norbold

Yes, Tommy died many years ago. I don't know the date but it was some time ago. I'm not sure where Cyril Roger is now, but I think this came up on a thread on here last year or thereabouts...perhaps I'll try looking back.

Cyril Roger's still alive...isn't he?

Peter Jackson has produced averages for 1933 - 1957. I'll send you his address so you can contact him. And then, of course, there is Peter Oakes's "Complete History of the British League" for 1965 - 1990.

Actually you'll be looking forward to it even less now, as I've taken out Crystal Palace altogether owing to constraints of space. Does anyone want an unpublished 25,000 word history of Crystal Palace... ?

Ah, well, that was your mistake, you should have been like me and lived within walking distance. Fifteen minutes across Hackney Marshes and there you are...or rather there I was. It was Martin Goodwin...unless Andrew Silver did it as well. I can remember going to the first meeting of the revival on 10 April 1963 as it was also the first time I got to see New Cross after their closure at the end of 1961. It was a great match and finished in a draw, 38-38.

Let's hope he makes another great speech at the WSRA dinner!

Are you sure it's not Cheshunt?

Funnily enough I have been discussing Bernie Aldridge with speedyguy as we are trying to determine whether he rode for New Cross under the name Bob Aldridge in 1951, or whether that is someone else. Any information will be gratefully received.

Of course, another way of looking at it is that the Museum is free...if you visit the Park...

The Museum Committee is considering a way of having a separate ticket just for the museum. The problem is the logistics though because the museum is inside the Park, so once you are in there is no physical way of stopping anyone from going round the rest of the park. The pricing policy of the Park itself has nothing to do with the Speedway Museum.

That's just too good to be true...

My favourite memory of Plough Lane is the night West Ham beat Wimbledon in the Knock Out Cup Quarter Final Replay on 14 August 1965. It was the greatest match I ever saw and still stands out vividly in my memory...but then I was a West Ham supporter.

Thanks Chris.

Yes, it is the intention to have something from every track, but, of course, we can only do that if someone donates or loans or offers an article for sale. If you know anyone who has any Sunderland memorabilia they are willing to donate or lend I am sure we would be very interested.

Oh, yes, sorry. Sunderland. The Museum has nothing from or about Sunderland as far as I can see. There may be some programmes in store but I didn't have time to go through them. Obviously an area we need to build up!

There are no items from Bruce Penhall in the museum, just a photograph of him.

OK, we had our committee meeting today and I put forward the view, expressed forcibly by some, that the Museum should keep the Peter Craven logo and it was eventually agreed that we should, albeit with a change of body colour from Belle Vue to a World symbol.

I don't think we do have anything of Bruce Penhall's but I'm not absolutely certain. I'll have a look next week when I go.

Thanks andout. Marching Along Together it is then.

Another question for former New Cross supporters. What was the tune they officials and riders marched out to? I have a feeling that up to 1953 it was "Marching Along Together" but from 1959 onwards it was "The Entry of the Gladiators"...but I might be completely wrong. Anyone with a better memory than me?

Well, it's not really just a British Speedway Museum. We have special boards devoted to Ivan Mauger, Tony Rickardsson, Jason Crump amongst others as well as a section on Ice Racing. In view of the opinions expressed on here I will take up the question of the logo at the next Committee Meeting, which is on 18 December. I can't answer your question about Sunderland off-hand. I will have to check and see what we have. When I go on the 18 December I will have a look and then let you know.

Absolutely right, star ghost. I made my original post exactly in that spirit so that everyone would know what is happening and it's not all kept secret. The people currently on the committee are those who volunteered to work for the museum and to put a lot of their own time and, in some cases, a lot of their own money, in to making it a success. I'm sure if ianmartin and scarletrider wish to join us and have some area of expertise we can use and are prepared to put the time in, we can invite them on to the committee.

I don't understand what you mean really. Who would make nominations? What you need to run a museum are people with the expertise in the necessary areas. Who would be qualified to make such nominations and who would be qualified to vote on the right people?

It was George and Linda's choice to withdraw from the Museum now it has been set up and running. There was no vote for the committee. It is composed mainly of people who, as I have said, have been involved with the setting up and running of the Museum since the idea was first mooted. Yes, George and Linda did do a tremendous amount of work and you are probably right that we would not yet have a museum without them, but I could name a number of other people involved in its set up without whom we wouldn't have the museum either. I am not sure how you could possibly organise a vote for the committee. Who would be eligible to vote? I don't know of any other museum in the country that has a vote for its committee.

I'm sorry you feel like that about it, Ian, but I have explained why it was felt there should be a change in the logo. "These people" have not just come in and changed everything. Most, if not ALL, of "these people" have been involved with the Museum for almost as long as - in many cases AS long as - George and Linda and without them there wouldn't be a Museum either. You complain that you have not had a say in changing the logo. Did you have a say in choosing it in the first place then?