norbold

Hastings, Romford, Isle of Wight

Fortunately the parrot's flown off now.

Don't be so cheeky!

Yes, Grachan, there was a connection! Charlie Dugard moved his Eastbourne team to Hastings because he thought he would get better crowds. There were better facilties at Hastings and it was also much nearer the centre of population than Arlington. Unfortunately it was too near the centre of population as local residents complained about the noise and Hastings was closed down, so back to Eastbourne for Charlie... Never went either. Far too young!

I believe this also included the C F Wallace archive as well. Do you know if that's right, Jim?

Oh well, seeing as no-one else put in a bid, I bought it myself. The programme says the Speedway XI was formed in 1958 and the players for that afternoon's match (22/3/64) would be chosen from the regular players: Gerald Jackson, Ron How, Reg Trott, Barry Briggs, Cyril Maidment, Ove Fundin, Ernie Baker, Viv Harwood, Jim Heard, Roy Trigg, Jim Tebby, Danny Dunton, Pat Flanaghan, Bob Andrews and D. Boulter.

In the early 60s when the sport was dominated by the 'Big 5' of Fundin, Craven, Briggs, Moore and Knutson, they were put on a 20 yard handicap to give the other riders a chance. In 1964, there was a proposal that Gote Nordin should also be put on a 20 yard handicap as he was now their equal (well, the three that were left by then - Fundin, Briggs & Knutson). It never came to anything in the end because the 'Big 3' refused to go on with the handicapping system and it was abolished. However, it shows the stature of Nordin at the time that he was reckoned the equal of the likes of Fundin and Briggs. He was a great rider. I remember him well, and, like everyone says, so classy and stylish with it.

This is where we came in!

With New Cross and West Ham trailing well behind. Must do something about that. P.S. Just done something about West Ham, but still not up to Hackney and Wimbledon!

Added some more Wimbledon, iris...

Thanks cyclone. That's a great site.

Just put some Wimbledon photos on. More to come...

Currently on eBay: TV Stars v. Speedway Riders' X1 "Programme from the Charity match played at Hornchurch Stadium,Upminster on 22/3/64. T.V Stars include;Jess Conrad,Mike and Bernie Winters and Bernard Bresslaw.I wouldn't know where to start with the Speedway Stars,so I won't bother!!" The seller is obviously not a fan. If someone buys it we can find out who the speedway team was. Any offers?

Yes. You've found me out!

The problem is I can't see a book on the horizon where they might be used. I have a few ideas for books. I shall be talking to the sports editor at Tempus in a couple of weeks to get a programme worked out. One of the books I hope to get a date for is the "Classic Matches" book I mentioned a few months ago. So keep thinking everyone. Hmmmm....I wonder if the match on 9 April 1928 at High Beech was a classic...

No-one said he was the last apprentice hangman at Tyburn. But it certainly was said at the time that he was the last apprentice hangman in Britain. Well said by him anyway! I believe we've been through all this before and we didn't come to any conclusion one way or the other.... Ah yes, just found these from a previous thread: 'Just another little contribution to the Tyburn Gallows debate and whether he really was an assistant hangman or not. I came across this information on another web site: "In 1964 the last two men in Britain were hanged for murder. The following year, parliament voted to abolish capital punishment, with overwhelming public support. The most famous public hangman, Albert Pierrepoint, had already retired with nearly 700 executions to his name. The passage of time has since seen the demise of every executioner and their assistants (Pierrepoint died in 1982). By 1994 Syd Dernley was the only former hangman alive in the UK." If Tyburn Gallows died after 1994 it would suggest that he never really was an assistant hangman (or, of course, that the article on the web is wrong!). Have we established when Tyburn went to the great scaffold in the sky yet?' And 'Found this on a site about the english hangmen Assistant executioners. There were many more names on the Home Office list of approved executioners over the period covered but they only acted as assistants and are, thus, not always recorded. Amongst the better known of these was Sid Dernley who assisted at 25 executions between 1949 and 1954 and also wrote a book called "The Hangman's Tale" detailing his experiences. Sid Dernley died in 1996.' The first contribution was from me; the second from kiwi.

If you're very good, I might put them on my Webshots page, when I get them.

As you will now if you have read my thread, "I used to go to speedway", on Speedway General Discussions I had a bit of a depressing day at the Essex History Fair yesterday talking to all those people who used to go to speedway but don't any more. Anyway, the good news is that there was one man who came up to me and said he thought he had some old negatives showing speedway at High Beech somewhere. He thought they were a bit blurry. He'd got them from a friend and put them away somewhere but thought he might be able to lay his hands on them if I was interested. Naturally I said I was very interested and he said he would see what he could do. This morning I received an e-mail from him saying he had found the negatives and they weren't as bad as he'd remembered; in fact they were quite sharp. They were in an envelope dated High Beech 9 April 1928. He asked if I still wanted copies. Do I!? The meeting on 9 April was the second meeting held at High Beech. Well, it makes yesterday worth while after all. Every cloud....

So I see now! Thanks for sending my back numbers so quickly Tony.

I agree with iris. It's not real. You need a real team to get the crowds in for a local derby. And if "Hackney" won, you couldn't really add them to the list of London Cup winners.

Hopefully, but where in London could a new track come from to race Wimbledon? Walthamstow's about the only place that's still got a suitable stadium and there's not much chance of a revival there I wouldn't have thought. It's all very sad...

Fred Leavis - Arthur Reynolds Jack Sharp - Jack Smythe Allen Kilfoyle - Jack Williams Jack Newlands - Speedy Jack Bert Gerrish - Herb Peters There was also Johnny Bull who may have been Eric Spencer, but may not... All of them rode at Norwich in the early 1930s. The reason they rode under assumed names was because they were contracted to ride for other clubs (Leavis and Sharp for Wimbledon for example) and Norwich was an unlicensed track.

Yes, they had to move quickly as the original plan was to run at Rochester but they were unable to obtain planning permission. Rochester Council itself had granted permission, but this was overturned by Kent County Council. By the time this happened the season had already started. In fact, the Bombers had already raced two away matches as Rochester. That was why the promotion team of Wally Mawdsley and Pete Lansdale with Maurice Morley as manager had to move quickly.

I had the pleasure of visiting Brooklands. Yes, indeed, very close to the action if you stood just behind the wall. Des Lukehurst. What a star!

Yes. 1963. It was Hackney's colours in the first year of their revival.