norbold

It is hoped that the Museum will open to the public on 28 April. There will be no special ceremony on that day. However.... On Friday 20 April there will be a dinner at Paradise Park which will include a tour of the Museum and Park. Tickets cost £45 each. The evening starts at 6:00 p.m. with reception and drinks followed by the tour and dinner at 8.30 p.m. There will also be a memorabilia auction. It will be your chance to get a preview of the Museum before it actually opens. All proceeds go to the Museum Fund and tickets are available from Linda and George Barclay, 41 Lodge Avenue, Dagenham, Essex, RM8 2JD

Thanks Parsloes. I don't know what you mean "nervous". Just because I was under the seat after the fourth or fifth red light you ignored...er...I was looking for a coin I'd dropped... If only...Tom Farndon...sigh...

Indeed he did, sg. He made his debut at Arlington in the Championship of Sussex on 4 August 1957. In his first race he came 3rd behind Leo McAuliffe and Ray Cresp, but he went on to score 7 points, including a heat win over Ross Gilbertson.

Yes. In 1957 he scored five points in three matches and was then dropped.

Yes, you're right, but I was just trying to drum up a bit of interest for my book by mentioning a few names from the distant past who people might not have heard of but would want to find out more about!

Jack Parker - 30s, 40s, 50s Tommy Price - 30s, 40s, 50s Norman Parker qualified as reserve in the 30s and made finals in the 40s and 50s Aub Lawson qualified for the 1939 final which was never held and then rode in the 40s, 50s and 60s (4 decades!) Nigel Boocock qualified as reserve in the 50s and then rode in the 60s and 70s

By the way, I've just remembered (something for old-time Forum members here), I spoke to Mr D at the Fayre....

I'd go for 1. Vic Ridgeon 2. Mike Broadbank 3. Kelvin Mullarkey 4. Tommy Sweetman 5. Clive Hitch 6. Gerry King 7. Dave Slater Well probably not really, but if you want to find out more about the above, "70 Years of Rye House Speedway" will be published on 28 April. First copies will be available at the track that night.

Here's mine: Here Sorry there's so many of me but Mrs norbold was the photographer... Wot! No Shazzy!

Just wait till I put my photos up later today, Shazzy....

I'll be on the Speedway Museum table. Perhaps we could pay each other's table a visit during the evening, Steve...

Oh yes, now you mention it... As it happens I made no comment at all about this race in my programme, so I must have thought it was the right decision at the time. But then Ken was our skipper!

Yes, Gordon Guasco was cetainly a surprise package that night. Another comment I wrote on my programme after Heat 16 in which Gordon beat Hammers' captain, Ken McKinlay was simply, "Eh?"

Yes, I was there. I've just looked at my programme. As BOBBATH says the start was delayed because of a dispute over pay. Here are a few comments I wrote on my programme: "Good Heavens! They've actually started at 8.35. Rain started 8.36." (However the first race saw a new track record of 72.4 seconds set by Nigel Boocock.) Heat 3 "Run in pouring rain" Heat 5: "Charlie [Monk] from 4th to 2nd last lap" (overtaking Ronnie Genz and Bill Andrew) Heat 9: "Took 15 minutes to run." There were two exclusions. But then, "Best race so far" "No interval because of weather" Heat 14: The race was stopped. Ronnie Genz and Jimmy Gooch were both excluded then Gooch was unexcluded. My comments, "Boocock was beating Briggs by miles in the first race, also in the second race but Briggs took him from the back and went miles in front." The trophy was presented by olympic gold medallist, Mary Rand and Editor of the Sunday Mirror, Michael Christiansen.

I was there. For some reason which I can't remember now, I really hated Charlie Monk at the time and I even went so far as to write to the Speedway Star complaining that Charlie Monk shouldn't have won as he should have been disqualified in one race for crossing the white line. Fortunately they didn't publish the letter. Well, I was very young then...

Billy Galloway apparently did take a touring team to Fiji in the 1920s.

Good to see that Alan will be there. Will you be wearing your white helmet, Steve?

er...I am Jim!

Well, I could tell you who they all are, but I think you know yourself now... (Thank you, star ghost)

Thank you, Ian If you all know perhaps you could tell me because I really don't know. p.s. I've looked up interewsting but can't find it in any dictionary...

You can always listen to it on "Listen again" on BBC Essex...www.bbc.co.uk/essex. Go to Listen again then to Steve Scruton and I'm on after about 44 minutes. Yes, I think it went well. There were already two messages waiting for me when I got home from people offering donations to the Museum.

Right, I'm just off to the studio...speak to you later!

I understand Michael Lee will also be at High Beech on Sunday.

I don't think there was a "Who's Who" produced between 1949 and 1975. Some of the annuals of the period have mini-who's whos in them but there was no specific publication.

You could always give your help and advice free of charge as a committed speedway supporter like everyone else on the committee...