Paul Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 I have a programme that quite clearly states Abridge Speedway on the front cover from 1948. This for the non-Essex people is near to London and High Beech. The event was held at Skinners Farm and can I assume there has never been a stadium of any description there on this site? Again I am assuming this was a grass track event, but do wonder why the programme states Abridge Speedway? I’m sure someone out there has the answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Very interesting, Paul. I used to live near Abridge and I can't imagine there being a speedway there, except, as you say, maybe a grass track. Have you got the exact date of the meeting? I'll see what I can find out, unless someone already knows.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Well it is listed as a Grass Track in the Homes of British Speedway.Held meetings 1932-37 +1946-50,so it says Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Very interesting, Paul. I used to live near Abridge and I can't imagine there being a speedway there, except, as you say, maybe a grass track. Have you got the exact date of the meeting? I'll see what I can find out, unless someone already knows.... Meeting dated 29th August 1948 Indeed the format is of an individual grass track meeting inside the programme. Abridge Speedway again is mentioned again above the officials for the Meeting. Riders include grass track stars such as M. Banks, assume to be Monty, Alf Hagon Would like to know how they where allowed be known as Abridge Speedway though. Answers please on a post card to Hackney Stadium, oh how I wish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Turner Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 It seems there's been over 200 speedway tracks in the UK, during its first 80 years Does anyone know if there's a comprehensive list of them all, online ? (iris123, what's the address of that site you mentioned ?) Or shall we start our own !? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 what's the address of that site you mentioned ? Homes of British Speedway is a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Turner Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Oh Does anyone with the book fancy counting how many are listed ? I have it on good authority that there's been well over 200 And back to the question of whether there's an online list of them all then ? And whether between us we can uncover any more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Oh Does anyone with the book fancy counting how many are listed ? I have it on good authority that there's been well over 200 And back to the question of whether there's an online list of them all then ? And whether between us we can uncover any more... Homes of British Speedway list over 300 tracks. Maybe, just may be, you may really should buy one. Really is a top top book. A must for any collector of speedway stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Meeting dated 29th August 1948 Indeed the format is of an individual grass track meeting inside the programme. Abridge Speedway again is mentioned again above the officials for the Meeting. Riders include grass track stars such as M. Banks, assume to be Monty, Alf Hagon Would like to know how they where allowed be known as Abridge Speedway though. Answers please on a post card to Hackney Stadium, oh how I wish! It depends on how you view the word speedway? As a sport or as a venue where racing takes place. There are many speedways in the USA - and they only stage car race meetings. In the 1930s and 1940s there were many UK venues which were described by their promoters as grass speedway. Abridge most likely was one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 It depends on how you view the word speedway? As a sport or as a venue where racing takes place. There are many speedways in the USA - and they only stage car race meetings. In the 1930s and 1940s there were many UK venues which were described by their promoters as grass speedway. Abridge most likely was one of them. Yes, interesting that the name 'Speedway' rather quickly replaced 'dirt track racing' over here (perhaps coz one of the leading promotional companies was called 'International Speedways'..?); but, as you say, in most other settings Speedway is the name for a venue rather than the activity taking place there.. Last year there was a brief debate on this subject in respect of Wisbech Speedway..: this is another, like Abridge, listed in 'Homes'(as others have said, the 'essential' book in any Speedway library.. ) when it was revealed that Wisbech had, had matches back in the '30s and '40s with the likes of 'proper' Speedway teams Middlesborough and Sheffield. Hearing too that the track at Wisbech was a grass and dirt surface - comprising dirt on the bends and grass on the straights - I felt really that Messrs Bamford & Jarvis might consider classifying it as a 'proper' track. Someone who knows John Jarvis replied that he (ie John) takes the approach that he needs written proof they were speedway ventures with a fixed location, copies of match reports he can reference before he can log them in. Grass tracks, he went on, tend in the main, not to be fixed to a particular location... Though some of these clearly were... Without knowing for sure, I do think that several of the tracks referred to as 'Grass Speedway' in fact could be 'moved-up' so-to-speak, into the main Speedway bracket..: especially if they did indeed have team racing against sides from established shale tracks. Don't know if Abridge could be one of these..: interestingly, Abridge seems to have been running at exactly the same period (just before and just after the war..) as Wisbech.. What kind of events are listed in the prog. you've got Paul..: are they individual classes like grasstrack or was there any team racing, Speedway-style..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 (edited) Barnet was another track that sort of promoted itself from grasstrack to speedway. This also ran in the late 1930s. At first it was pure grasstrack, then the organisers put down some cinders just at the corners to make broadsiding easier, then the grass just wore away round the track and was not replaced, so it was a real dirt track with cinders corners. They were reckoned as a real speedway track by 1938 and even enetered the doomed 1938 Sunday Amateur Dirt Track League. Edited April 7, 2008 by norbold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 (edited) Barnet was another track that sort of promoted itself from grasstrack to speedway. This also ran in the late 1930s. At first it was pure grasstrack, then the organisers put down some cinders just at the corners to make broadsiding easier, then the grass just wore away round the track and was not replaced, so it was a real dirt track with cinders corners. They were reckoned as a real speedway track by 1938 and even enetered the doomed 1938 Sunday Amateur Dirt Track League. Wasn't Archie Windmill a pre-war rider at Barnet? Also, I believe, so were Percy Brine (Cyril's older brother) and their brother-in-law Dick Geary. Edited April 7, 2008 by speedyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 Yes, all of those rode there as well as Tommy Price and George Wilks. Wally Green was a track raker there as a young boy. Actually, I made a mistake about them being in the 1938 Sunday Amateur Dirt Track league as they closed down in 1937. I was confusing Barnet with Smallford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom House Kid Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 Wasn't Archie Windmill a pre-war rider at Barnet? Also, I believe, so were Percy Brine (Cyril's older brother) and their brother-in-law Dick Geary. Malcolm Craven started out at barnet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 Malcolm Craven started out at barnet! Het CHK.. Long see, no time. We all figured ya croaked, good to hear from ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom House Kid Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 Het CHK.. Long see, no time. We all figured ya croaked, good to hear from ya. How are ya me old mucker! Us people still gainfully employed have been a tad busy of late! Also been winding a few people up on the lakeside site, following a night of alcohol. Bit like the handlebar days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 most of the pre war grass tracks bore the name speedways i have several pre war programmes that carry that name on them but were no more than open fields and one after the war shaftsbury speedway in dorset took place on the side of a hill so i wouldnt read to much into the name speedway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 One of the riders who started out at Abridge was Bob Wells who had a team place at Wembley just after the restart in 1946 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddfossengen Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 One of the riders who started out at Abridge was Bob Wells who had a team place at Wembley just after the restart in 1946didnt he ride at belle vue pre war or is my memory playing tricks???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 didnt he ride at belle vue pre war or is my memory playing tricks???? Playing tricks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.