norbold

Yes, I agree Jim. The meeting was only yesterday so I haven't approached anyone yet. My initial thought really was to approach Lewisham Council to see if it was a starter before going to the press or anywhere else as I agree that there are all sorts of obstacles that the Council will put in our way. Another is public liability insurance, which the Museum only has for on site activities. Although April would be ideal as the actualy month of the 75th anniversary I think we could hold the event any time this year if April proved a bit too soon to organise it all. It would still be the 75th anniversary year. If we did go to the press, maybe speedyguy could help. I believe he has contacts in the local South London Press... As for another ride in the Parsloesmobile....I'd rather take my chances with Lauren in Eastenders. (now you're all sorry you don't watch Eastenders as you've no idea what I'm talking about!)

Yes, agreed Shadders. I have posted the following update on the 2009 Celebration of Speedway on the Museum Website thread, but this seems a more appropriate place for it! Planning for the "Celebration of Speedway" event on 8 February is going well. So far 19 tables have been booked for the Collectors' Fayre and there may be a few more. There are also currently seven outside stall booked including Terry Stone's vintage bike display, Alf Hagon, the Douglas Club and the current manufacturers of the J.A.P. engine, Cameron Racing. There will also be a demonstration of cycle speedway with a chance to "have a go" yourself. There will be refreshments available from Paradise Park's on site restaurant and there will also be a bar and barbecue set up for the occasion. Also, a local pub, The Woodman, will provide a special two course pub lunch for £9.95. The Museum will, of course, be open and there will be, as well as the continuous DVD display in the Museum itself, a film show put on by Tony Steele. Entry to the Park for the event will be free for the day and there will be guided tours of the Wildlife Park itself, making it ideal for a family day out.

Definitely Lewisham. Thanks DK.

I've just returned from the Speedway Museum Committee meeting. Here are the brief highlights: 1. The web site. There were profuse apologies from the person who is responsible for getting it up and running. The date for the full all-singing/all-dancing site is the end of February. However, they have agreed to put up a temporary site next week; so there should be something on www.speedwaymuseum.co.uk by the end of next week. 2. Planning for the "Celebration of Speedway" event on 8 February is going well. So far 19 tables have been booked for the Collectors' Fayre and there may be a few more. There are also currently seven outside stall booked including Terry Stone's vintage bike display, Alf Hagon, the Douglas Club and the current manufacturers of the J.A.P. engine, Cameron Racing. There will also be a demonstration of cycle speedway with a chance to "have a go" yourself. There will be refreshments available from Paradise Park's on site restaurant and there will also be a bar and barbecue set up for the occasion. Also, a local pub, The Woodman, will provide a special two course pub lunch for £9.95. The Museum will, of course, be open and there will be, as well as the continuous DVD display in the Museum itself, a film show put on by Tony Steele. Entry to the Park for the event will be free for the day and there will be guided tours of the Wildlife Park itself, making it ideal for a family day out. 3. Barry Briggs has agreed to become a Vice President of the Museum. 4. Rye House have agreed to house a temporary exhibition at the track to advertise the Museum. 5. Epping Forest District Museum in Waltham Abbey has offered exhibition space for a display on the History of High Beech Speedway (which comes within their remit). Finally, I naturally took the opportunity to have another look round the Museum which has improved even more since my last visit. For those of you who have been and know what it looks like, the centre marketing area and counter has been moved to the wall immediately to the right of the entrance, which gives the whole place a much lighter and airier feel and increases the space for exhibiting old bikes. Some of the bikes in the new area include a Douglas, a J.A.P and a Mattingley frame JAWA. Further improvements are on the way... Please come along on the 8th and have a look. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks a lot, Parsloes. I put it to the Museum Committee today and they agreed in principle, asking me to take the lead in organising such an event. I wouldn't mind, but there are no copies of my New Cross book left as it is completely sold out, so I can't even make any money flogging them. As I see it the main problem will be getting permission from Lewisham Council to use the site. Anyone know any Lewisham Councillors or officers I can work on?

Jim Heard is also alive and well and living in Grays, Essex. He doesn't have much to do with speedway anymore, preferring to spend his time on the golf course. He does, however, keep in touch with former riders living nearby such as Terry Stone and Vic Ridgeon.

Yes, you're right, Jim. Birmingham didn't have a team of their own in 1960 they just used guest riders.

Thanks for the confirmation, Ray.

Yes, you're right. It is, of course, John Debbage. Sorry, I was put off by the photo being ascribed to a Wimbledon rider...but he does look like Gerry King!!!

Are you sure you're not mixing up Jim Gleed with Jim Heard?

Harringay 1 is Jeff Lloyd I think Harringay 2 is Danny Dunton Wimbledon 2 is not Reg Luckhurst, it's Gerry King.

I guess this one would be California. It was operating in the Southern Area League in 1954 and 1955. The team included Gil Goldfinch, Bob Andrews, Tom Sweetman, Eric Hockaday, Pete Mould, Jim Gleed and Ross Gilbertson.

Brilliant, Parsloes. I'll put it to the committee at our next meeting on Thursday...

You might be interested in these stills from the film...:http://www.speedwayplus.com/SwagmanPictures.shtml

The Museum itself is going from strength to strength. If you'd been lately you would see how much better it is than when it was first opened. Work has continued and is still continuing on improving it. The layout has changed drastically since the early days making the exhibits much easier to see with improved atmospheric backgrounds and some well researched and easy to read information panels and explanatory text with the objects. The whole exhibition itself is excellent and has won plaudits from local museum professionals. The museum is growing all the time as more and more people donate or lend items to it. I am also very unhappy about the website situation. We have a committee meeting next week and I will get to the bottom of this and find out what is happening. I always express the views put forward on the Forum when I go. As far as the Barclays are concerned, they, of course, did a tremendous amount of work in getting the museum up and running but they always said they were not museum professionals and they probably felt their work was done once it was set up. They had spent two years doing nothing else but fund raising and gathering objects for the Museum and they probably wanted their lives back. Apart from the issue of the website, the museum has been and continues to be a complete success and is going from strength to strength. It is a credit to everyone who has been involved in it and deserves the support of the whole speedway community.

New Cross hasn't been built on because it's a designated open green space. However, I just decided to look it up on the Web to see what it said about it and this is from the official Lewisham Council website: "Bridgehouse Meadows was formerly the Deptford Greyhound Stadium. " AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!! :mad:

That probably depends on how many were held in Poland.

A proper stadium might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there was terracing and there were covered stands there. Apart from the pits shown in the photograph I can't really remember what it looked like in 1960....I was too busy trying not to fall!

Well, there you are. Parker Drive. Is that Jack or Norman?

Actually that reminds me. Lea Bridge stadium became the Speedway Industrial Estate, though I don't think it is still called that.

Yes, I know what you mean, Deano. But I suppose it's better to have some reminder than none at all. Talking of housing estates, of course, the Firs at Norwich is now a housing estate as well.

You're certainly not, Tigerblade. I remember Tony Holland well.

Yes, but at least the roads are named after former West Ham riders plus Johnnie Hoskins. Has this happened anywhere else? As is Rayleigh. They spell it High Beach! The spelling has long been a bone of contention in the area. The word beech could refer to the beech trees in the area which would make more sense as High Bee(a)ch is nowhere near the sea, but there is also an archaic meaning of the word beach which means an escarpment and it could refer to this. When I lived in the area in the 60s and 70s both spellings were used but recently it has become normal to refer to it as High Beach.You hardly ever see High Beech except in speedway circles! There are some photographs of how the area looks now on John Skinner's Defunct Tracks website (I should know, I took them!): http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/High%20Beech.htm

I'm really sad to hear that, Tsunami. I spoke to him a couple of times while I was researching my Wembley book and I also published the results of one of the interviews in the Vintage Speedway Magazine. He was extremely courteous and helpful and a true gentleman. I found him to be very modest about his achievements and seemed to wonder what all the fuss was about and why I should want to interview someone like him! But he was a great rider and an integral part of the Wembley team that included such stars as Jack Ormston, Ginger Lees, Colin Watson, Frank Charles, Wally Kilmister and Lionel Van Praag. Yet he was never outclassed or overawed by them. He was their equal and one of them. He will be sadly missed.