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Vincent Vega

Memories Of Waterden Road

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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

 

 

ROFLMAO best reply rmc that really made me chuckle :lol:

 

Sean my Dad has just come in and I've read your memories to him geeeeeeeeez you have brought back some lovely thoughts to us, am trying to get mine together but by the timeI've read the replies I've forgotten what I was going to say :rolleyes:

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The best, and fairest, racetrack in the south of Britain (Hyde Road, Belle Vue was best of all)...

 

...The Magnificent Seven march-out tune...

 

Plechy with his back wheel pinned to the safety fence for four laps on his arrival at the end of '75...in fact, not much changed with him after that either!

 

...Thommo blazing round a helpless Mauger AND Autrey to win the final heat v Exeter - and hand the league title to White City in '77.

 

...Banger feigning to go round his opponent on the pits bend, only to totally bamboozle them by chopping back to the line in the race to the flag...

 

Dave Morton, only ever starting off gate 4 or 1, and then heading straight for the boards before surging past with his handlebars touching the wire fence...

 

Chalky White holding the team together throughout an injury-ravaged '77...

 

...Big Dave Erskine...

 

The Flying Cucumber, Steve Lomas, hugging the white line...and beating Anders Michanek in the end-of-season Champions Chase KO...

 

...Requring at least six biros to get through the Champions Chase programme...

 

...Ken Archer in the pits...'Jack' Jackson on the track...Bert Busch in the workshop...dapper Alf Weedon on the centre green...Rose making the tea in the pits...

 

Hawkeye digging out Wimbledon (The 'Fickles') in his programme notes...

 

...waiting for Miroslav Verner to arrive at the start of '71...and I'm still waiting!

 

...Len explaining why the PZM had caused Zenon to miss another meeting...

 

...Dave Kennett locking up hard on the slick...

 

Snoopy's/Cherry's nightclub...

 

The steep steps between the pits and the terracing on the 4th bend, where the souvenir kiosk at the top...

 

...Snowy doing the interval draw with Len and a rider...

 

The main stand bar(s) and watered down lager...

 

A flooded track on Good Friday '77 for the return home clash with Ippo...even though it hadn't rained in East London all day! We still got stuffed, as usual.

 

The stench from the nearby Oxo factory...

 

The gipoe's who moved in (early 80s) down Waterden Road to test the security of parked cars...

 

...Garry Middleton testing the starting gate elastic...

 

The dulcet tones of Ted Sear...

 

...Big Fred on the coach to away matches...and the Sampson coach breaking down at Cradley one night in '76...

 

Must go ... got work to do! But feast your eyes on these pics by clicking the link below...there's hundreds more to be added yet...

 

http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autog...iders%2FHackney

Edited by tmc

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the fabulous and famous Front of grandstand kids speedway races... two cans about 30 yards apart... one can on everyones left foot, and you was there... revving with your right hand, chucking an elbow out  around the first can.. good nudge.. usually about ten kids in a race..!! about eight finisers, and two limping back to mum and dad with a nice grazed knee or elbow!!!  absolutly brilliant!

 

yep, i was one of them! never did get that 50p tho.

 

...Snowy doing the interval draw with Len and a rider...

 

I once did the draw on the green with them whilst my brothers had their ride round sat on the frame of Bo and Jens bikes. I had ride on John Titmans bike a few weeks later :) no silly H & S rules in those days!

 

 

oh happy days

Edited by Tom Thumb

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yep,  i too was one of them!  never did get that 50p tho.

 

...Snowy doing the interval draw with Len and a rider...

 

I once did the draw on the green with them whilst my brothers had their ride round sat on the frame of Bo and Jens bikes. I had ride on John Titmans bike a few weeks later :) no silly H & S rules in those days!

oh happy days

I recently saw some pictures of the site and it still had the stand there, but the site was overgrown.

Is it still waiting for development or is it waiting for a new promoter?

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Is it still waiting for development or is it waiting for a new promoter?

 

Think you'll find a new stadium, and the area around it, is going to be used for some kind of athletics thingy (which has already cost the government and, us, the tax payers, too many millions - no, make that billions) around 2012!

 

After that, Leyton Orient FC reckon they'll most likely be moving into a scaled-down version of the new Olympic Stadium. While O's chairman and owner Barry Hearn, being the multi-sports entrepreneur that he is, might be persuaded to operate alongside speedway, where will the fans come from to support a shale revival?

 

The demographics and culture of that part of East London have changed beyond all recognition since speedway closed at The Wick, although, as I cynically suggested to Uncle Len last year, if he reopened at Hackney with a team of Polish riders (instead of Plech-Jankowski-Huszcza), he might run to sell-out crowds. Always said Len was ahead of his time!

 

(Before the PC brigade get all touchy, that's not racist, just an observation on how the 'local community' has alterered in those parts, from someone who regularly alights at Leyton tube for Orient home games!)

Edited by tmc

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...just an observatyion on how the 'local community' has alterered in those parts, from someone who regularly alights at Leyton tube for Orient home games!

 

And I always thought you were a Hammers fan! :blink::blink::wink:

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Sorry about the blank posting...pressed the wrong button

 

Great to know there is a Cradley supporter alive and well in this neck of the woods.

Your mention of the journeys back from Hackney and weaving theough the overspill from the pubs,  revives memories, I remember when there was some sort of race riots on and the shops were boarded up. I never stopped the van for the usual fish and saveloy during that time.

 

I have fond memories of Bo I helped in a very small way and also built his workshop for him when he first came over. It is a pity that he never got higher placed in the World championships.

 

Thommo was a legend  even if his preparation was at the other end of the scale to Bo, who can forget the night Thommo took Mauger and Autrey from the back in a swoop round the fence on the last bend. cannot recall the date, I wonder if anyone has that on video

.

Tony in Brisbane

 

[size=14]If anyone is interested there are Old Hackney Speedway Dvd's available on EBAY....just type in SPEEDWAY DVD in the search box and up they come!!!

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And I always thought you were a Hammers fan!  :blink:  :blink:  :wink:

 

Bryn, get back to work old son!

 

I don't do West Ham aways, only homes - prefer the real ale at the O's to the motorway grind.

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...Ken Archer in the pits...

 

Anyone out there know how Ken's doing these days? We lost touch a few years ago, when Ken and Esther moved out to the Caterham area somewhere.

 

Steve

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Bryn, get back to work old son!

 

I don't do West Ham aways, only homes - prefer the real ale at the O's to the motorway grind.

 

This must be a reaction to being driven to a BLRC at Belle Vue via Oldham v West Ham back in the eighties. That was cold enough to drive anyone to drink in Brisbane Road ;-)

 

(I'm not sure if Tony and his friends ever realised that the 'best pint of lager' they'd ever had after the meeting was in fact Boddingtons Bitter - well it wasn't nationally-known, or certainly in the uncivilised south then).

 

Rob McCaffery.

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It has been great reading everyones different memories of the old place.

What was the best meeting everyone remembers at the Wick? I would have to go for the Ko Cup Semi Final vs Ellesmere Port 1985 I think when the Kestrels had to pull back a massive deficit from the first leg and nearly did it.

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Anyone out there know how Ken's doing these days?  We lost touch a few years ago, when Ken and Esther moved out to the Caterham area somewhere.

 

Steve

 

he's a regular at the WSRA annual dinner Steve ... Ken Archer

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and just to add to my memories.. a few special moments..

 

those great "birthday treat" nights, riding with riders round the track ..

Keith White, Bo petersen and Sean Willmott where all lucky enough (?) to take yours truly for a birthday lap.

 

The Supporters Club Hut...Snowie full of kindness and always helpful, Vi (?) can't remember her surname but had red hair and was always packets of sweets in her pocket for me!

Big Don...scared the heck outta me... wore a leather waistcoat i seem to remember.. Terry Heath, Speedway Oracle..

 

Thommo's Testimonial meeting... taking a penalty on the centre Green at The Orient goalkeeper in a specially erected goal, and scoring... only to miss in the second round badly... blasting over the top

 

That magical 50th anniversary meeting... sitting in Sloopy's disco under the grandstand coz it was far too cold to go outside..wrapped in a blanket and thinking.. "this is a summer sport!"

 

creating the Vic harding Lounge.. i remember the first time we stepped into the derelict room and thining .. wow.. what we could do with this. My step Dad helped out with the re fitting and installed and maintained the pool table... i spent a whole saturday, 10 hours playing pool while we tried to get the table level !!

 

getting taken out of school at lunchtime for away matches all over the country.. wouldn't be allowed nowadays..

 

christmas parties for the kids in sloopy's under the grandstand.. and the dinner and dances... fan club disco's, and the general "closed season" social life.

 

supporters club winter social activities.. a football team that trained at Chingford somewhere. darts nights played along the speedway match lines against other London clubs..

 

Terry Heath Legendary Badge, programme collections and general speedway knowledge

 

the list goes on...

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[size=14]If anyone is interested there are Old Hackney Speedway Dvd's available on EBAY....just type in SPEEDWAY DVD in the search box and up they come!!!

For those that may not know just key in Hackney Speedway on YouTube

 

Long eaton v Hackney 1984

 

2005 Reunion

 

1981 Last heat from the thames sport meeting bobby g, simmo penhall

 

Only a few minutes but what memories

 

tony

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