Barry Duke

[steve roberts 9,246]

3 hours ago, auntie doris said:

Is the speedway museum and wildlife park worth a trip to Hertfordshire?

I've been a couple of times...worth it in my view plus the memorial garden.

[norbold 7,116]

6 hours ago, auntie doris said:

Is the speedway museum and wildlife park worth a trip to Hertfordshire?

Absolutely well worth it. Both the Museum and the Wildlife Park are worth a visit on their own, let alone getting to see both.

Edited November 8, 2022 by norbold

[norbold 7,116]

15 hours ago, auntie doris said:

74 now and still playing competitive table tennis. 

Without giving too much away, I am older and still play competitive table tennis. My team captain is 84! Must be an old boys' game.

[BOBBATH 467]

Barry Duke , I think he started out in 1967 or 1968. He sounds like a most interesting guy-wish I could have a chat with him, some great comments of his view on speedway. He would be a good candidate for Lee Ashby's  interviews . BTW I am sorry Martin Ashby is having some health problems and to learn that Hitchy is 80- my mind boggles. God bless 'em all.

[auntie doris 2,342]

7 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

Barry Duke , I think he started out in 1967 or 1968. He sounds like a most interesting guy-wish I could have a chat with him, some great comments of his view on speedway. He would be a good candidate for Lee Ashby's  interviews . BTW I am sorry Martin Ashby is having some health problems and to learn that Hitchy is 80- my mind boggles. God bless 'em all.

Started at Weymouth in 1968, also doing second-halves at Swindon. Really broke into the Robins team big time in 1970, Briggo, Kilby, Broady, Keen, Hitch, Munday, Bishop, etc.,Ashby was at Exeter. They finished 16th.out of 19 but there were some great meetings at The Abbey. Most locally based, loyal clubmen, who racked up hundreds of appearances for the Robins. Still see Mike Broadbank out walking locally, fit as a fiddle old Broady. Clive Hitch is the only living rider to have a road named after him on the new estate near the stadium up on Blunsdon Hill.

Barry said Pete Munday was hard and mad, one race he roared up inside of Dukey kept getting closer, then his footrest ripped his front spokes out. He had wider handlebars and thought he was going to hit the starting gate, missed by a few inches! Didn't say anything as Munday would have punched him. Pete excelled on the wet tracks. Had a run-in with Briggo behind the pits, almost came to fisticuffs. Said when he was mechanic for Barry and Ivan, Ivan would politely asked for something to be done, equipment was immaculate, Barry would throw his bike down, shouting and swearing, bike was held together with wire! They get on well now though. Kilby was one of the first to look at the magnets at the starting gate, Dukey looked at top of tapes like most.

He doesn't like speedway now though.He had a motor-cycle display team with son, grandson, and a few others. Saw them at a local show 14 years ago. He was riding through a ring of fire, and performing other tricks, on 2 wheel bikes and quad bikes, was very good.

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by auntie doris

[steve roberts 9,246]

41 minutes ago, auntie doris said:

Started at Weymouth in 1968, also doing second-halves at Swindon. Really broke into the Robins team big time in 1970, Briggo, Kilby, Broady, Keen, Hitch, Munday, Bishop, etc.,Ashby was at Exeter. They finished 16th.out of 19 but there were some great meetings at The Abbey. Most locally based, loyal clubmen, who racked up hundreds of appearances for the Robins. Still see Mike Broadbank out walking locally, fit as a fiddle old Broady. Clive Hitch is the only living rider to have a road named after him on the new estate near the stadium up on Blunsdon Hill.

Barry said Pete Munday was hard and mad, one race he roared up inside of Dukey kept getting closer, then his footrest ripped his front spokes out. He had wider handlebars and thought he was going to hit the starting gate, missed by a few inches! Didn't say anything as Munday would have punched him. Pete excelled on the wet tracks. Had a run-in with Briggo behind the pits, almost came to fisticuffs. Said when he was mechanic for Barry and Ivan, Ivan would politely asked for something to be done, equipment was immaculate, Barry would throw his bike down, shouting and swearing, bike was held together with wire! They get on well now though. Kilby was one of the first to look at the magnets at the starting gate, Dukey looked at top of tapes like most.

He doesn't like speedway now though.He had a motor-cycle display team with son, grandson, and a few others. Saw them at a local show 14 years ago. He was riding through a ring of fire, and performing other tricks, on 2 wheel bikes and quad bikes, was very good.

 

...there lies the difference between speedway then and speedway now. Local riders who you could identify with and loyalty was the key in many instances. The points limits (whereby a rider's average often over ruled ability as regards team placement) and influx of very ordinary foreign riders changed much of that. The racing aspect is all very well and why many people watch the sport but personally I think that it's far more complex than just that alone. The sport has lost many fans down the years due to changing factors which has been discussed/analysed/debated many times on this forum down the years.

Edited November 9, 2022 by steve roberts

[auntie doris 2,342]

10 hours ago, norbold said:

Without giving too much away, I am older and still play competitive table tennis. My team captain is 84! Must be an old boys' game.

That gives me hope at 66, and a recent knee replacement. I was Pontins Brean Sands junior champion in 1970, hardly played since then. Dukey plays in the top Swindon league with my mate. Will definitely give it another go. Have just tried lawn bowls.

Edited November 9, 2022 by auntie doris

[auntie doris 2,342]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

...there lies the difference between speedway then and speedway now. Local riders who you could identify with and loyalty was the key in many instances. The points limits (whereby a rider's average often over ruled ability as regards team placement) and influx of very ordinary foreign riders changed much of that. The racing aspect is all very well and why many people watch the sport but personally I think that it's far more complex than just that alone. The sport has lost many fans down the years due to changing factors which has been discussed/analysed/debated many times on this forum down the years.

He doesnt like the gardening at tapes, or constant returning to pits after stoppages. Said Oxford track is better now they've altered it, was always difficult to pass there.

[norbold 7,116]

24 minutes ago, auntie doris said:

That gives me hope at 66, and a recent knee replacement. I was Pontins Brean Sands junior champion in 1970.

Better than me. I only managed runner-up at Pontin's, Isle of Wight in 1992!

[steve roberts 9,246]

5 hours ago, auntie doris said:

He doesnt like the gardening at tapes, or constant returning to pits after stoppages. Said Oxford track is better now they've altered it, was always difficult to pass there.

The adverse camber on the pits bend was a challenge back in the seventies but Dag Lovaas was one that mastered it!

Edited November 9, 2022 by steve roberts

[chunky 6,103]

5 hours ago, steve roberts said:

The adverse camber on the pits bend was a challenge back in the seventies but Dag Lovaas was one that mastered it!

Everything comes back to Dag, doesn't it? Did you have a man-crush on him? 

[steve roberts 9,246]

35 minutes ago, chunky said:

Everything comes back to Dag, doesn't it? Did you have a man-crush on him? 

...no that was Ulf!

[auntie doris 2,342]

11 hours ago, chunky said:

Everything comes back to Dag, doesn't it? Did you have a man-crush on him? 

The surname Lovaas could be mis-pronounced and misconstrued as being a bit

[auntie doris 2,342]

22 hours ago, norbold said:

Better than me. I only managed runner-up at Pontin's, Isle of Wight in 1992!

Little Canada?

[steve roberts 9,246]

2 hours ago, auntie doris said:

The surname Lovaas could be mis-pronounced and misconstrued as being a bit

...I had read somewhere that Ulf had been referred to as "Ol' fluff ass" but I never heard it said personally.