Some years now, alas, since I've been to Ice Racing - mind you last six years winters I've spent time in Oz (wish I was there now!). Certainly enjoyed my jaunts, especially in the days of the HL1 squad and will NEVER forget seeing Cribby cry which he did the night he finally qualified for a World Final!
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!
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?
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.
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!"
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?