BOBBATH

P'raps the photo was taken 20 years ago!!Tell you what lets meet there for a beer and see if it is still standing!!I think there must be a lot of ghosts there now!!

Enjoyed the clip Grachan-thanx v. much-anyone know where to go for other 50's and 60's clips.My favourite is the Soton v Norwich on youtube.

Wonderful site on Hastings-thanx for the tip-greatly enjoyed visiting it.

Thanx folks-you are right it was The Pavilion-I also recognise the picture.I had several pints there and am sad to hear its gone-why can't things just stay the same sometimes!!

How old would Norman be now??

Is Len Silver really publishing his autobiography-if so put me down for a copy right now!! Who's publishing it? Hope it will cover his days as a rider e.g. him winning the PLRC in 1962.

This led me to then think of riders who made the WF who in a way shouldn't have-I'm thinking of just British league Scandinavian and commonwealth riders here -as in my view there were many Eastern Europeans who just lucked in. In the former category I have to put Bryan Elliot-albeit a great trier, he managed to slip into the 1960 Final-good for Bryan but no way in my view was he in the same class as the Charlie Monks Ronnie Genz's and Arne Pander's.

Thinking some more of this what about Jim Squibb, I also thought Norman Hunter was finally going to the top when he was with Wolves-but then he had that terrible accident in when was it 1969 I think.However if I had to pick just one-I would have to go with Arne Pander.

Next time I'm in UK I should go and have a pint at Ron's I was always a fan of his.

Hi parsloes, although Bobby Schwartz should have nade the WF he was certainly not as tall as Graham Miles!!!!!!!!!!

I always think of Charlie Monk in this regard-was at the British Final at West Ham in1965 when he just missed out after looking like a cert earlier in the meeting.Ken McKinlay got thru who had already been at a number of World Finals aand in my view was getting on and had had his chance.I thought oh well Charlie is young and will have a number of chances and is bound to get there another time.But sadly henever got that close again.Another name I would add to the list is George Hunter,also Jack Kitchen and for sure Roy Trigg perhaps also Dave Younghusband.

Would like to bring Leo's name to Forumland. Usually associate him with Wimbledon, but later CH.Leo I think was captain of the Dons for a while.One of those guys who got to the World Final,when perhaps better or more consistent riders did not e.g. Tommy Miller,Charlie Monk,Roy Trigg etc etc.I know he was there in 1963 -didn't disgrace himself by any means and scored 7 pts. including a heat win over Sverre Harrfeldt.Anybody out there know if Leo is still around.

Sorry you never got to go Grachan-great spot.I'm trying to recall the name of the pub just outside it sort of looked like a big manor?altho' my memory ,may be playing tricks.I'd catch a Barton's bus from Beeston to LE and would sometimes eat at a cafe called I think"Banner's Farm fare"-a local east midlands chain I think.Any forumland people out there help me with the pub and cafe name.

Anybody know how old Cyril is now and where he is living-hope he is ok-as per the earlier thread it seems he is now one of the only two surviving participants in the 1949 World Final.

That's right Michanek reached his first World Final in 67 finishing with 9 pts.(0-2-2-3-2) joint sixth with Eric Boocock-.Poor old LE finished 17 out of 19 in BL in 67 even with all those great riders. Where did you used to watch from Grachan I was always at the start/finish line. I'd forgotten by the way that John Poyser was riding with the Archers that year-Norman Storer was ever present I think.

Grachan-yup still have the prog-looking at it now LE won 41-37-Wilson got a max, Michanek got 8, as did Jim Lightfoot-must have been his last season. Wilson and Michanek both beat Briggs fair and square.It was may 2 1967,I'd forgotten the Archers had so many famous riders at one time

Sorry Ray has passed-but did he really ride for Glasgow-they re-opened in 64 but had been closed for about 10 years before that??I certainly recall his west country years.

How is How doing? Does Ron still keep his pub in Great(or is it Little) Missenden?A great rider in my view-one of the linchpins of the great Oxford side of 1964-along with Arne Pander and the G-men.

Thanx mate that would be great-perhaps you could tell "Joe" he is still remembered fondly in Forumland and has fans who remember him as far away as Canada!!

Sorry to hear Gerry has passed-anyone know when he retired-I know he was with Hackney in both 65 and 66-after that not sure.

Hold it with the"we must be old guys" Ton-hopefully will get to Paris this year-I recall Gerry's brush cut and I think he must have been the top heat leader for Hackney in 1965-just ahead of Colin Pratt and Roy Trigg.Anybody else out there in forumland,other than us Canadians, remember or know what has become of Gerry.

The thread on waterden Road brought to mind Gerry- though primarily associated with Wimbledon wasn't he one of the ex NL riders who went to Hackney in 65 to help them compete in BL-anyone know if he is still around

Sorry to hear that-64 is so young these days.

Thought I should add my two cents worth to this thread.I visited Waterden Road, 4 times in 67 and once in 72.Meeting I recall best -I'm looking at the program now- was Hawks v Dons in BL on JUly 28th 67. Hackney hammered (excuse the pun) the Dons 57-21. I was sort of glad to see it as I thought the Hawks were often the underdogs among the 3 London teams, plus the only one from the old PL. Scorers for Hackney: L.McGillivray 12, a max-and unusual for Les at that stage of his career I thought-,Bengt Jansson 11, Pratt 10,McKee 10, Gerry Jackson 8,Davies 4 Brown 2. For the Dons: Nygren 9,Hedge 4, Luckhurst 4,Cowland 3,Tebby 1, Soderberg 0, Burt 0. Eat your hearts out Dons supporters-the Hackney fans went wild. Anyone else recall this meeting. The thing I recall about the area were all the smells at Carpenters Road from the factories there-what was that anyway-stockyards perhaps??

Interestingly enough when Newport opened in the PL in 1964 there was talk of trying to get Ian out of retirement to ride for the Wasps-but no go he had had enough!!