Alan_Jones 1,005 Posted January 3, 2009 Not really flats...: mainly houses... ...and West Beckton Health Centre in (Aub) Lawson Close Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erasuretim 0 Posted January 3, 2009 Milton Keynes "The Groveway" is now a housing estate... http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...&iwloc=addr The remnants of the track and surround are now completely covered with ugly high density housing Regards Tim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,356 Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) Reading's Tilehurst site is now Stadium Way Industrial Estate. Click Swindon's first track - from 1928 to 1930 - was at The Autodrome, behind the Duke of Edingburgh pub in Gorse Hill. I assume that would be the piece of grassland in this picture. Click Bristol Knowle Stadium is now houses, as in this picture. Not the defunct track shape a bit lower down but the actual site of the houses. Petherton Road and Ravenhead Drive are built on the former site. Click Edited January 3, 2009 by Grachan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,106 Posted January 3, 2009 Not really flats...: mainly houses... Yes, but at least the roads are named after former West Ham riders plus Johnnie Hoskins. Has this happened anywhere else? Harringay is now a Sainsbury's as indeed is Crayford... As is Rayleigh. High Beach. Although on Multimap they spell it High Beech! The outline of the arena is very visible,just look for the horseshoe shaped trees. They spell it High Beach! The spelling has long been a bone of contention in the area. The word beech could refer to the beech trees in the area which would make more sense as High Bee(a)ch is nowhere near the sea, but there is also an archaic meaning of the word beach which means an escarpment and it could refer to this. When I lived in the area in the 60s and 70s both spellings were used but recently it has become normal to refer to it as High Beach.You hardly ever see High Beech except in speedway circles! There are some photographs of how the area looks now on John Skinner's Defunct Tracks website (I should know, I took them!): http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/High%20Beech.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted January 3, 2009 Yes, but at least the roads are named after former West Ham riders plus Johnnie Hoskins. Has this happened anywhere else? I think some of the roads on the Stadium site at Blackbird Rd. in Leicester are named after former Lions' riders are they not.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deano 1,318 Posted January 3, 2009 Yes, but at least the roads are named after former West Ham riders plus Johnnie Hoskins. Has this happened anywhere else? I struggle to like this idea... Half of me thinks, what a good way of remembering what was there formally. The other half of me thinks, the council has the gall to accept the planning application and in some cases possibly reject the speedway going anywhere else in the borough then call roads after the speedway. For example one of the roads on the Cradley site is called stadium drive. It almost feels like they are laughing at us. Just my opinion of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,106 Posted January 3, 2009 I struggle to like this idea... Half of me thinks, what a good way of remembering what was there formally. The other half of me thinks, the council has the gall to accept the planning application and in some cases possibly reject the speedway going anywhere else in the borough then call roads after the speedway. For example one of the roads on the Cradley site is called stadium drive. It almost feels like they are laughing at us. Just my opinion of course. Yes, I know what you mean, Deano. But I suppose it's better to have some reminder than none at all. Talking of housing estates, of course, the Firs at Norwich is now a housing estate as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted January 3, 2009 I struggle to like this idea... Half of me thinks, what a good way of remembering what was there formally. The other half of me thinks, the council has the gall to accept the planning application and in some cases possibly reject the speedway going anywhere else in the borough then call roads after the speedway. For example one of the roads on the Cradley site is called stadium drive. It almost feels like they are laughing at us. Just my opinion of course. I agree with you. It makes my blood boil when I see 'Stadium Drives' and 'Stadium Roads' all over the country where there's now some poxy industrial estate or housing and no stadium.. Places I've seen this include St. Austell (I saw a Stadium Rd. near to the holiday camp I stayed a few years back...: was this the original home of the Gulls..?? ) and local to me in Ilford where a once-proud non-league football club had its impressive home... A similar thing happened in Barking, where the lovely '30s built cinema was bulldozed and replaced by a rubbish looking block of flats that they had to cheek to call, The Odeon...!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deano 1,318 Posted January 3, 2009 Very much so, my feeling is the councils look at us and say.. "OK guys, look to be honest with you we hate your sport. We've waited so long to see the back of it and now we've got our chance so, sorry your stadium is going to be bull dozed, flatened, blown up. As a good will gesture though, in light of the many years and money you've spent at this venue we'll call the main road after your favourite rider. Hopefully you'll prefer this to actually going to watch speedway here." Substitute the words speedway, sport and rider to : Cinema Sports field School Large company factory Copice of trees Green belt field Railway station etc etc etc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemini 4,894 Posted January 3, 2009 I think some of the roads on the Stadium site at Blackbird Rd. in Leicester are named after former Lions' riders are they not.... Not sure about that but I think there is a Hunters Walk or Hunters Rise named after the speedway team. I can't check because I've unfortunately just found out that my Leicester street guide must be over 25 years old. I really must get a new one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midland Red 2,383 Posted January 3, 2009 Not sure about that but I think there is a Hunters Walk or Hunters Rise named after the speedway team. I can't check because I've unfortunately just found out that my Leicester street guide must be over 25 years old. I really must get a new one. Sadly, I don't believe that Tiptree Close, Peldon Close, Galleywood Drive and Danbury Drive reflect any of the history of Leicester Speedway Not aware of any "Hunters" streetnames Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
parklife 0 Posted January 3, 2009 As you are all aware over the past decades several of our tracks have closed for various reasons . canterbury, crayford all london clubs to name just a few. I would be very much interested to know all the names of the clubs that have shut and what is standing in the stadiums place now. i will start with: BOSTON (new hammond beck rd) tesco in its place now. Not quite right. Tesco's was built before the Stadium was demolished. The Stadium was on the land now occupied by B and Q. If you go on the grass next to the store and look carefully you may see some remains of the old track. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,106 Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) Very much so, my feeling is the councils look at us and say.. "OK guys, look to be honest with you we hate your sport. We've waited so long to see the back of it and now we've got our chance so, sorry your stadium is going to be bull dozed, flatened, blown up. As a good will gesture though, in light of the many years and money you've spent at this venue we'll call the main road after your favourite rider. Hopefully you'll prefer this to actually going to watch speedway here." Substitute the words speedway, sport and rider to : Cinema Sports field School Large company factory Copice of trees Green belt field Railway station etc etc etc Actually that reminds me. Lea Bridge stadium became the Speedway Industrial Estate, though I don't think it is still called that. Edited January 3, 2009 by norbold Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DK Rides Again 4 Posted January 3, 2009 Yes, but at least the roads are named after former West Ham riders plus Johnnie Hoskins. Has this happened anywhere else? Aren't one or two of the roads where Southampton's Bannister Court was named after former riders? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
colincooke 0 Posted January 3, 2009 The Coventry track at Lythall's Lane where The Bees we're originally is also now housing, known as Stadium Estate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
