*JJ

Not Nick Morris: his average is too high. I'd like to see Josh Pickering.

Apparently, contracts - even in the NL - specify that a rider has to have two bikes and a van.

Which is what I do, though I don't have any expensive habits except going to the speedway!

In this week's Speedway Star.

This has happened with a couple of other magazines to which I subscribe. I suppose that they think that paper is 'green' after the stuff about plastic. Certainly the paper envelopes biodegrade in the post ...

He was a waiter who crept his way up the union ranks, then up the government ranks, and when he was Deputy Prime Minister it was obvious that he was just a waiter.

They will probably sign him for the play offs.

According to the Sppedway Star (again), James Shanes is struggling to recover from injuries, and will cut down on his speedway racing, to concentrate on grasstrack and longtrack, so unlikely to be back. Ash Morris did not show up well last year.

No, the present one. Fortuately, it was rebuilt a year ago.

As long as he doesn't behave like John Prescott, who was involved in several iffy decisions of this type. From where I am sitting, I can see what was once Great Barr Park; when the last of the local gentry died, at the beginning of the last century, it was left to the people. It was made into a mental hospital, which I suppose counts. When the hospital was closed, it was intended that the estate would become a public park. Thos was what all of the people wanted, what the councils wanted, what the local MPs wanted, but an application was made to develop it for housing. Sounds familiar? Planning was refused several times, but the Secretary of State (Prescott) allowed it fror some reason ... and don't think he was being a Noble Socialist, the houses cost half a million each ...

PC was involved in the move to Kirky Lane in the beginning, but was ejected by Perrin; it is described in the book.

There was a meeting at Perry Barr some years ago, which simply served to wreck the track. There were potholes for years.

According to today's Speedway Star, the Brummies have 'agreed terms with their first rider for 2023'. I wonder who?

Certainly they do; you have to with wire wheels.

Just finished reading mine. Excellent!

But don't stock car drivers pay to enter?

Not silly money; just that they pay on time!

It was because they supported the riders in their own teams, I think?

He knows where he is well off.

Ours worked all right for some time; rebuild cost £800. Like everything else, test it before buying ...

Quite right. And another problem is the chicken-and-egg situation, which also scuppered the 'F2' speedway; why pay £5000 for one of these when you can get a third hand GM for £1500? The same thing will apply to electric bikes,. Unless someone arranges meetings for them with big prizes which will make it worth while to buy them?

I went there in ?1982, when the Brummies had three national champions and a world champion. The Swindon track was like a ploughed field, which really put the home team off!

Thanks. That is a good idea; my second driving lesson was round the West End of London!

Out of curiosity, what is the circle next to the track?

Moi aussi ...