speedyguy Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) A pal tells me there is a reunion of sorts at Rayleigh Weir tomorrow (noon-3pm Sunday July 27). Terry Stone is said to be organiser. Does anyone have more details of this? It deserves to be a success. Edited July 26, 2008 by speedyguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 A pal tells me there is a reunion of sorts at Rayleigh Weir tomorrow (noon-3pm Sunday July 27). Terry Stone is said to be organiser. Does anyone have more details of this? It deserves to be a success. Mentioned over the tannoy at Lakeside last night. Location given as end of stadium Way in Rayleigh. Ove Fundin, Terry Stone etc in attendance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyejay Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) This was announced at Lakeside v Ipswich meeting last night, and I thought I would share the news if anyone is interested. Sorry it is a bit late, but as I say I only found out last night and have had to trawl the net to find anything I could paste on here. Looks like it should be a good day - and even better I can walk it in 10 minutes!! For info, the venue is just off A127, at Rayleigh Weir turn off, take exit signposted Benfleet & Hadleigh then turn left at first set of lights (Stadium way - opposite Halfords) then follow road to the end. All the best, Eyejay. SPEEDWAY fans will be turning the clock back this month when they get together to remember the former Weir Stadium. The venue was home to the Rayleigh Rockets between 1948 until it closed down in 1973. But there will be plenty of nostalgia around on Sunday, July 27, when there will be a get-together close to the original stadium site. The event, which runs between noon and 3pm, has been organised by former Rockets rider Terry Stone, who lives in Thundersley. “It’s 60 years since racing started at Rayleigh and 40 years since the club entered the Second Division,” explained Stone. “I just thought it would be good to do something to mark the anniversary, so I contacted a few of the old riders and speedway fans to see if we could do something.” Stone hopes to have 15 bikes on display, including two 1928 Douglasses, a 1934 Rudge, Australalian rider Billy Sanders’ machines and Stone’s original bikes from his days with Rayleigh Rockets in the early 1960s. He will also be bringing a selection of photo albums along packed full of memorabilia and is inviting speedway fans to bring along any items of Rockets’ nostalgia that they have. The guest of honour will be five-times speedway world champion Ove Fundin. The Swedish rider took the title in 1956, 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1967, and is in Britain to join in the 80th anniversary celebrations of speedway in the UK at Belle Vue in Manchester. Other riders from the Rockets days will be attending, including Vic Gooden, who rode in the first meeting held at the Weir Stadium. “I’m hoping to see former Rockets fans at the get-together, although some of them will be in their 80s by now,” added Stone. “It would also be great to see some of the younger generations there who weren’t around at the time of the Rockets.” The get-together will be held in the car park just past the Unipart shop at the end of Stadium Way, Thundersley Edited July 26, 2008 by Eyejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 (edited) I wish I'd known earlier - ironically I'm in the Southend area next weekend. I do hope it all goes well. Even 35 years on I still miss the place terribly. It's not easy losing your track at 16. I take it Terry will be re-creating the famous sandwich pic, well it seemed to appear in the Rayleigh programme about every six weeks ;-). Oh the days when you could only get photos into programmes if they were on (expensive) printers' blocks - thank goodness that technology's moved on. I do wonder if the Rayleigh celebrity refereee, one F.Ebdon might put in an appearance? Yes I seem to remember Frank was once a Rocket. Rob McCaffery...... Only here for the Weir, well it IS Rayleigh Speedway... (For non-Rockets, there once appeared a picture of Mr.Stone, clad in full racing gear, demolishing a rather large sandwich..and again,,,and again, eventually with the caption "Yes, Terry's still eating that sandwich"). This was announced at Lakeside v Ipswich meeting last night, and I thought I would share the news if anyone is interested. Sorry it is a bit late, but as I say I only found out last night and have had to trawl the net to find anything I could paste on here. Looks like it should be a good day - and even better I can walk it in 10 minutes!! For info, the venue is just off A127, at Rayleigh Weir turn off, take exit signposted Benfleet & Hadleigh then turn left at first set of lights (Stadium way - opposite Halfords) then follow road to the end. All the best, Eyejay. Edited July 26, 2008 by rmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted July 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 This was announced at Lakeside v Ipswich meeting last night, and I thought I would share the news if anyone is interested. Sorry it is a bit late, but as I say I only found out last night and have had to trawl the net to find anything I could paste on here. Looks like it should be a good day - and even better I can walk it in 10 minutes!! For info, the venue is just off A127, at Rayleigh Weir turn off, take exit signposted Benfleet & Hadleigh then turn left at first set of lights (Stadium way - opposite Halfords) then follow road to the end. All the best, Eyejay. SPEEDWAY fans will be turning the clock back this month when they get together to remember the former Weir Stadium. The venue was home to the Rayleigh Rockets between 1948 until it closed down in 1973. But there will be plenty of nostalgia around on Sunday, July 27, when there will be a get-together close to the original stadium site. The event, which runs between noon and 3pm, has been organised by former Rockets rider Terry Stone, who lives in Thundersley. “It’s 60 years since racing started at Rayleigh and 40 years since the club entered the Second Division,” explained Stone. “I just thought it would be good to do something to mark the anniversary, so I contacted a few of the old riders and speedway fans to see if we could do something.” Stone hopes to have 15 bikes on display, including two 1928 Douglasses, a 1934 Rudge, Australalian rider Billy Sanders’ machines and Stone’s original bikes from his days with Rayleigh Rockets in the early 1960s. He will also be bringing a selection of photo albums along packed full of memorabilia and is inviting speedway fans to bring along any items of Rockets’ nostalgia that they have. The guest of honour will be five-times speedway world champion Ove Fundin. The Swedish rider took the title in 1956, 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1967, and is in Britain to join in the 80th anniversary celebrations of speedway in the UK at Belle Vue in Manchester. Other riders from the Rockets days will be attending, including Vic Gooden, who rode in the first meeting held at the Weir Stadium. “I’m hoping to see former Rockets fans at the get-together, although some of them will be in their 80s by now,” added Stone. “It would also be great to see some of the younger generations there who weren’t around at the time of the Rockets.” The get-together will be held in the car park just past the Unipart shop at the end of Stadium Way, Thundersley Good to see the topic at LAST getting some mention. it started the day around 8.30am in YEARS GONE BY. This is a better place for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantodan Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 There is an excellent collection of Rayleigh pictures etc on www.defunctspeedway.co.uk Just added two more photos today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Other riders from the Rockets days will be attending, including Vic Gooden, who rode in the first meeting held at the Weir Stadium. Great to hear that Vic is still with us. He's fondly remembered too for keeping Poole going in the late 50's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBBATH Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Did Vic run a car dealership for a long while?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted July 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Did Vic run a car dealership for a long while?? He did. I am certain that Vic Gooden's dealership was in Ilford, Essex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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