Bryn

Glad to hear that Trav's injuries aren't as serious as they might possibly have been and hopefully he'll be back to full fitness soon. Having been at Gillman several times, just to clarify, it is NOT a solid wall but a wooden fence. Bryn

Every minute of it Colin! I fell in love with the sport from the very first race I saw at Custom House (will always be grateful to that girl I was dating at the time) and Speedway has enabled me to travel the length and breadth of the UK, Europe, and Australia and meet so many superb people. Good to hear you're still skidding!

None of us at Waterden Road that night will ever forget it Colin. Bryn

Same from me - guess Lunchy will now be off to legendary The Blue Room - well he will be if he's got any sense!

Firstly I am hoping, as I'm sure everybody on here is as well, that Travis's injuries turn out to be superficial and that he's back in action soon. As to your comment Sandie, what does time matter when you're having fun?

Steady on now CS prancing around the kitchen at the crack of dawn - what next one wonders?

Er Dons fans can probably blame ME for that! I walked up the passage from the pits to the track with a certain Andy Galvin as the riders started to get ready for that last heat and I said, "We need a 5-1 to draw Andy or better still a 5-0 to win!" He simply replied "Right oh!" The rest is history! Obviously I felt a tad guilty about that in my subsequent time as Wimbledon's P.R.O. and another interesting angle is that, on one of my trips to Oz myself and Todd were reminiscing over "the good old days" aided by a few tinnies. Todd confessed that Galvini was one rider he always had lots of trouble beating, and he said to me he didn't seem to succeed much in doing that back then! WON'T quote exactly what Todd said as I didn't think he was capable of using such lingo!

Just to add my own thanks to Lunchy, Sir Ronald et al for the updates and to echo my very best wishes to young Taylor Poole who's a great little kid. Let's all hope that his injuries turn out to be considerably less severe than initially feared.

He learnt well on the IOW (Shovvy take note of that too please!) Seriously though, I've had the pleasure of watching Chris in action since before he came over to the UK and the first time I saw him out in Oz I got the instinctive feeling that here was a young rider who could (barring injuries of course) develop into something special in the years ahead.

Ah well Laurence - maybe next year!

Fog's gone - still ruddy wet though!

You can be SO cruel BFD - I might just have to set Lunchy on ya!

YOU? "Average" BFD???? I don't think so!!!

A quick edit!

Looks like SCB's maths are about as good as the Ex-wife's when she used to tell me how much she'd spent whilst out shopping!

Will you PLEASE stop rubbing it in Big Man!

Ut oh! Looks like a classic case of the Rockin Berries "Poor Man's Son" doesn't it eh? To use that well known first line from their big hit, "Up, up each day at the crack of dawn!"

Mmmm........... only to be expected alas at your age wwtbp!

See Rita! I DID warn ya!

Oh yes I remember that! Alas though, as this is a family forum I can't relate the tale of the time he shinned up a roadside tree - and a police car pulled up!

That's it! Make me feel even worse than I do now as I can't make my annual trek Down Under! Seriously though you'll have a ball BUT one notable word of caution - beware of BFD!!!! You HAVE been warned! Bryn P.S. Er..... Don't suppose there's any chance of you bringing back a duty-free bottle of Bundy for a poor unfortunate soul who is really suffering is there?

Happy days eh? Great character Roly - had me in stitches when he told me about his time in a Russian hospital waiting to undergo a major operation following his dreadful crash - and the reasons why he skiddadled without going under the knife!

Me too!

I DO have sympathy with the Roo Boy Sandie - no dammit, I'm glad to know someone else is gonna have to suffer the fffffffrrreeeeeezin British weather at a time they're normally in Oz! That's perked me up - no doubt you'll tell him so next time to see/speak to him! Hopefully that knowledge will make him feel a tad better! Lyndon isn't intending to try and brave out the British winter at his age is he????? Seriously though, as has been said, it IS expensive to take all the riding gear back let alone themselves and with Rory with no doubt much to do in his new house (when's the house warming party??? Is he getting supplies of Bundy in?), others who aren't going back this time having various new family commitments over here AND the fact that the likes of Crumpy and Leigh simply need a rest, the Oz Champs is wide open.

Courtesy of Seane Chapman to whom I'm indebted - Only wish I was going to all the flipping meetings - damn, poop and blast! (for want of a better expression!) Haven't fully checked BUT am as certain as can be that, at an 'ancient' 26 years of age, Travis is the "old man" of the Aussies taking part - anyway here's what Seane has disclosed: The riders for the 2008 Linddales Labour Hire Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championship Series have been announced as: Troy Batchelor (Qld) Jason Doyle (NSW) Cory Gathercole (Vic) Josh Grajczonek (Qld) Trevor Harding (WA) Tom Hedley (Vic) Lee Herne (NSW) Chris Holder (NSW) Robert Ksiezak (SA) Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) Travis McGowan (Vic) Tyron Proctor (Vic) Joe Screen (England) Filip Sitera (Czech Republic) Aaron Summers (SA) Cameron Woodward (Vic) Reserves: Richard Sweetman (NSW) Mitchell Davey (Qld) James Holder (NSW) Kozza Smith (NSW) The championship will be decided over five rounds as below: Round 1: Olympic Park, Mildura, Vic - Saturday, 29 December Round 2: Gillman Speedway, Adelaide, SA- Wednesday, 2 January Round 3: Borderline Speedway, Mt Gambier, SA - Saturday, 5 January Round 4: Newcastle Showground, Broadmeadow NSW - Wednesday, 9 January Round 5: Sydney Showground, Homebush Bay, NSW - Friday, 11 January