Archie Windmill

[norbold]

I'm sorry not to have posted this before, but I suppose most of you will know by now that Archie Windmill died last week in his 92nd year.

 

I got to know Archie fairly well over the last few years and always found him to be very helpful and patient with all my enquiries. He had a wonderful memory for things that happened before the War. He was, of course, very active, right up until his death and when he was president of the VSRA a couple of years ago he went all over the country visiting various speedway functions.

 

Funnily enough, although I only got to know him over the last few years, he had been one of my brother's favourite riders when he rode for Wimbledon back in the late 1940s and one of my cousins lived near him and was Archie's son's best friend back in the 50s. So, in some ways, I feel I've known him all my life!

 

Sincere condolences to all his family and friends.

[Knowle]

Very sorry to hear about Archie. Met him at one uf those High Beech shows a few years ago and he was so friendly and chatty. I was asking him about the Swagman film which he appeared in and also his memories of racing at Bristol. He was most interesting to listen to. I remember him saying that during the filming of Swagman one of the stars Bonar Colleano had an unofficial go on one of the bykes and fell off and broke his wrist which delayed the shooting much to the director' annoyance! There is a good picture in one of the Stenners of Archie hugging the white line at Walthamstowe but still occupying a considerable part of the track (he was very tall!) He was also one of the rapidly disappearing band of survivors who raced before the war.

[shazzybird]

Was dreading opening this thread to read the news Norbold, thanks for posting though. Another Hawk gone to the Speedway Track in the Sky. Sincere condolences to his family and his friends home and away from speedway x