norbold

Thank you for your kind comments, psymon. Yes, on reflection, maybe I should have mentioned King Cinder but, sadly, there is a limit to what I can put in as I have to stick to a certain number of words maximum. Inevitably things get left out. You'll have to ask Tony McDonald about the photograph of Brian Foote! Because of the major part he played in the Rockets' early league history I wanted to have a photo of him in the book and that was the only one of suitable quality I could find. It came from Tony.

Yes, the park is open from 9:30 to 6:00, but I think the Museum may be shutting at 5:00.

Correct, Bryan.

Mike Polukard was more 50s and 60s than 40s and 50s.

Could it have been Johnnie Hoskins who "invented" the starting gate at West Ham?

Very interesting, iris. Especally this bit: "The first MCUI event was a ‘run’ from Gough Statue in Dublin’s Phoenix Park to Bray, on 20th April 1902, and their first race meeting was on the cinder track at Ashtown Trotting Track, Co Dublin, on 18th October 1902. Bob Stevens was the winner of both the 10 mile handicap and one mile scratch races, riding a Phoenix machine." Cinder track, one mile, 1902!!!

Phew! That's a relief. I thought you were going to say it was used at a speedway track somewhere else before Crystal Palace. It is quite clear in the early reports in the Speedway News that they had adopted the idea from horse racing.

Tell him to buy his own!

Found me out!

Thank you, Ken. I wouldn't say better....As good, maybe.

I see that the Amazon web site is now showing the book as in stock. Have you received your copy yet, Shazz?

I thought the best one last night was when he complained that Scott Nicholls had been left off the overall standings caption at the end of the programme, because, by his reckoning he should have been in 9th place with 50 points. The fact he was shown as 8th with 50 points seemed to have completely passed him by.

I guess the subsequent debate on this issue shows that Kittlesen was none of the above.

Can you dispel the myth of the starting gate for me please as I don't want to perpetuate any myths in my forthcoming Crystal Palace book do I...?

Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!

Yes, train to Broxbourne where you can pick up the Paradise Park courtesy bus. P.S. If the bus isn't waiting at the station ask at the ticket office for them to ring the Park up and send the bus.

Agreed, speedyguy.

A question for Mr Clemens I think... My 16 would be: 1. Vic Huxley 2. Tom Farndon 3. Frank Arthur 4. Bluey Wilkinson 5. Jack Milne 6. Vic Duggan 7. Jack Parker 8. Jack Young 9. Ronnie Moore 10. Barry Briggs 11. Peter Craven 12. Ove Fundin 13. Bjorn Knutson 14. Ivan Mauger 15. Hans Nielsen 16. Tony Rickardsson

30s: Vic Huxley, Tom Farndon, Jack Milne, Jack Parker, Bluey Wilkinson, Lionel Van Praag, Eric Langton, Frank Arthur, Colin Watson, Ginger Lees, Wilbur Lamoreaux, Cordy Milne, Ron Johnson 40s: Vic Duggan, Jack Parker, Tommy Price, Graham Warren, Bill Kitchen, Norman Parker, Aub Lawson, Eric Chitty, Ron Johnson, Alec Statham 50s: Jack Young, Freddie Williams, Aub Lawson, Ronnie Moore, Graham Warren, Barry Briggs, Ove Fundin, Brian Crutcher, Peter Craven, Arthur Forrest, Split Waterman 60s: Ove Fundin, Barry Briggs, Peter Craven, Bjorn Knutson, Ronnie Moore, Ivan Mauger, Gote Nordin, Ken McKinlay, Sverre Harrfeldt, Nigel Boocock, Ron How, Igor Plechanov and so on throughout the decades... Maybe every decade had its great riders and those who were privileged enough to watch them will always feel they were the best.

Tempus tell me they sent 20 copies of the book to Amazon yesterday, so, hopefully, Shazzy, your copy should be arriving soon!

I don't know - let's talk about it.

We could still talk about what was the first speedway meeting in Great Britain.

Yes, I know about Amazon. They are still saying the book is unavailable even though it came out in May. I contacted Tempus a few weeks ago and they said it had all been sorted out with them, but it is still being shown as unavailable. So, I phoned Amazon myself and they told me that they have ordered the book four times from Tempus and Tempus have sent them ONE copy. I have contacted Tempus again to tell them this but have had no reply. I have now written to the Managing Director. So, I think it is Tempus's fault, not Amazon's. If I'd known of your difficulties earlier Shazzy I could have sent you one of my copies, but I have just delivered the remainder of the ones I had to the Speedway Museum so I have none left.

I've just come across these two reviews of a new book on the history of Rye House called "70 Years of Rye House Speedway." The first is from the Hertfordshire Mercury; the second from the South London Press. I wonder who the author is...? "Ride down memory lane By Andrew Franczak PROLIFIC speedway writer Norman Jacobs has penned an entertaining and fact-filled book on 70 years of the sport at Rye House. And many of the issues which cause so much controversy today crop up time and again throughout the decades including the use of foreign riders, promoters struggling to make ends meet and perhaps most topical of all floods. Rye House first opened to the public in 1934 as a training track for young riders, a tradition still kept up in 2007 as the Hoddesdon circuit is one of only a few giving juniors proper second half races to compete in. The book divides its chapters into decades, with detailed analysis of league positions and rider averages. The earliest years give a fascinating insight into the development of the track built on the banks of the River Lea. The thorny question of foreign riders arose as early 1936 when there was a big furore about the number of Americans allowed to ride in this country by speedway's governing body - hence the emergence of Rye House as a practice track for home grown talent. # 70 Years of Rye House Speedway by Norman Jacobs is out now and published by Tempus (The Mill, Briscombe Port, Stroud, Glous GL2 2QG. Tel: 01453 883300.)" "70 YEARS OF RYE HOUSE SPEEDWAY Author: Norman Jacobs. Stadia: £14.99 ISBN 978-0-7524-4162-7 FORGET the title. Rye House was the London area training track for novices. And it was responsible for the development of riders who became members of the great Wimbledon teams of the 1950s and 1960s. They include the legendary Ron How who, although originally a member of the Harringay team, was a stalwart of the Dons' teams that dominated the National League championship in the 1960s. How went on to become an England international and world finalist, although the sport's great crown eluded him. On track, he was a swashbuckling, hard-charging character. It was all so different to his off-track life. He had a pub at Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire and also ran a nearby dairy farm. Cyril Maidment also cut his racing teeth at Rye House, then became a formidable Dons rider for many seasons, and eventually the club's team manager. He had firm local roots, and owned a greengrocer's in Mitcham. Alf Hagon was another Rye House graduate who progress to a Wimbledon career via Harringay. He wore spectacles, was quiet talking, but a mechanical genius who still has technical links with speedway and its associate formulas grass track and long-track racing. Another who plied his craft at Rye House before enoying a long stay at Wimbledon was Jim Tebby. While not in the same top class as How, Maidment and Hagon, Tebby was a dedicated journeymen who had a long-stay career with Wimbledon in halcyon times. Another old-time Dons rider who plied his craft at Rye House was Ron Howes (not to be confused with Ron How). Howes had links with Wimbledon in 1938 and 1939, when he was also a regular in Sunday afternoon meetings at Rye House. Post-war he had another spell in Dons colours and into the late 1940s rode for West Ham and Rayleigh. The origins of Rye House are as a training track from 1934 until the early 1970s when it became a successful mainstream league speedway club. Two riders who had post-war links with Wimbledon, Ken Brett and Phil 'Tiger' Hart raced at Rye House's first meeting on May 27 1934. This is a thoroughly well researched book with some excellent nostalgic photos. It is a fitting testimony to the dedication author Norman Jacobs puts into works of this kind. The book is definitive history of a unique track. It has this reviewer's sign of approval. John Hyam"

So how tall was Graham Miles then?