speedyguy

Well I seem to remember 'Marching Along Together' at New Cross in the period you mention. Not certain of the vocalist - was it the legendary Al Bowlly? http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Gerry Jackson also rode for Rayleigh and I believe his father was a pioneer Wembley rider? I think his name was Jack Jackson. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

There's a nice photo tribute to Eric Hockaday on the yahoo site http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway and he's also to be seen in the cycle speedway album on the same yahoo site.

Doesn't Wal Morton figure in here somewhere? He rode for many clubs - some of them several times during a career spanning the early 1930s until 1964. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

You are right! I have trawled through the various Rayleigh teams for 1948, 1949 and 1950 - when Charlie Challis was most active as a rider. No sign at all of him in any Rayleigh teams. I bow this old head in shame...! http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Just like to mention: the first speedway bike I owned in 1954 was formerly the property of Charlie Challis, post-war at Plymouth and Rayleigh (among other clubs). http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

And that same 1946 season, about August, the first ever Southampton captain in 1929, Vic Collins rode in a junior race at Wimbledon. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Bert Roger was a junior at West Ham in 1946. He may have had a couple of meetings as reserve at the start of that season. Not listed in records as B Roger but as A Roger. Could it have been he was Albert Roger? http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

There are photos by Stuart Towner from the Speedway Museum, and a photo of the Haynes Motor Museums' speedway section to be found in Photos on http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

I am sure that with the addition of the non-league days (between 1934-38), the 1939 team, the non-league 1940 meetings (two of them), then the post-war battles to get Crystal Palace back into speedway, you could manage another book. I hope so, anyway. (Even how midget car racing failed there 1934-35 and 1938)!!! http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

There is an interesting comment on http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway which relates to 1948 when New Cross held a speedway 20th anniversary meeting. There is a programme quote by Freddie Mockford and Cecil Smith, who were involved with both tracks, into how speedway started at the Palace on May 19, 1928.

Two interesting motorcycle museums with a speedway flavour are: The London Motorcycle Musuem at Greenford, Middlesex, and the Haynes Motor Museums at Sparkford, Yeovil. The latter has 31 old-time bikes and other memorabilia on show. Fuller details of the two museums are currently on: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Bernie Aldridge rode for Ipswich in some matches in 1952 - but where was Bob? http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

That match would probably have been in the very late 1940s. And is Bernie Aldridge also Berne Aldridge and Bob Aldridge or - were there brothers Bob and Bernie Aldridge? And was the 'Berne' forename a spelling error? http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Please explain if this is a lead into Bernie Aldridge? http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

There was some lengthy discussion about him recently on http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway where it claims he was also known (?) as Bernie and Berne Aldridge. Swindon was also given as one of his tracks, while he also had a brief spell at Oxford in 1949. The first major club Bob Aldridge came up with was New Cross in 1951, as Norbold has mentioned. An intriguing character - if the trio all prove to be the same rider!

I also understand that at some time during World War Two that Roy Uden may have served in the RAF. Also that he introduced the legendary Jack Unstead to the club. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Error by me Roy Uden rode at Rye House during the war years, then rode for Rayleigh in their first two seasons in the late 1940s. I meant to ask if any Rayleigh fans remembered him on two wheels. Now the subject has been raised - does anyone also remember in the Rye House wartime seasons? I believe that Roy, prior to getting in at Rayleigh, may have been linked to Plymouth in the 1947-48 era. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Does anyone remember Roy Uden, one of the Rye House riders when the track first opened in the late 1940s? He had a car dealership near the stadium. When stock cars came to Rayleigh in the mid 1950s, Roy was among the more successful drivers. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Here's the details of my first visit to Wimbledon Stadium: Thursday 29th April 1948 Wimbledon Stadium, London Wembley Lions 52 Belle Vue Aces 31 (National League Division One) Wembley Freddy Williams 2 3 1 2’ : 8 (1) Tommy Price 1’ 3 3 1 : 8 (1 Split Waterman 3 1’ 3 3 : 10 (1) Bill Gilbert 2’ 2 2’ 2’ : 8 (3) George Wilks 3 3 2 3 : 11 Roy Craighead F 1 0 0 : 1 Bob Wells 2’ 3 : 5 (1) George Saunders 0 1 : 1 Belle Vue Bill Pitcher 0 0 1 : 1 Jack Parker 3 3 3 2’ : 11 (1) Wally Lloyd 1 2 1’ 0 :4 (1) Dent Oliver 0 1 1 F : 2 Jim Boyd E 0 0 0 : 0 Louis Lawson 2 2 1 3 : 8 Bill Rogers 0 2 : 2 Wally Hull 0 2 1 : 3 Bonus points in brackets. It was a magical first away trip after only ever seeing speedway at New Cross in 1946 and 1947. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Speedway in Brasil, when did it take place? That's currently under discussion on http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway Looking at a newspaper reprint, it was probably in the late 1940s in Sao Paolo.

This topic was debated in some length on the yahoo oldtimespeedway site recently. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Isn't there - or it's being organised - a Bruce Penhall Museum?

None at all. I understand that VSM will be out in about three weeks time. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway l

Well, that's clear enough! http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway