YOUR Hackney

[Ovalman]

My first speedway meeting 1963 New Cross v Ackney. Went to Ackney once, 1964, don't remember it though, was only an 8 year old nipper.

Edited June 4 by auntie doris

[steve roberts]

When we first went to Hackney in 1973 the hire car lost third and fourth gear approaching Hangers Lane...continued to Waterden Road around tha North Circular (those were the days) in second gear. After the meeting we found a telephone kiosk (remember those?) and phoned the breakdown service and had to hang around for a return call. In the meantime a police officer arrived on the scene as we had been reported to be behaving suspiciously (these were the days of the IRA) and after explaining our peril we phoned the owner (father of one time second halfer and Peterbrough rider Chris Drewitt) who told us to try and get the car back to Oxford...drove all the way back to Oxford in second gear! Fun days and you don't forget memories like that!

[bruno]

9 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

When we first went to Hackney in 1973 the hire car lost third and fourth gear approaching Hangers Lane...continued to Waterden Road around tha North Circular (those were the days) in second gear. After the meeting we found a telephone kiosk (remember those?) and phoned the breakdown service and had to hang around for a return call. In the meantime a police officer arrived on the scene as we had been reported to be behaving suspiciously (these were the days of the IRA) and after explaining our peril we phoned the owner (father of one time second halfer and Peterbrough rider Chris Drewitt) who told us to try and get the car back to Oxford...drove all the way back to Oxford in second gear! Fun days and you don't forget memories like that!

I remember my first few cars, used to go out on long journeys never knowing if I'd get back. Never seemed to matter either still went 

[speedwaysliders]

no nonsense start marshall with away riders that didnt go down too well with them!!!

sublime Bo Petersen

There was a chap that worked at Hackney and did every job you can imagine for both speedway and greyhounds.great character to speak to,wish i knew his name.Worked on the track behind the bar ,you name he did it for years.

Edited June 4 by speedwaysliders

[Gambo]

9 hours ago, speedwaysliders said:

no nonsense start marshall with away riders that didnt go down too well with them!!!

sublime Bo Petersen

There was a chap that worked at Hackney and did every job you can imagine for both speedway and greyhounds.great character to speak to,wish i knew his name.Worked on the track behind the bar ,you name he did it for years.

Snowy Beattie? 

[norbold]

On 6/1/2024 at 6:03 PM, E I Addio said:

Obviously the racing at ‘Ackney made less of an impression on you than Stan Stevens beating Briggo at the wonderful West Ham ! 

When Hackney opened it was quite a dilemma for me. I was born and brought up in Hackney and, as I said, the speedway was in walking distance of my home but by then I had become a New Cross supporter and, of course, New Cross re-opened (after a year's break) the same year as Hackney and in the same league. So, in the world of local derbies, Hackney became the enemy! Although New Cross then closed, West Ham opened the following year, so I had no option but to transfer my allegiance to West Ham as I couldn't contemplate supporting the old enemy however near to me it was!

From then until 1972, I was a regular at both tracks every week. After West Ham closed I continued going to Hackney but could never bring myself to actually support them, especially as, by then, I had moved away into the deep recesses of Essex (Loughton).....I effectively became trackless in terms of support until moving to Clacton in 1979 and falling into the welcoming arms of Ipswich.

[customhouseregularisback]

4 hours ago, norbold said:

When Hackney opened it was quite a dilemma for me. I was born and brought up in Hackney and, as I said, the speedway was in walking distance of my home but by then I had become a New Cross supporter and, of course, New Cross re-opened (after a year's break) the same year as Hackney and in the same league. So, in the world of local derbies, Hackney became the enemy! Although New Cross then closed, West Ham opened the following year, so I had no option but to transfer my allegiance to West Ham as I couldn't contemplate supporting the old enemy however near to me it was!

From then until 1972, I was a regular at both tracks every week. After West Ham closed I continued going to Hackney but could never bring myself to actually support them, especially as, by then, I had moved away into the deep recesses of Essex (Loughton).....I effectively became trackless in terms of support until moving to Clacton in 1979 and falling into the welcoming arms of Ipswich.

Interesting you lived in Loughton. My wife is a Loughton lass and we married in St. Mary’s, even though she lived two doors away from St. John’s. 

[speedwaysliders]

6 hours ago, Gambo said:

Snowy Beattie? 

No he actually worked for the stadium.

[customhouseregularisback]

23 hours ago, steve roberts said:

When we first went to Hackney in 1973 the hire car lost third and fourth gear approaching Hangers Lane...continued to Waterden Road around tha North Circular (those were the days) in second gear. After the meeting we found a telephone kiosk (remember those?) and phoned the breakdown service and had to hang around for a return call. In the meantime a police officer arrived on the scene as we had been reported to be behaving suspiciously (these were the days of the IRA) and after explaining our peril we phoned the owner (father of one time second halfer and Peterbrough rider Chris Drewitt) who told us to try and get the car back to Oxford...drove all the way back to Oxford in second gear! Fun days and you don't forget memories like that!

I hired

a car. 50 years ago to drive from Grays to Luton Airport and the gear lever came off a mile from home. This was 5.30 a.m.. Drove all the way with one hand holding the gear lever and steering with the other.

[chunky]

1 hour ago, CHR2 said:

I hired

a car. 50 years ago to drive from Grays to Luton Airport and the gear lever came off a mile from home. This was 5.30 a.m.. Drove all the way with one hand holding the gear lever and steering with the other.

Kids of today have no concept of what we had to do with old cars, do they? These days, one poxy sensor can disable the car; in our day, half the bloody car could be missing, but we were still able to drive it!

[Byker Biker]

5 hours ago, speedwaysliders said:

No he actually worked for the stadium.

Eddie Lack?

[Goldhawk]

17 minutes ago, Byker Biker said:

Eddie Lack?

On the subject of break downs to and from meetings I rode back to Essex c 1972 from Wimbledon on a scooter with a broken throttle cable !  I wedged s stick in carburettor to keep revs up and carried on riding. It worked up to a point but coming through slowing of stationery traffic the only solution was to pull in clutch. It didn’t half startle people  !!  :  ) 

[ElmParkRG2]

17 hours ago, Goldhawk said:

On the subject of break downs to and from meetings I rode back to Essex c 1972 from Wimbledon on a scooter with a broken throttle cable !  I wedged s stick in carburettor to keep revs up and carried on riding. It worked up to a point but coming through slowing of stationery traffic the only solution was to pull in clutch. It didn’t half startle people  !!  :  ) 

For the sake of the young ones on here,  You mean a Lambretta or Vespa, not todays E-Scooter!

[salty]

Lived in South-West London through the 80's so only occasional visits over to Waterden Road. Most memorable race I saw there was the final of the National League Pairs in 1985. Stan Bear riding for Poole kept trying to push Louis Carr (Ellesmere Port) ever wider to try and avoid last place but finally overdid it and took Louis off on the final bend, race awarded to Ellesmere Port. race was won by Joe Owen just a few weeks before his career ending crash at Birmingham.

Attended both GP's at the re-configured track and even went a couple of times for the London Lions season. Was ever a plusher stand built that had such a short life?

[Goldhawk]

5 hours ago, ElmParkRG2 said:

For the sake of the young ones on here,  You mean a Lambretta or Vespa, not todays E-Scooter!

Lambretta GT 200 . : ) 

[hawks 1975]

A fond memory of Friday nights at Waterden Road:

Coming out after the meeting through the gates from the main stand, every week there would be the two sellers.

“Get your Speedway Star here!”

That was immediately followed by ‘Big Arthur’: “ Speedway Mail here!”

And straight away, in amongst the throng making their way out, somebody would shout out

“Get your female here”!

Those were the days….

[Goldhawk]

Peanuts ! 20p a bag !! another 

[Ovalman]

11 hours ago, Goldhawk said:

Peanuts ! 20p a bag !! another 

Cor blimey it was a tanner a bag when I went.

[chunky]

4 hours ago, auntie doris said:

Cor blimey it was a tanner a bag when I went.

You do realize that the younger forum members won't have a clue what you just said? 

[Ovalman]

Just now, chunky said:

You do realize that the younger forum members won't have a clue what you just said? 

And some people don't remember the 66 World Cup Final, The Beatles, Arold Wilson, Spangles, motor bikes and sidecar combos, chestnuts roasting on a brazier, or the last time Spurs won the league