norbold

1998 EL averages: Tony Rickardsson: 10.29 Chris Louis: 9.42 Tomasz Gollob: 9.29 Scott Nicholls: 6.74 Toni Svab: 5.02 Sal Clouting: 4.09

Peter Jackson has done a lot of work on this. He has produced Statistical Surveys covering the National League from 1934 - 1939 and 1946 to 1957 based on a 12 point CMA system.

Yes, his CMA still survives and is how all CMAs are still worked out today.

Pre-War Hackney rider, Jack Tidbury, is still going strong...

You could well be right there, Peter. That's certainly a name from the past all right. Jack Ormston is 97 I think and Gordon Byers 96. Vic Duggan is 91.

In the Archie Windmill thread, Knowle said: "He [Archie Windmill] was also one of the rapidly disappearing band of survivors who raced before the war." It would be interesting to know how many there are and who. I can think of Jack Ormston (winner of the first London Riders' Championship back in 1930 - 77 years ago!), Gordon Byers and Vic Duggan. Any more?

I'm sorry not to have posted this before, but I suppose most of you will know by now that Archie Windmill died last week in his 92nd year. I got to know Archie fairly well over the last few years and always found him to be very helpful and patient with all my enquiries. He had a wonderful memory for things that happened before the War. He was, of course, very active, right up until his death and when he was president of the VSRA a couple of years ago he went all over the country visiting various speedway functions. Funnily enough, although I only got to know him over the last few years, he had been one of my brother's favourite riders when he rode for Wimbledon back in the late 1940s and one of my cousins lived near him and was Archie's son's best friend back in the 50s. So, in some ways, I feel I've known him all my life! Sincere condolences to all his family and friends.

I'd agree with Chris Blewett, BOBBATH. I don't think there's any need to look further!

Thank you, Lt, that's absolutely brilliant. Thank you for supporting the Museum in that way.

It is hoped that the Museum will open to the public on 28 April. There will be no special ceremony on that day. However.... On Friday 20 April there will be a dinner at Paradise Park which will include a tour of the Museum and Park. Tickets cost £45 each. The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. with reception and drinks followed by the tour and dinner at 8.30 p.m. There will also be a memorabilia auction. It will be your chance to get a preview of the Museum before it actually opens. All proceeds go to the Museum Fund and tickets are available from Linda and George Barclay, 41 Lodge Avenue, Dagenham, Essex, RM8 2JD

Thanks Parsloes. I don't know what you mean "nervous". Just because I was under the seat after the fourth or fifth red light you ignored...er...I was looking for a coin I'd dropped... If only...Tom Farndon...sigh...

Indeed he did, sg. He made his debut at Arlington in the Championship of Sussex on 4 August 1957. In his first race he came 3rd behind Leo McAuliffe and Ray Cresp, but he went on to score 7 points, including a heat win over Ross Gilbertson.

Yes. In 1957 he scored five points in three matches and was then dropped.

Yes, you're right, but I was just trying to drum up a bit of interest for my book by mentioning a few names from the distant past who people might not have heard of but would want to find out more about!

Jack Parker - 30s, 40s, 50s Tommy Price - 30s, 40s, 50s Norman Parker qualified as reserve in the 30s and made finals in the 40s and 50s Aub Lawson qualified for the 1939 final which was never held and then rode in the 40s, 50s and 60s (4 decades!) Nigel Boocock qualified as reserve in the 50s and then rode in the 60s and 70s

By the way, I've just remembered (something for old-time Forum members here), I spoke to Mr D at the Fayre....

I'd go for 1. Vic Ridgeon 2. Mike Broadbank 3. Kelvin Mullarkey 4. Tommy Sweetman 5. Clive Hitch 6. Gerry King 7. Dave Slater Well probably not really, but if you want to find out more about the above, "70 Years of Rye House Speedway" will be published on 28 April. First copies will be available at the track that night.

Here's mine: Here Sorry there's so many of me but Mrs norbold was the photographer... Wot! No Shazzy!

Just wait till I put my photos up later today, Shazzy....

I'll be on the Speedway Museum table. Perhaps we could pay each other's table a visit during the evening, Steve...

Oh yes, now you mention it... As it happens I made no comment at all about this race in my programme, so I must have thought it was the right decision at the time. But then Ken was our skipper!

Yes, Gordon Guasco was cetainly a surprise package that night. Another comment I wrote on my programme after Heat 16 in which Gordon beat Hammers' captain, Ken McKinlay was simply, "Eh?"

Yes, I was there. I've just looked at my programme. As BOBBATH says the start was delayed because of a dispute over pay. Here are a few comments I wrote on my programme: "Good Heavens! They've actually started at 8.35. Rain started 8.36." (However the first race saw a new track record of 72.4 seconds set by Nigel Boocock.) Heat 3 "Run in pouring rain" Heat 5: "Charlie [Monk] from 4th to 2nd last lap" (overtaking Ronnie Genz and Bill Andrew) Heat 9: "Took 15 minutes to run." There were two exclusions. But then, "Best race so far" "No interval because of weather" Heat 14: The race was stopped. Ronnie Genz and Jimmy Gooch were both excluded then Gooch was unexcluded. My comments, "Boocock was beating Briggs by miles in the first race, also in the second race but Briggs took him from the back and went miles in front." The trophy was presented by olympic gold medallist, Mary Rand and Editor of the Sunday Mirror, Michael Christiansen.

I was there. For some reason which I can't remember now, I really hated Charlie Monk at the time and I even went so far as to write to the Speedway Star complaining that Charlie Monk shouldn't have won as he should have been disqualified in one race for crossing the white line. Fortunately they didn't publish the letter. Well, I was very young then...

Billy Galloway apparently did take a touring team to Fiji in the 1920s.