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Any ex-fans of Phil Bishop?


Guest Jenny

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Welcome to the forum Jenny. :D

Really famous name there and I'm sure there might be some on here who will admit to seeing him ride, but unfortunately I don't think I have, although I do go back to 1949 so who knows.

Norbold will be really interested in this and give you some information I'm sure as soon as he spots this topic.

By the way...you will have to get used to the weird sense of humour of some members. :P

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I think you might be confusing him with Emily Bishop off Coronation Street J.J. :)

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Norbold will be really interested in this and give you some information I'm sure as soon as he spots this topic.

 

I am really interested. :)

 

The King of Crash, the man who broke every bone in his body, so it is said. He was also West Ham's team manager in the 60s and, of course, lost his life in the Lokeren disaster. I have a number of photographs of him and info if you would like any, Jenny. Let me know.

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Guest Jenny

He did break an awful lot of bones it's true. My Dad was his brother Dennis and he was devastated when Phil was killed. I remember him coming to get me from work to share his grief. Phil was a wonderful uncle, though he was a merciless tease! His other brothers, Will and John went after Phil and my Dad, the last of the brothers died aged 85, 4 years ago.

 

My Dad also raced for a while.

 

He always said that Phil wouldn't have wanted to grow old. He figured that all those broken bones would have crippled him if he'd got any older. Some consolation. His wife Aunt Win was an interesting lady. She seemed quite well bred (compared to the Cockneys ;-) ) but she would laugh at lot at his antics.

 

He and Dad used to get up to some terrible things! One night they carried John (who I guess was worse for drink) out into the middle of Painter's Hill (a road near their home) and lft him there, bed and all!

Nowadays he'd be run over!

 

Their Dad, my Grandpa was an Olympic medalist for Tandem racing. In his youth he'd thing nothing of riding from London to Bath with his racing bike (not the tandem!) on his back, taking part in a 100 mile race, and then riding home again.

 

I never saw Phil ride - I was the baby of the family. I came on here because my son, who works in a book shop was telling me on the phone that a man came in and ordered some West Ham Speedway books and was amazed to learn that my son, Phillip (named after Phil) was serving him with abook about his Great Uncle, so I thought I'd look up the name on the net.

 

Thanks for the offer - somebody in the family was asking about stuff about Phil. My sister Janet, sadly no longer with us, had a collection of memorabilia, but I'm not sure what happened to it.

 

Jenny

Jenny

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I consider Phil to be one of the greatest speedway riders, I first saw him ride for Southampton in the late 40's, I was a schoolboy then and saved my earnings from delivering newspapers to go to speedway. Because of his daredevil leg-trailing style he often fell in his first race, but always got up and had a go. The Southampton track suited his style, wide and fast.

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So Jenny would your father John be John Bishop that road for Oxford. I remember him.

 

Also re Phil Bishop I recall the Lokeren accident. Sad day indeed. Although I never saw Phil Bishop ride I did witness him as manager at West Ham in my days.

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I remember your uncle very well he drove all the way from London to Dorset just to bring me my first bike an ex post office BSA Bantam.

when i was about 13, will never forget it, he always had a smile on his face never a bad word to say about anyone a true gentleman. You should be very proud to be a relation of Phils, he was a great character and a very talented rider my dad spoke very highly of him.

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Guest vespaboy

Yeh, I have some memorabilia from Southampton Speedway from way back in 1950, and I e-mailed some photos and press cuttings to "Phil Bishop" last year, who e-mailed me back from the USA, referring to Phil Bishop as his grandfather.

 

There is a book about Southampton Speedway author Paul Eustace, ISBN 0-7524-2433-5 with references to Phil Bishop.

 

Vespaboy

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There is a book about Southampton Speedway author Paul Eustace, ISBN 0-7524-2433-5 with references to Phil Bishop.

 

Vespaboy

 

Phil Bishop's picture is on the spine of Speedway in the South East (ISBN 0 7524 2725 3) as well as a number inside including one of him receiving the £50 Gold Trophy at High Beech in 1930 from Mrs W J Cearns.

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