you might say that. One of my uncles, after many years of hearing me prattle on about speedway (guilty), one day out of the blue said "Did I ever mention I used to watch speedway, at Wimbledon when I worked in London, someone called Barry Briggs rode for them". No, he hadn't....

"I thought the distance quoted was 35 miles where a promotion can claim 'protection of interests' and object to another club (full stop and not just sharing a race night) " Personally I thought it as 30 miles, either way reckon Belle Vue would welcome the local derbies....

Just to clairify, I just posted a snippet of info I thought posters might find interesting. I am obviously aware of The Chase but have never seen it all the way through as I don't watch such programmes, quiz shows and the like....

My mum told me a speedway fan was on the TV quiz programme 'The Chase' last week sometime. From what my mum recalls "I think she was called Jackie, supported Sheffield and rode on a speedway track 'on non-official days'. "If she won 'Jackie' said she'd treat herself and her boyfriend to a trip to a big World Championship meeting abroad somewhere, I think it was Poland." I asked if the woman said a Grand Prix in Torun and my mum said she thought that is what 'Jackie' said. 'Jackie', if you are reading this, I'd do exactly the same; riding and taking in the Torun GP ....

I do understand the compelling interest. My uncle Charlie served in WW2, died when I was very young, really nice guy, a miner from the Durham area, spoke with a broad Geordie dialect and I couldn't understand a word he said. When called up he had dark brown hair, on his return it was white as he was among the first British forces to come across Belsen. Look it up if you are at all interested, not a nice place. His duties were to guard German army prisoners as allied soldiers, particularly American GI's, wanted to beat the German prisoners, especially the officers. Not a great subject, mind-blowing the things humans are capable of doing to one another, but Belsen, and Auschwitz, need to be remembered to ensure such things don't re-occur....

Finished the book, great read and very illuminating if you already like Tai, or not, you will but defo undstand him more. My book was a present (what do I get for someone who goes on about speedway almost non-stop ?) though I'd happily have bought it myself (for myself) from one of the main 4 supermarkets who afterall still stock the Speedway Star....

I'm also halfway through Tai's book, enjoying it so far. Also £9 from Asda, a pesent as it was my birthday yesterday (happy birthday to me), some may feel the 'extra 1p' worth it as there is a 50p piece-size sticker on the cover: "Exclusive to ASDA, Tai's Speedway Dream Team". The choice as ever is with the consumer: if interested in Tai's career maybe give it a read, if not just leave it...

A neighbourly-ish 37,000 or so pop. then, even more impressive in drawing a viable speedway crowd. The track is defo better these days (post 1997?) when the bends were widened to the max and also banked....