Sean

ahem.. at the age of between.... 7 and 12 .. not sure if i would have known where (or what for that matter) .. the stripper pubs were !!

vaguely !!! someone got me piffed and made me stay the night....

Lesney's had a factory in Waterden Road, on the right as you went up from the marshes end(what is now the A12).. i remember as an older kid, around 83/84 going to Hackney as a visiting supporter with Milton keynes, and the factory was derelict, all the windows broken and smashed out... just a shell. There was also another factory over the marshes on top of the bridge next to the river Lea... up towards Hackney hospital from the track. That still stands but i don't know if its anything to do with Lesney's still. Brian L just rekindled a memory that i missed... PEANUTS !! little old fellow in a white coat with a paper bag rolled down at the top.. selling monkey nuts... and after a meeting if you walked up the terracing.. you would see little piles of monkey nut shells...

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...

and the memories flood back.... after taking on the other kids.. usually ending in some kind of arguement or fight down there... it was off upto the "posh" part of the grandstand, at he first bend end. this is where my auntie Denise, and granma used to sit and watch with Carole (Keith Whites wife) and Barbie (Thommo's wife). it used to amaze me that the glass never broke at the front of the grandstand... it took a hell of a battering from the riders wives!! scrounge some pennies off my granma, and off down to Snowies hut to grab a riders picture, or a pack of old programmes to take home and add to my collection. by now it was about heat 6.. so up onto the grass banking on the first bend.. and watch a couple of races... or maybe off round the back straight to watch from there.. always amazed me how full it was round there. and looking back to the grandstand.. it was packed... where did all these people come from.... actually i think now... where have they all gone!! around heat 9 or 10.. it was back to the top of the granstand.. check in with granma and auntie for the score.. and along the top of the grandtsand to find mum. usual place front of the bar, to the left of the announcers box.. in line with the start... get my autograph book, and check with mum who was scoring what and how well my favourites were doing. back down to the pits... give grandad my autograph book, and get his car keys off him... back to the car by the programme hut, and get the rolls out of the boot. two carrier bags, one cheese, one ham. up the stairs.. back to granma, give her the keys, and off down to the pits with the riders munch bags. by now... it was heat 12.. and one more to go.. down to the pits.. get in and stand like a good boy next to grandad while heat 13 went on... and watch and see who was going onto the tractor... have a nose round the visiting riders no.1 machinery... some i remember very immaculate... Ipswich always came with good clean bikes regardless of the track conditions.. Belle Vue too, with Collins and Morton 's equiptment just perfect.. but there were three visitors i used to be in awe of... Ivan, Ole, and Scott Autrey. pure professionalism throughout. usually two bikes maybe three each... seemed to be one mechanic for each bike... and only these three riders would see me as the quiet, polite and goody goody twoshoes little boy. no body else mattered. then it was to work... helping Bo, Sean, Keith with soem of there stuff to the car( no vans in these days.. just a rack on the back of a bmw or squash two bikes into a citreon familiale ! then off into the changing rooms.... grab a roll and can of pop of grandad in there... find out who he had got signed in my book, and catch whoever he had missed.. then out to meet up with the rest of the family in the riders "lounge" in the pits.. where the riders all went to get paid, have a quick beer, and chat with the staff and supporters. i loved it in there... trying to understand all the different languages... Bo Petersen and Finn Thomsen rabbiting in Danish, Zenon and Toni Kasper and later Roman, passing Polish ditties between them and there mechanics.. Chalkie (with a deep midland accent) and Thommo sharing a joke, Sean Willmott's west country twang, .... who needed to take a language course at school...!! i remember Bo putting a coat hanger in the back of my coat one night and hanging this ten year old up on the rafters!! One by one they went into a room at the back to visit Mr Silver for there wages. depending on the evenings score and how they scored would determine how long they were in there!!! then it was off... back to the pits, maybe a kick around with a ball in the summer, usually a young Andrew Silver wanted to play.. but he was far too good for me.. so it was off out to the track .. and see if we could collect some tear offs, !! i remember some of them still had elastic on them so back into the club lounge with our findings, wearing our clear tear offs!! grab a can of pop.. and out again to see what we could find.. by about eleven pm... mum had had enough of us kids... granma was tired.. grandad was moaning he had to be up for work at 5 or 6 next morning... so pack into the Marina.. get yelled at by mum for the state of my clothes.... well.. i was a kid... and it was a track full of wet mud what did she expect!! back off home.... outta waterden road, straight over and upto Hackney Hospital. here we stopped at the chip shop opposite the hospital to get our fish supper... and into the car and off home... along past Clapton pond, onto Stoke Newington, right turn, dowm through Tottenham high street, to the Angel Edmonton, turn right, and along to Montagu and into bed at my nans. i hated waking up Saturday Morning... because it was another 6 days until FRIDAY !!!

wow where do i start... lets begin with the friday night ritual for seasons 77-82 when i only missed one meeting in 5 years.. outta school at 4pm.. onto the train from Enfield Town to Silver Street, Edmonton walk down Angel road (a406 nth circular) to my granma and grandads at Montagu Road, (yep just round corner from the old Edmonton Cycle speedway track!), have my dinner on table, usually egg sausage, chips with beans! while mum, and granma used to make the ham and cheese rolls for the riders changing rooms after the meeting. at 5.30pm.. grandad, granma, auntie denise, mum, my sister and me, into the old Morris Marina and off...!.. (note.. wet days this was the last chance phone call to see if it was on!!... 01-985-9822 !!) Drive down A406 to Crooked Billet Walthamstow, look left and dream of speedway at the dog track!, right round roundabout and up Blackhorse Lane, past tube station, along past the bottom of Walthamsow market, on through Leyton, past The Orient, (not called Leyton Orient in those days!), always look up and see who there next game was against, down to the lights, turn right, along past the Marshes, and turn left up into Waterden road. In through the Car park to the stadium gate to the right of the grandstand (no worries about that dodgy parking for us!) in through the gate and park the car next to the programme hut, bang on 6pm.. (two hours to go) Granma and mum used go and get the programmes, Grandad used to go down to the Supporters club hut and help out with Snowie, Heaffie, (terry heath) and Tadpole, meanwhile i was off to find my mate Richard whose granma used to sell the "weekly fiddle" tickets at the bottom of the grandstand stairs by the main entrance. Off we went to find out what mischief we could get upto, granma and mum set up the programmes kiosk as you came in thru the grandstand, Auntie Denise went off to the kiosk next to the dog scoreboard between bends 2/3.. i wold end up down in the pits, with richard, or sometimes a couple of Terry heaths kids, make a nuisance of myself down in the pits until grandad came and cleared us out.. he looked after the little white public gate at the Pits/Grandstand entrance, so access to pits was easy for me (long before health and saftey!!!).. here i would usually wind up some daft young girlies who were trying to attract the attention of a rider... saying things like .. "do you want me to get there autograph for you?" and running off through the pits with there pens!! (yep..i know... sorry! but i was 8-10 yrs then and it was fun!) vaguely remember some "Burd" there up on the wall overlooking the pits shouting for her Uncle!! can't think who that was!! Then... it was 7.59pm.. the music would stop half way thru a record.. and the band struck up with that grand tune...(now it sends major shivers down my spine just to hear it!)... Len would start his walk out of the pit area, with track staff, and riders in tow.. and the mad rush down the front of the grandstand, and through the little gate ate the start line to be in place for the magical, and sometimes downright dangerous...The 50 PENCE PIECE! and watch the big boys cry when the little lads jumped 'em and fought for the right to be the 50p owner for that week! on average...1 out of the 4/5 of us there probably got it once very six weeks... and straight upto the top of the grandstand.. into the chip queue.. and two bags of chips it was.. for the 5 of us... if we didn't get it... just a few yrads along the front of the grandstand was our chance to get back the git that did get it... 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! thats a start.. memories part two to follow....

gary, any news on the memorial web page or the address yet? fortunately at a music gig last year, i was introduced to Gary's son Richard who now lives over here in London. When i told him i was a speedway follower, he told me who he was, and that he was interested in finding out more about his late father's career. any information i can give him on the website and page would be very gratefully recieved and passed onto him.

if you want to get in contact with George or Pete for the museum, mail to me and i will pass it on to them. seanwilkie53@btinternet.com

yep..bloody birthdays eh !! i will be staying at home again... and hosting the "Fourth annual GBGP BBQ" and combining it with the thirty sixth running of my own "get fat and piffed" birthday BBQ !

couldn't think of anyone more qualified for the job than Jan.. good luck mate...

many many thanks to Shaz, Gav and all the guys that arranged the very successful Canterbury Re-union at Sittingbourne today. No one could have done it better. A cavalcade of Crusader greats, paraded accross the centre green, in all there glory, a few interviews, and alot of happy Canterbury fans. i am glad we provided a chance for old friends to get together, and catch up, and even as late as 2 and half hours after the meeting, when i left, they were still chatting, reminising, and swopping phone numbers. congratulations to all involved, and thanks to all the ex riders, that attended.

any chance of a confirmed list yet Shaz??? i have the tickets all sorted now... and will speak to you about them next week.

any chance of a confirmed list yet Shaz??? i have the tickets all sorted now... and will speak to you about them next week.

ok..right place now.. if anyone can help with Tigerdaves question.. please go ahead..

guys, i have closed this topic and asked another mod to move the original post accross to the years gone by thread, as i see its not really fair on the original poster who asked the question, to look through 4 pages of your banter and still not get an answer!! hope you understand

Scott Robson won the meeting... can't remember who else was in the top three.. but each rider had a 1928 rudge in their first rides, a 1930/40 's bike (???) in their second rides.. a 1960's jap/eso in their third rides, a 1970/80's jawa in their fourth, and on their own up to date laydowns in their fifth.. although a few did skip onto their own bikes during the meeting due to non starting bikes. Scott Robson and Joe Screen were the only two, i can remember, that managed to look good leg trailing on the rudges, and japs..and went through the programme riding all the machines.

excellent news Chris.. i wasn't aware that the vets were looking for a museum site.. but if its possible its going on my doorstep. i am all for it.. !! brilliant choice of venue... those weekends that i have no speedway on in the summer, are spent with the kids up at Paradise Park.. it is a beautiful Zoo, set in a lovely woodland setting, and, to the best of my knowledge, one of the only Zoo's that you can actually feed the animals.. and i am not just talking the "kids corner areas" .. i am talking, Camels, llarmas, bison, Zebra's and all kinds. certainly worth a visit on your way to Rye House one saturday afternoon.

those were the days when there was half as many vehicles on the road.. and roads were quiet on bank holidays.. and more tracks....closer together... just tryin to imagine doing a "three track day" now,

because if you charge to watch riders racing, it becomes a professional concern, and the riders will have to be paid... that then becomes illegal as they are still of school age and effectively means you are employing a minor to entertain a crowd. No Doubt you will see U15 matches after main league matches... pretty much like what happened this year at most "second team" clubs where the CL match was part of a double header. A good way forward for the sport... but lets hope the BSPA don't just leave it to get on with itself... back it... as part of the whole sport. back it with workshops, to teach the up and coming riders the maintenace of the bike, the safety of the sport, and the commercial side of the sport, how to get those sponsors interested, make it the school of speedway, and the rewards of a team place... back the clubs that want to do this.. don't just let them fend for themselves..give them the support of a professional body. sorry.. ranting on aint i !!

Tad, sure its not scunthorpe?? or could it be Rothersthorpe.. ?

ok lets see.. who would i like to see there.. and where are they?? Keith White.... probably one of the many currently residing in Shazzys garage.. best ask shazz if you can borrow him for a night..alternatively, he is probably trying to get someone to start another fan club for him !! Bo Petersen.. last i heard a year or so back, Bo had a business in Denmark building sleeper vans. not sure thou if they were speedway ones or camper style ones.. but as i remember, he always had a "top class, fully loaded, comfort filled van" when he was at Hackney. Zenon Plech, was managing The Polish national team a few years back, so should think he wil be easily contactable..and it should be easier to get him out of poland now, No need for a squad to smuggle him over!! Sean Willmott.. moved to Australia, around the Perth area, maybe Bryn can pop over and have a look round for him !! what??? its only about 45 cm on the map.. shouldn't take more than a day.. i can get up to Glasgow and back in a day.. and thats 40cm !! Andrew Silver.. suppose we can include Andy as he did more second halves as a 14/15 year old, and had more waterden road track time than even Mr Thomas!! Barry Thomas.. i know Chris and Tadpole are in contact with the legtrailing maestro, and i am sure "Mr Hackney" will be there. finally.. the two people that Hackney and friday nights wouldn't be complete without... Terry Heath... and Snowie Beattie..

careful!! had quite a few romances in those days !! i'll have to sit down one evening and write up the whole "FRIDAY" night as i remember them..

Sean by the wall in the mainstand overlooking the pits just off the fourth bend with Di (From Arena) and a girl called Sharon (From Hornchurch who I'd love to meet back up with!!) on the odd occassion Knocker was with us as well (Bless him!! if you know him you'll know thats said VERY tongue in cheek!!) What made Hackney Special? Hmmmmm Everything from - the Magnificent Seven Theme Tune right down to the Weekly Fiddle Like Sean says the memories are there etched in the brain nothing anyone can do can ever taken them away That's it start me off again <{POST_SNAPBACK}> there ya go "star in exile"..sounds like i found ya "friend!" oi..shaz... that weekly "fiddle" was won by my family most weeks.. !! grandad used to look after the pit gate stopping rowdie groupies (you mainly!) from getting in..and he used to hand out the Ham and Cheese rolls and cans of pop in the changing rooms after , and clear up after the riders used to shake off all the mud on the floor!(and i used to be able to remember exactly what my favourite riders used to have..Zenon.. two Ham rolls and a can of orange tango, Bo, two Cheese, and a coke! Ivan Mauger used to have Ham.. and 7-UP. Scott Autrey was a Cheese and Coke.!!! can't remember what uncle Ted used to have!) Nan (she used to spend every friday making the rolls for the riders) and auntie Denny used to sell you your programmes.. My mum used to sell the programmes round in the second bend entrance hut .. Playing football in the pits with Andrew Silver after the meeting (usually about midnight by that time!) Mixing with all the riders in the Clubhut in the pit area, Going out onto the fully lit track after everyone had gone home.. and running round the track.. . looking up at the massive home straight stand, and the smaller back straight stand.. getting hold of a rake.. and doing some raking.. !! picking up the used tear offs, and cleaning them up, fixing the elastic in the back, and putting them over ya eyes.. sob!... now u got me going ! wheres me youth gone?

three track shops.. one on the first bend with the programme "window" and Snowies "shop" one on the second bend.. wasn't it in th tea hut or room ? and one at the top of the fourth bend terracing.. and then there was "the Vic Harding Lounge" on the third bend as well.. as for the young lady on the fourth bend that "star in exile" mentions.. one question.. Shaz.. where did u stand.. it sounds like you had an admirer !!!! memories......ah!! Paul.. can we re create the bunch of kids running round the front of the stand from the start to the first bend.. with the "stamped on" coke cans on the left foot, sounding like steel shoes, and running round the makeshift "track" in groups of four... like complete maniacs.. going "vroom, vroom.. vroom".. please.....u already got me, Scorpio, and a few others on here that said we all did it.. i am sure i can drag along terry heaths kids for the night as well! Ian..what made Hackney special??? hmmm.... Good old East end friendliness .... sadly.. now missing from London all togther!

no chance with sunday. .. more likely to be sittingbourne on the 19th... (but that date is also looking iffy as its mrs sheeps birthday!!) lots of brownie points need collecting!