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Vincent Vega

Memories Of Waterden Road

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there was a lady called Genevieve

think i remember her ... wasn't she a rather large young lady?

 

Plus the other character there was the big guy who sold the Speedway Mail.Always chirpy.Was his name Arthur? :unsure:

 

Arthur Caton i think, his wife Iris was on the gate at Hackney and Rye House

 

2..The track shop on the first bend - the guy who worked there MUST remember me.

Alf Weedon's son?

 

 

my memories of going to Hackney on Fridays was the traffic getting there through Elephant & Castle, London Bridge, Whitechapel, then over the flyover and left at the pub.

running out of petrol on Whitechapel and pushing the car to nearest garage.

 

meeting up with various people there in different parts of the stadium.

 

a girl called Mel honking on her bicycle pump type airhorn :D

 

good racing

 

riding there on Saturday's when it was open for training

 

riding my first second half there

 

doing a second half against a young Joe Screen who, once he got past me on about lap 2 or 3 left me for dead.

 

journey home we always stopped at London Bridge McDonalds, parking up by the Monument, used to see various riders in there.

 

loads of memories ... just a case of thinking about it.

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Happy days.A pain in the backside to get to,either by car or rail!

Ah, well, that was your mistake, you should have been like me and lived within walking distance. Fifteen minutes across Hackney Marshes and there you are...or rather there I was. :)

 

 

5..Martin Goodwin (or was it Andrew Silver?) throwing his helmet through the ref's box after a decision went against him.

It was Martin Goodwin...unless Andrew Silver did it as well.

 

I can remember going to the first meeting of the revival on 10 April 1963 as it was also the first time I got to see New Cross after their closure at the end of 1961. It was a great match and finished in a draw, 38-38.

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Steve

 

Yeah the G was rather large always used to drink Diet Coke though!!

 

Keith Wheeldon ran the track shop for a while but I also remember Tom working in there who used to do the Arena track shop with Alf Wheeldon aswell.

 

Also remember Mark Lorams dad Paul doing some announcing aswell and of course always enjoyed reading the excellent Bird Brain every week mentioning Old Williamson!!!

 

VV

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Guest Schumi
Alf Weedon's son?

Not entirely sure, but I think his wife/girlfriend helped him out occasionally.

 

One I forgot (not sure how) - the rain. Waterden Road certainly lived up to it's name. Many, many times we made the journey only for it to be rained off.

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Many, many times we made the journey only for it to be rained off.

 

same here, but there was still London Bridge McDonalds on the way home :D

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Okay, my other memories:

 

1..Walking through the turnstiles on a child's price after being convinced to "crouch down" for reduced entry.

2..The track shop on the first bend - the guy who worked there MUST remember me. I bought his entire stock of Andy Galvin photos and went back every week for the new one. He'd know I'd be around and would put me one aside - I think I had dozens of them all pinned to my wardrobe - all signed.

5..Martin Goodwin (or was it Andrew Silver?) throwing his helmet through the ref's box after a decision went against him.

6..Scaling the gate to get into the pits.

9..Andy Galvin and Steve Schofield trading maximums, Gary Rolls, Gary Tagg, Paul Whittaker, Moggo, Michael Warren.

10..Wondering what was on the back straight - everyone there looked so warm and cosy. :unsure:

11..The kid who always had a few laps before or after the meeting. Was it Ben Howe?

1. Rumour has it you were actually carried through the Canterbury turnstiles to get free admission!!

2. I'm fairly sure the guy was Alan Bellham.

5. As Norbold says, definately Martin Goodwin.

6. :shock:

9. As Bryn has said earlier sadly poor old Michael Warren is no longer with us, but we should also remember Dave Hamnett from the same era in the same way. :sad:

10 Warm and cosy!!!, it was a health and safety nightmare!!! :lol:

11 Yep, Ben was one of them, and the other was none other than Paul Hurry!!!

 

And here's one further memory for you all.............the bloody stupid way they used to make you park the cars in the car park!!! If you weren't in the first row you'd had it if you wanted to get away sharpish. :rolleyes:

 

Halcyon days, sadly gone for ever now!!!

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HI Hawks

what a great topic. I did the spares and oil at Hackney 1973-1981. My van was always on the dog track by the pits bend. left UK in 1982 but still have fond memories of dear old Bert Busch, Tom the gateman, Jack the track, Bob, Rose the tea lady, Kathy Pope Eddie Toogood, Dave Tarrant, and of course Snowy. Snowy is in a nursing home I will get the details and post them

 

re the tale about Christer's 2 mins, folklore is he was not having a leak but he was engaged!!!! would love to catch up with anyone. are the any hawkes in QUEENSLAND???Tony Webb Brisbane

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Plus the other character there was the big guy who sold the Speedway Mail.Always chirpy.Was his name Arthur? :unsure:

I remember him from Rye House in the 80's. He had a droopy moustache and wore a white coat from memory.

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I first went to Waterden Rd. in 1975 - 'twas vs. Sheffield : Dave Kennett’s photo was on the front cover of the prog.!!

Remember I went via Leyton tube station and asked a few people the way when in the Ruckholt Rd. area: no-one had ever heard of the place!!! :blink: But that became my regular route; though sometimes we'd go a long circuitous route (from Orpington!) via the 51 to Woolwich, the foot tunnel then the bus via East Ham. Phew!!

 

Me and my fellow Crayford pal Rowan (who occasionally lurks on here!!) would always support the opposition, such was our antipathy (not quite sure from where this derived..!!) for the Hawks.

 

Of course, in those days the track shop on the second bend was under the stewardship of our good pal Del Lewis; and it was never the same on that terrace after Del's tragic death in a motorbike crash. :cry:

 

I remember Kestrels News fondly from its original (and only true!! ;) ) incarnation: at Crayford. Blimey, that guy Williams was a visionary (though beer had much to do with it!!): as, surely, not only was this Speedway's first fanzine but also predated any Football fanzine. In fact, I don't think there was actually such a word/concept as Fanzine when Bryn dreamt up and delivered on the peerless Kestrels News!! :o

 

I say, first Speedway fanzine..: but actually I've never heard of another.. Has there been anything to compare with Kestrels News..?? :unsure:

Edited by Parsloes 1928 nearly

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And here's one further memory for you all.............the bloody stupid way they used to make you park the cars in the car park!!! If you weren't in the first row you'd had it if you wanted to get away sharpish. :rolleyes:

 

That's why I would always try and get there early, so I could park on the road...

 

Steve

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HI Hawks

what a great topic. I did the spares and oil at Hackney 1973-1981. My van was always on the dog track by the pits bend. left UK in 1982 but still have fond memories of dear old Bert Busch, Tom the gateman, Jack the track, Bob, Rose the tea lady, Kathy Pope Eddie Toogood, Dave Tarrant, and of course Snowy. Snowy is in a nursing home I will get the details and post them

 

re the tale about Christer's 2 mins, folklore is he was not having a leak but he was engaged!!!! would love to catch up with anyone. are the any hawkes in QUEENSLAND???Tony Webb Brisbane

 

 

Welcome aboard Shaleway69, Auntie Rose the tealady can be found at Arena Essex and most grasstrack meetings (So yep still involved) Kathy also see her quite a bit at grasstrack meetings, Snowy awwww love him last I saw him was at the Hackney re-union at Paradise Park a few years ago he hasn't changed in all the years although like you say unfortunately now is in a nursing home (not sure if the details for him are on here already or not but I have them written down somewhere if you can't find it)

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Welcome aboard Shaleway69, Auntie Rose the tealady can be found at Arena Essex and most grasstrack meetings (So yep still involved) Kathy also see her quite a bit at grasstrack meetings, Snowy awwww love him last I saw him was at the Hackney re-union at Paradise Park a few years ago he hasn't changed in all the years although like you say unfortunately now is in a nursing home (not sure if the details for him are on here already or not but I have them written down somewhere if you can't find it)

shazzybird

 

Thanks for reply. The last info I had on Snowy was that he is at Acorn Lodge 15 Atherden Road Clapton. I am told that he would love to see any old friends. I do have the room number and phone number but do not want to post it on the net if anyone emails me on binbooks@iinet.net.au I will forward it.

Tony

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2. I'm fairly sure the guy was Alan Bellham.

 

Halcyon days, sadly gone for ever now!!!

 

Have seen Allan in his riding days at West Ham and nowadays as "the spares man" at King's Lynn but don't ever recall him flogging pics in a track shop Kev! :wink:

 

The two regulars behind the counter were Alf Weedon's son Keith (the curly blond haired one with glasses and all the chat!) and his mate "Little" Tom.

Edited by Bryn

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I met my wife in the Vic Harding Lounge.

 

Still I have many happy memories of the place despite that.

 

Rob McCaffery

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Have seen Allan in his riding days at West Ham and nowadays as "the spares man" at King's Lynn but don't ever recall him flogging pics in a track shop Kev!  :wink:

 

The two regulars behind the counter were Alf Weedon's son Keith (the curly blond haired one with glasses and all the chat!) and his mate "Little" Tom.

I'll give you to know best on that one Bryn.........but who's the guy I'm thinking of?

 

He did the track shop at Peterborough in 1997, and I'm sure he's also been invloved in the Ipswich one too?

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