Ian Macdonald Speedway Mail

[Guest]

What happened to Ian MacDonald, who was the first editor of the 'Speedway Mail'? I think that prior to going the Mail he provided much overseas news - mainly from Eastern Europe - to the 'Speedway Star.'

Here's a background item to the newspaper style publication of the 1970s and early 1980s.

https://www.speedwayfiction.co.uk/speedwaymail.html

[witchfinder]

Thanks for your interest Gustix. Somebody belatedly just pointed me in the direction of this forum, so I joined. I'm alive and well, living in a small Yorkshire village looking after birds (feathered ones),  growing roses, being belligerent and generally enjoying life in my late 70s. Sadly, no other family members (four sons, two grandchildren, have any interest in speedway). I still enjoy watching the GPs and WC on tv. Not so sure about the Elite (Premiership) coverage where incredibly boring processional racing is 'excused' by Mr Tatum waffling on about a 'Technical track'.  I have no post Speedway Mail contact with speedway other than occasional correspondence with Mike Patrick whose company I always enjoyed in the old days although we were on 'rival' publications and a few contacts from the good old 1960s days in Poland. Nothing much changes - Split Waterman and Briggo were always the masters in my book (starting watching at West Ham in 1946). Glad to see you are a New Cross fan - always loved the visits to the Frying Pan.

[Sidney the robin]

Really enjoyed the Speedway Mail and still have a huge collection wish it was still around today.

[BOBBATH]

Hi Ian, always enjoyed your publication. Take a look at the Oldest Surviving World Finalists list and let us know how many you saw ride- I think the highest number posted by people responding to this site was  13-you might be able to beat that.

[witchfinder]

Hi Bobbath

Been having an early snoop through the 'Oldest Survivors' thread - fascinating. Not sure I could top the 13. But great to see some old names and particularly reassuring to discover that I'm not the only one to think Split was so good. Really sorry he missed out in 1953 (clutch trouble I think before his last race in the days when riders only had the one bike, but perhaps my memory playing tricks!). Looking back, one of my regrets is that I no longer have my old original autograph book which I started in the late 1940s through until 1976 when I stopped collecting. Another victim of the 'moving house' cull of personal effects, later greatly regretted. It had all the world champions from Tommy Price through to Jerzy Szczakiel plus dozens of others (mostly late 40s early 50s era) including Vic Duggan, Ron Johnson and Ken le Breton. Plus loads of Poles and Russians. Only rider who ever turned down my always polite request was Jack Parker at West Ham - claiming "Can't stop, I've got a date with an angel". Never liked him after that although his refusal was very polite.

My regards to Toronto - picking up a lot of the city's history over the past few years thanks to the Murdoch Mysteries tv programme.

[BOBBATH]

Allo witchfinder- and all other Canadian posters. Yup today we are above zero temps-the first time since December 23rd- its been colder than a witches t--, lets just say all the witches have been wearing heated bras!! (Don't think there are witchfinders anymore-(except maybe in Wales!!) Glad you enjoy Murdoch Mysteries -wonderful show-they always manage to introduce some real historical thing e.g. Murdoch  doing an investigation in Newfoundland in the early 1900's- runs across a guy fiddling with an electrical wire trying to send messages across the ocean-he says maybe try higher ground like Signal Hill-asks the guy's name and the guy replies " Marconi"-lot of stuff like that in these shows.

 Back to speedway-even though I emigrated I got my mum to ship over all my personal effects-the most important of which were of course many Speedway Stars(no they are not for sale) and the programmes of every meeting I attended (ditto).

For some reason I knew that Jack Parker was a "ladies man"-may7be mentioned in Reg Fearman's book-if you don't have it would highly recommend(also of course anything written by Norman Jacobs!!)

 As regards the oldest World Finalists, will try and keep it up to date (free of charge)-just thinking of the one time World Finalists who could have achieved more -how about Brian Brett, Terry Betts and Trevor Hedge for starters. I also think , like some others the best ever speedway season was the first year of BL in 1965

[witchfinder]

Hi Bobbath,

After a very long consideration, I reckon you're spot on with 1965 being the best. It was the season when speedway which had been dying and hanging on by a thread since the early 1950s and was suddenly alive again. Let's hope another '1965' renaissance in the UK is not far away - although I fear not. Re one off world finalists you mention like Trevor Hedge, I was in the pits at Plough Lane just before the 1970 world final in Wroclaw. There was much excitement about Trevor going there and riding Ronnie Moore's bike. Sadly, Trevor, after a great start in his first heat failed to complete a single race. But he got there through merit - you can't knock that.

Disappointed so far in the latest series of Murdoch, a bit tame. Where's Brackenreid's scotch, his lethal black glove and, above all, his use of the word bo'**ocks. And why has Higgins disappeared under the radar.  Looking forward to Murdoch ditching Ogden, locating Sally Pendrick and sailing off into the Canadian sunset.