Fay Taylour

[Herbie the Hammer]

I saw a wonderful piece by to the estimable Mr John Hyam in the 'South London Press' regarding the recent publication of a book about Fay Taylour - Mr Hyam to be a doyen of the midget car, and as such I for one can fully understand his lack of interest in the Fay Taylour’s life on the speedways of the world and why he would think speedway enthusiasts like myself should be taken with her car racing career rather than her pioneering efforts on the dirt-track. However, I must beg to revisit some of his, I do not doubt, highly considered utterances.

 

Firstly I must implore Mr Hyam to reconsider his dismissal of Ms Taylour’s fellow female riders as ‘gimmicks’. Several of these marvellous women were accomplished riders in their own right and as the book details, one or two did, at points, got the better of Ms Taylour in track duels. I can quote names and records at length, but I would not wish to undermine Mr Hyam is such a way. But I would ask that Mr Hyam at least find it in his good and insightful heart to give these women just a little credit for what they achieved. They fought to make careers in a very unsympathetic, male dominated environment that was all too ready to pass them off as mere appendages. We hopefully live in times when we can see beyond sexist labels (usually deployed by men) that effectively dismiss women’s place in history. I’m sure Mr Hyam would go with me on that one.

 

Now I must turn to Mr Hyam’s insistence that West Ham was not Phil Bishop’s final club (a fact citec in a footnote in the book). I, along with my family, have been associated with West Ham speedway for three generations. However, I am always glad to be put on the right track by superior knowledge such as that I know Mr Hyam to have, else why would an admirable publication like the 'South London Press' use him to review the humble efforts to record some of the history of speedway? They would not employ some nit-picking, half informed malcontent for such work!

 

However, I do feel obliged to point out that Phil Bishop actually died, in Lokeren, Belgium, holding the post of the West Ham manager on 14th of July 1970 along with Peter Bradshaw, Martyn Piddock, Gary Everett and Malcolm Carmichael and driver Henrikus Rommoes. It was the worst disaster in the history of speedway and has been compared to the tragic fate of the Busby Babes in the context of the dirt track. West Ham, sadly, was most certainly Phil Bishop’s last club – I have no doubt that Mr Hyam would be the first to understand that to claim anything else would be an insult to the many West Ham fans who remember Phil with a affection and reverence, his family and speedway as a sport.

 

Now to the thorny question about which days New Cross raced just after World War Two. I followed this up and was indeed perplexed to see two newspaper reports and a piece from the speedway press of the time claiming Ms Taylour’s presence at New Cross outside the club’s conventional race days. However, these reports were circa 1947, around 20 months after the end to global hostilities and the return of speedway after its wartime hibernation. Yes, the noble and wise Mr Hyam is perfectly correct that Ms Taylour had turned up on an ‘unusual’ day. But the mid-to late 1940s were unusual days for speedway and much else in Britain. For all this, the reports were probably wrong, and Mr Hyam with his huge knowledge of speedway and its ‘usual’ regularities, is no doubt right to disparage the writer; playfully hitting him on the noggin with his pig’s bladder of astuteness, cocking a snoot at his ignorance of the encyclopaedic and all encompassing awareness of the uniformity of events regardless of circumstance that My Hyam has.

 

It is insane to reiterate reports of the time rather than assume that the ‘usual’ patterns of events remained in place regardless of the pressures on blitz ravaged, food and energy rationed London. The writer should know, like him that deviation from normal schedules would be in no way whatsoever possible or conceivable.

 

Lastly, I must agree with Mr Hyam about the writer seeking to respect the shape and pattern of Ms Taylour’s own writing and reflect on her life beyond the track. It was mad of the writer to think that anyone in their right mind might be interested in anything other than the bare facts/stats relating to Ms Taylour’s racing career. Mr Hyam is quite right to point out the lack of curiosity about such things when it comes to celebrating the contribution of sporting personalities. We have only to look at the recorded lives of the likes of George Best, Amy Johnson, Amelia Earhart, Paul Gascoigne and many others to see that the reading public has no inclination to read anything other than the basic records of the sporting elements of such people’s lives.

 

In conclusion I must again express my gratitude to Mr Hyam for his toil in seeking to find flaws in this work. The book contained in the region of 15,000 facts about Ms Taylour’s life and times; that he found so much to correct and pour scorn on says much for his keen eye, motivation and generosity of spirit.

[speedyguy]

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?

[Killer Cat from Mars]

Could someone put the details of the book on here please, as I'd love to buy a copy - all books about the pioneer years are great reading.

[Herbie the Hammer]

go to

 

http://www.panther-publishing.dsl.pipex.com/FayTaylour.html

 

he is the same Hyman of whom Matt Shippam said on 'Short Circuit on Line'

 

"He really has lost the plot this time...it is time to send Mr Hyam back to the pits and lock him up in a nice padded trailer.

 

"Mr Hyam’s suggestion...is nothing short of stupid...I suggest Mr Hyam goes back to his Midget obsessed world and leaves National Hot Rods to those people who know what they are talking about."

 

It certainly seems the great and good mr Hyam is an expert on everything

[speedyguy]

go to

 

http://www.panther-publishing.dsl.pipex.com/FayTaylour.html

 

he is the same Hyman of whom Matt Shippam said on 'Short Circuit on Line'

 

"He really has lost the plot this time...it is time to send Mr Hyam back to the pits and lock him up in a nice padded trailer.

 

"Mr Hyam’s suggestion...is nothing short of stupid...I suggest Mr Hyam goes back to his Midget obsessed world and leaves National Hot Rods to those people who know what they are talking about."

 

It certainly seems the great and good mr Hyam is an expert on everything

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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?

Edited July 24, 2006 by speedyguy

[Herbie the Hammer]

How could anyone not be in total agreement with Mr Hyam??...yes, I know him to be probably the font of all knowledge in terms of motor sport and only wish to support him in his efforts...like yourself, I am but a humble disciple

 

But I do understand the confusion as to where midget cars and hot rods fit in with speedway - however that is nature of the compendium of knowledge that Mr Hyam seems to have...I agree that his past qualifies him as an expert without doubt...although the undermining of women riders as 'gimmicks' is unfortunate as is the claim that Phil Bishop did not end his career in speedway with West Ham...but I am with you in wishing him more power to his elbow...and as an East Londoner I can only wish the land 'south of the water' a speedy recovery

[iris123]

There is another book on Fay in the pipeline i think.Wasn't there something on here a while ago about a woman who was writing a book on her life.Not just her speedway career.Thought Fascist Fay,as someone named her was also into car racing of some sort.

[Herbie the Hammer]

yep - Debbie Cherry was doing that one...not sure she will now - and u r right about Fay's political background...and car racing...seems the writer of the latest book is going to do at least one more on Fay that will tell of all her in's and out's before and during ww2...implicates some interesting figures in the british establishment

[Guest Jim Blanchard]

There is another book on Fay in the pipeline i think.Wasn't there something on here a while ago about a woman who was writing a book on her life.Not just her speedway career.Thought Fascist Fay,as someone named her was also into car racing of some sort.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Doug, I think there is something going down here which does not add up to me.

 

The 112 year old snow clearing Herbie has posted the same posting in the General Speedway Section, Here; Years gone by, the Vintage speedway Mag section, and The Bactrack Mag section. Methinks he has an agenda of some sort and I think the mods should at least delete all the duplications.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Jim Blanchard

[Herbie the Hammer]

hawk trains polar bears!

[Herbie the Hammer]

is there a rule about pointing out an interesting piece... Mr Hyam's stuff is of interest to a very wide audience...censorship is for the fearful...wot u scared of?

[Herbie the Hammer]

Bought a couple of prints from you Jim...got them on my living room wall...passed on your name to lots of other folks...magic stuff

[Killer Cat from Mars]

hawk trains polar bears!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oops, the secrets out

[speedyguy]

Doug, I think there is something going down here which does not add up to me.

 

The 112 year old snow clearing Herbie has posted the same posting in the General Speedway Section, Here; Years gone by, the Vintage speedway Mag section, and The Bactrack Mag section. Methinks he has an agenda of some sort and I think the mods should at least delete all the duplications.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

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

[norbold]

yep - Debbie Cherry was doing that one...not sure she will now -

 

Now, I wonder why that could be....?

[speedyguy]

Now, I wonder why that could be....?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

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.

[speedyguy]

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.

[salty]

Poor Brian doesn't get the best of reviews does he? Wasn't it his book on Split Waterman that John Chaplin gave a poor review to?

Might be worth getting the book just to make up my own mind.

[norbold]

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.

 

I wouldn't like to comment on where Brian Belton got his material from.

 

Just like I wouldn't like to comment on where he got most of the material about West Ham he used for his West Ham book from...

[speedyguy]

I wouldn't like to comment on where Brian Belton got his material from.

 

Just like I wouldn't like to comment on where he got most of the material about West Ham he used for his West Ham book from...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

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?