cityrebel 2,960 Posted October 27, 2008 david hamilton and ed stewart announcing at wembley ronnie moore team riding christer lofqvist scraping the fence at custom house vaclav verner blasting around brooklands punch ups at eastbourne v rayleigh meetings bengt jansson riding the boards at hackney watching the trains go past at tilehurst league racing at the white city garry middleton throwing a wobbly olle nygren's white boots end of season flour and egg fights wimbledon coach trips belle vue zoo and funfair sverre harrfelt's comeback at wembley bank holiday mornings at the weir watching tommy jansson ride i must stop before i start to cry!!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMac 720 Posted October 27, 2008 (edited) TV celebs who turned up to present prizes, open new tracks or just show their face in the 70s... Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix in Corrie) @ Ellesmere Port. Hughie Green @ Barrow. Colin Crompton (Wheel Tappers & Shunters) @ Hull. Val Doonican & Ted Rogers @ Belle Vue (BLRC night). David Webb (Chelsea footballer) to see his mate Briggo. Mud @ Wimbledon. At Hackney, we saw Millicent Martin, Dennis Waterman (The Sweeney @ Minder). Edited October 27, 2008 by tmc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salty 2,202 Posted October 27, 2008 Come on Tony, Sam Fox was so '80's! Funny, but I can't remember any "celebrities" finding their way to Dudley Wood in the 70's! Things I remember fondly... Webster's Speedway Mirror (4 editions published I think?) The start of the Speedway Yearbook series Studio Publications Full colour on the back and front cover of the Speedway Star. 19 Teams in the British League Going to the first home meeting of a season, buying the Star and finding out which riders had moved clubs or been newly allocated (what did we do without the net?) Belle Vue coming to Dudley Wood on Saturday nights with a massive following. Going to Monmore on a Friday and cheering for the opposition. Gulf Oil and the GOBL Staying behind to watch the second half and getting autographs as the riders loaded their cars. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mervjankefanclub 48 Posted October 27, 2008 TV celebs who turned up to present prizes, open new tracks or just show their face in the 70s... Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix in Corrie) @ Ellesmere Port. Hughie Green @ Barrow. Colin Crompton (Wheel Tappers & Shunters) @ Hull. Val Doonican & Ted Rogers @ Belle Vue (BLRC night). David Webb (Chelsea footballer) to see his mate Briggo. Mud @ Wimbledon. At Hackney, we saw Millicent Martin, Dennis Waterman (The Sweeney @ Minder). Didnt Freddie Starr become a mate of his lookalike Reg Wilson at Sheffield after an appearance there Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMac 720 Posted October 27, 2008 Come on Tony, Sam Fox was so '80's! Sorry, Salt, you're right. Got a bit ahead of meself there! She's been deleted from my post now. Funny, but I can't remember any "celebrities" finding their way to Dudley Wood in the 70's! Maybe not, but from a Midlands angle, we have a pic here (and will possibly use it in the 70s mag) of 'Miss Diane' (Susan Hanson from the Crossroads Motel) handing out the medals at the Midland Riders' Championship at Coventry in the very early 70s. Going to the first home meeting of a season, buying the Star and finding out which riders had moved clubs or been newly allocated (what did we do without the net?) Yeah, feeling all optimistic if you read your team had been allocated a well-known Swedish star; or gutted if it was an unknown Pole who you knew either would never turn up or wouldn't last two minutes if he did. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMac 720 Posted October 27, 2008 19 Teams in the British League Six of 'em with a regular Saturday race night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mervjankefanclub 48 Posted October 28, 2008 Tell you what I really miss, just being young and innocent and not giving a toss about the powers that be or any rules and regulations, even though they seem to have been a little more lenient back then. All I lived for was waking up for school on Friday morning and peeking out of the blinds to make sure it wasnt raining and then spending the day looking forward to seeing wee Swervin Mervin and the rest in action that evening, speedway at its best Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mann 0 Posted October 28, 2008 If you wanted a close up sniff of that unbeatable smell, I could arrange it. Keep posting choccy and watch out for hustlers on Wordscraper Thanks, when I next have a bad day I will be in touch and arrange a 'sniff' of that wonderful smell!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Blanchard 19 Posted October 28, 2008 (edited) A hot cup of Bovril in the intervals, Handlebars, Ivan Mauger at his best, Ronnie Moore just being Ronnie Moore again, Peter Collins, Mike Lee as a teenager scrapping the boards at Lynn, Gary Middleton & Len Silver training school at Hackney, Wembley World/British Finals, Internationales, Trips to the Midlands for speedway meetings in a Reliant Robin. Taking part in speedway practice sessions at Lynn and Mildenhall, White City Meetings, American Riders, Oh, and did I mention handlebars? Edited October 28, 2008 by Jim Blanchard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhilK 150 Posted October 28, 2008 (edited) Being a lot younger Meetings not dragging on for hours. 13 heat meetings Proper second half events Junior and training track meetings (during and out of season!) The track shop caravan at Mildenhall Speedway (many weeks pocket money dissapeared there) Still having Londons tracks to visit. Less meaningless events. than today i.e Craven Shield, Premier Trophy, Young Shield etc The Interleague KO Cup 4TT's run properly with group matches, the classic early season weekends with four meetings in four days at Boston /Peterborough /Rye House & Mildenhall International touring teams More than one weekly speedway publication Crazy Jack Millen Edited October 28, 2008 by PhilK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ljh 0 Posted October 28, 2008 Didnt Freddie Starr become a mate of his lookalike Reg Wilson at Sheffield after an appearance there Indeed he was a regular at Owlerton almost every Thursday, and following a late season fixture in 1974 he invited all the team members including all wives/girlfriends to the Sheffield club he was appearing on stage at that particular time. We were I think seated above the normal audience position on the 'second floor' and thoroughly enjoyed his live act when nearing the conclusion he looked up and took the mickey out of us with some cracking gags and gestures. In reality he appeared as a very quiet studious type to me, he forged a genuine friendship with Reg whom he did at the time uncannily resemble, in fact they could have been brothers. Regards Rod Haynes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Lee - the best ever 2 Posted October 28, 2008 13 heat meetings second halfs that mattered Queuing on the bypass at Kings Lynn for every home meeting Bank Holidays meetings at home to Belle Vue when half of Manchester seemed to be there!! Ian Turner barely touching the ground when sat on his bike.. Happy days!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,093 Posted October 28, 2008 A hot cup of Bovril in the intervals I had a couple of mugs of Bovril yesterday! Trips to the Midlands for speedway meetings in a Reliant Robin. Oh dear, Jim; you've just gone way down in my estimation... Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pandelboy 0 Posted October 28, 2008 riders that had individual styles so you knew who they were, ladies in tight blue levis, bikes that looked like speedway bikes, big large crowds, pints of bitter that were not chilled and in glasses with handles, tracks that had decent shale on them, bikes without silencers, one off world finals. it really was that good then, beam me back scottie! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemini 4,894 Posted October 28, 2008 Oh, and did I mention handlebars? I was rather hoping you wouldn't. Welcome back to the forum Jim. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
