speedyguy

Yes. I remember my first visits to Rayleigh when Roy Uden, Percy Brine and Jack Unstead were the big stars. Must have been 1948 or 1949.

I think you should find out what it is. It could be of interest to the new Speedway Museum. No idea though how you contact them, but it's run by George Barclay and Pete Sampson.

Most likely Bernard 'Bronco' Slade, who started at Exeter as a schoolboy in 1934, going on to be a big name in pre-war west country grass track racing. In 1938 he rode speedway at Hackney, the following year at Crystal Palace. In 1946, rode on grass again and also had trials at Wimbledon. In 1947, he was captain of Exeter in the Third Division, but in one of the following seasons, crashed and fractured his pelvis. Around 1950 or 1951, he rode for Plymouth and St Austell, then in later part of 1950s was the team manager at Exeter. Also had some second-half rides at Wembley around 1947 or 1948. Bronco was a very spectacular leg trail rider. Take a look on the Exeter speedway site. There was also a feature article in the 1990s about him in the VSM. He is one of the folklore names in west country speedway.

Finally managed to copy out the South London Press letter regarding the controversy over John Hyam's review of Brian Belton's book on Fay Taylour. Their edition dated Friday July 28. It reads: I WRITE about John Hyam’s review of my book Fay Taylour - Queen of Speedway (The Darling of Crystal Palace, South London Press, July 7). Firstly, I must implore Mr Hyam to reconsider his dismissal of other female riders as “gimmicks”. Several were accomplished riders and one or two did get the better of Ms Taylour in track duels. They fought to make careers in a sport that was all too ready to pass them off as mere appendages. Mr Hyam also insists West Ham was not Phil Bishop’s final club (a fact I cite in a footnote). He actually died, while West Ham manager, in 1970, in an accident, in Lokeren, Belgium, in the worst disaster in speedway history, along with Peter Bradshaw, Martyn Piddock, Gary Everett and Malcolm Carmichael and driver Henrikus Rommoes. Concerning which days New Cross raced just after the Second World War, I was indeed perplexed to see three press reports of the time claiming Ms Taylour’s presence at New Cross on an unusual day. However, these reports were from 1947, 20 months after the end of the war, which was an unusual time. Mr Hyam also claims the public are not curious about anything other than the bare facts of a sports star’s life. But George Best, Amy Johnson, Amelia Johnson, Amelia Earhart and Paul Gascoigne show that people want to read about matters other than the basic record of their achievements. Brian Belton, author of Fay Taylour - Queen of Speedway Cave Road, Plaistow. lEditor’s note: John Hyam has been writing about speedway for 54 years. Phil Bishop’s last club as a rider was Southampton.

Just an update on the original argument over the newspaper review. Today's edition of the South London Press has a reply by Dr Brian Belton to the criticisms made. Looks like there's still some yardage in this row.

Away from themes not to do with Fay Taylour and to get back to the lady rider. A friend of mine tells me that very detailed articles on her have appeared in both Vintage Speedway Magazine (by John Chaplin) and Short Circuit Magazine (by John Hyam) - what a pairing! These may have been about 1999. Does anyone have dates for these articles? I would like to try and buy the editions concerned if at all possible.

Simmo - The Whole Truth was reviewed by John Hyam in the South London Press some weeks ago. It also carried three copies as prizes. The book was well received in the SLP - did the prizes have something to do with it, or was it fair comment?

Basically, I think its that the initial poster did not like John Hyam's review of Brian Belton's book about Fay Taylour as published in the South London Press and since carried elsewhere in this thread. As many of us have not read the book, it's hard to judge the fairness or otherwise of the SLP book review. It seems that side issues have since developed in regard to a previously being reserached book by Deb Cherry and if this will now ever appear. Other posters have also criticised previous work by Belton and also criticised John Hyam who was the writer of the book review.

Yes, that is puzzling. It's been well known for some years that Deb Cherry was researching for her book on Fay Taylour - then suddenly Brian Belton appears with his offering. But then I suppose, all's fair in love and war, so to speak. That sudden BB offering really is a mystery - and one must ponder on the wisdom of your words. Are you on the right track (pardon the pun)? More puzzling is (1) the original slamming of John Hyam's review (first posting) then the posting of John Hyam's review (on page two) and trying to get an estimate of the worth of both. Trouble is, it's hard to reconcile both if you haven't seen the Fay Taylour book - which I haven't. It would be interesting if somebody who has read BB's book could let us know just how Hyam's review fits in with the book. More importantly, will there still be a book now from Deb Cherry about Fay? I guess the great lady (Fay) is smiling down on all this furore. I guess John Hyam may also smile if he sees this - that a small book review can provoke so much interest and comment.

Just what of note has John Hyam written on speedway? He's basically just reporting things as they happen as distinct from doing anything with deep research. I have followed him in the South London Press for many years - it's all just been up to date reporting. Cannot recall anything else - although I must concede he does range from things like baseball, stock cars, speedway, women's football, football generally, skater hockey and similar. He also does a good book review - ask Brian Belton and as I previously posted today!

This is getting intriguing. Has the 'evil' John Hyam stirred up a hornets nest? It would not be the first time. Be interesting to find what erstwhile author Debs Cherry thinks of all this. She did initiate the idea for a book on Fay way, way back. I don't remember John Chaplin panning a Brian Belton book on Split Waterman, but I do recall his comments on a BB book on Bluey Wilkinson. JC was irked that BB had Wilknson coming to England in 1928 determined to win the world championship - which didn't start offically (forget those early French versions) until 1936. If BB has written a book on Split as well, I would like to get a copy. What's it called and who published it?

Here is a recopied article from the South London Press, printed some weeks ago, by John Hyam in regard to the book on Fay Taylour. It certainly seems to have provoked a lot of interest. Now we are getting to the nitty-gritty of how John Hyam set this controversy going. FAY TAYLOUR QUEEN OF SPEEDWAY Author: Brian Belton RRP: £16.99 plus p&p. www.panther-publishing.dsl.pipex.com ISBN: 095479212 4 X Hardback, 224 pages, 18 photos and illustrations THE speedway career of woman rider Fay Taylour was limited to just three seasons, between 1928 and 1930. Then the Auto Cycle Union banned women riders after one of them fell off her bike and broke her collar-bone in a pre-meeting parade at Wembley. Generally, a handful of women speedway riders were used by promoters as a promotional gimmick. Taylour, however, was an exception and raced regularly against the top men. She was a special favourite at Crystal Palace, where a legtrail style of racing saw her record many fast times. She also regularly rode in match races against early male speedway stars like Ron Johnson, Sprouts Elder and Roger Frogley. In the winter of 1928-29 she spent £500 to pay her fare to Australia and New Zealand where she appeared at several tracks. Her last British speedway meeting was at Southampton where she defeated another woman rider Eva Asquith in the meeting’s fastest time. Her speedway career ended abruptly when the ACU then banned all women riders. Taylour switched to midget car and big circuit car racing for a number of years, an interesting and successful period that is scarcely mentioned. In 1947, Taylour tried to get back into speedway, with south London track New Cross and their East End rivals West Ham showing some interest in her. But the ACU refused to lift its ban. The author also mentions that she went to New Cross on a Thursday evening - which may explain her lack of success. New Cross’ race night was on a Wednesday - it was Wembley who raced on Thursdays. And while on New Cross, there’s a mention of 1946 Rangers’ rider Phil ‘King of Crash’ Bishop, who Belton suggests finished his track career at West Ham. In fact, it was at Southampton in 1949 and early 1950. Brian Belton’s book is supposed to be an insight into Fay Taylour’s brief speedway career. In analysis, her career was so brief, the book has to dwell heavily on her personal life, and on aspects of speedway that are in no way connected to the woman speedway rider. A main factor that constantly crops up is her inability to take a long-term relationship with a man but finding no rational explanation for this. I found whole reprinted wedges of her own views on matters completely unrelated to speedway or car racing boring. After speedway, she was involved in various types of car racing until well into the 1950s. For sports readers that is of more interest than her presumably failed love life.

Yes. You have a good point there. It would be interesting to know how far Deb's long-time research had progressed and what crossover of collected matrial both reserachers - i.e Brian Belton the other author - trawled up when making their contacts. The publication of the latest book on Fay Taylour may well have stymied Deb if she is unable to find alternative and varied matter about the racer. What a choker if, as I estimate it, about eight years of hard work proves just a waste of effort for her.

Is it a case of 'long knives' out to get John Hyam?

Believe that Mike Fullerton made a return at Auckland at the end of the 2006-07 season - and won races. He must be about the same age as Gene Bonsignore. Also, David Bargh is still active in NZ. How old is he?

Isn't that what a professional journalist should be - an expert on most forms of motorsport if that is what he specialises in? Cannot see the point of this jibe. Just where do National Hot Rods and midget cars fit in with speedway? Isn't John Hyam a former editor of Speedway Star? Surely that means he does know something about speedway! And as a south Londoner, I have been reading his work on sports other than speedway in the South London Press for more than 30 years. Who is Matt Shippam and in what context was his criticism of John Hyam - not Hyman? Errors like that in regard to surnames must make you wonder just how right he was in his critique of the Fay Taylour book. How much of a recognised expert is Matt Shippam?

Well said. Is this the John Hyam who used to try and make the speedway riding grade at Eastbourne, Aldershot and California-in-England (Wokingham) in the 1950s. Would be interesting to see what others think of your book. What is it called?

Yes there was a VSM article back around 1997. It showed the cup that Charlie 'Ginger' Pashley won and a photo of the cup with his gandson.

Just read in Speedway Star (July 8) that East Coast USA veteran Gene Bonsignore is 58-years-old and still winning the big meetings around New York. His big rival, I know is George Lazor - just a kid at 47. On the California side there's 50-plus Bobby Schwartz and Milke Faria, while I am certain Shawn McConnell is also around 46. Just as well they are not Conference League riders - Messrs Peters Oakes and Morrish would have found a way to phase them out for some kid aged 12 or therabouts.

I have further checked the use of the stadium by stock cars and greyhounds. Besides stock cars on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday - where has a speedway ever staged three meetings a week and this has been a practice for years - there are greyhounds on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. That just leaves Friday for an unlikely speedway return - and also with no alternative day for a postponed or revised meeting. I think a Yarmouth speedway return is about as likely as seeing New Cross or West Ham reopening!

What nights would speedway be run? Don't know the greyhound days, but stock cars operate three times a week - on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Also, isn't the track tarmac? It is a fairly tight circuit - how would a speedway be laid? Not another infamous overlay and lift job as happened at Skegness (1990s) and briefly at Wimbledon (2002).

Could it be PETE Rogers, who rode second-half at Eastbourne, California-in-England, Aldershot and Wimbledon around this time. He also raced in France for some years in the 1960s with George Bason, Stan Tebby (Jim's dad) and Geoff Harris among others.

Sorry: as I said I saw the photo in a book in a charity shop. I din't buy it because 99.9 per cent of the contents had no interest for me.

Was there ever a Harley Davidson speedeway bike? I was browsing books in a charity shop and found a book about HDs. I was looking for flat-track history but came across one photo - the caption said speedway was popular in Britain in the 1920s (!) - and it showed in the background a late 1920s BSA speedway bike and in the foreground was what was claimed to be a HD speedway bike. It was not an historic photo and was obviously of restored bikes and probably taken at a show somewhere in recent years, most likely the early 1980s. But the HD was certainly designed for speedway and looked much like the speedway BSA. As most of the book was of little interest to me, I didn't buy the book. But since then I have been left wondering about HDs on the speedway.

Cliff Newton Poole 1958 - is he listed? Will there be eventual updates on all this information? PS: Still a mystery - where did Bill Harris race before coming to UK in 1947 and where did he go after 1953?