speedyguy

I was always surprised at the hasty and unexplained departure of Roger Dickerson, as I was that iof Martin Williams. Like you, I thought Dickerson was a great club man and nice guy to get on with.

Hopes for a revival of the London Riders Championship at Lakeside look to have foundered. Their latest details of meetings until the end of the season give no listing for an event that was, at one time, much vaunted by the Hammers mangement for the fact it was returning to the sport. There was a Post about its return elsehwere on the BSF but I have been unable to trace it.

Thanks to everyone for their help so far. Nice to have such co-operative people around.

The site shown second in my signature would appreciate help in regard to the Wimbledon team squads between 2002-2004. I do have some names for 2002 (not the full 31-plus riders!) and some 2004 riders, but again not the complete list. Thank you.

Bingley Cree is, as mentioned, still alive and living in Canada. One of his bikes is featured in a Canadian motorcyle museum/collection. The bike is also to be seen on a Canadian website.

Thank you very much. I appreciate this help.

The site shown second in my signature would appreciate help in regard to the 1991 Hackney and 1996 Hackney (London Lions) team squads. Thank you.

Another 90 year old who started speedway in 1947 - as did Len Read - is the Canadian Mike Tams, now living in a residential home in Toronto, Canada. Mike and his brother Les were at Eastbourne in 1947, then in the following years went on to ride on tracks in Ireland (where Les was known as Les Gordon - dropping the Tams surname). Mike then had further British spells with Newcastle (1950), Southampton (1952 and 1953) and Ringwood (1954). He later returned to Canada where, with former Stoke rider Stan Bradbury (now 80 plus and also living in Canada), he was a 'founding father' of the present Canadian speedway scene.

WITW! The update on my quoted post is that Julian has established that there is a Velocette Ktd at the speedway bike collection in Scotland. What still needs to be verified is if the bike is Jim Kempster's. In all probability it is - but provenance has still to be established by the collection's curator. This could take longer than the 24 hours previously anticipated by one of the site's in my signature , Julian and myself. But the trio are involved with the museum curator on cross-checking the origins of the Velocette. WITW!

I know this is UK interest only, but you may be interested to know that besides pre-World War Two USA East Coast rider Crocky Wright, I have now found the name of the pre-war Australian rider. It was sent to the oldtimespeedway site (address in my signature for those interested ) by respected Australian historian Ross Garrigan in January. The Australian rider's name is Cyril Romaine. Ross wrote: "He knew a chap who knew Cyril Romaine. The interesting piece of information Barry gave me is that Cyril was born in Australia, the son of an American Negro preacher. His mother was a white Australian. If anyone is ever looking for names of coloured Australian speedway riders, keep Cyril in mind."

Crocky Wright in the USA is still alive, and I am certain that at least one pre-war Australian rider is still with us.

I received the latest article directly by email from Ross and thoroughly enjoyed dedicating time to reading it. An excellent work.

I agree...it would be a wonderful happening for speedway.

Surely you mean Bingley CREE, still alive and living in Canada?

And he probably was.

Poor Graham Miles! Where did/does Harry Huntly ride?

What a great character Putt Mossman was. Besides being a speedway rider - of some repute, he also took part in road racing, midget car racing and of course for many years ran his renowned motorcycle stunt team.

What about Graham Miles?

Cullum actually hated the Pee Wee nickname. He was given when he became part of Putt Mossman's motorcycle stunt team in the mid-1930s. As he was the smallest guy in the troupe and used to be the team's clown, Mossman decreed he should be known as Pee Wee. But the rider much preferred to be known as Charles Cullum - sadly though the nickname stuck with him. But he was a good rider, semi-legtrail as I remember.

Tommy CROOMBS. Years ago I knew Tommy and son Bobby (also a rider) very well indeed. Sadly, as in all things, lost contact as circumstances changed. I think they originated from New Malden in Surrey.

What about Graham Miles?

WITW! I would like to add that the apparently successful hunt for the "missing" Jim Kempster 1930 Velocette Ktd follows some investigative work by one of the sites in my signature and some excellent back-up from BSF contributor Dutch. It seems possible this little saga will be wrapped up, as Julian hopes, in the next 24 hours. WITW!

WITW! This is a message just received which MIGHT interest some people! WITW! Dutch Velocette, Today, 06:35 PM Group: Members Posts: 36 Member No.: 7165 Joined: 19-May 06 Hi Speedyguy. The (Jim Kempster?) Velocette speedway machine is on display in the Scottish speedwaymuseum, (from Cinder to Shale) Owner of that museum is former Speedwayrider for the Berwickshire Bandits Ian Paterson. At this very moment Mr Paterson is restoring a Harley Davidson CAC with 500cc from 1934. If this bike is finished then there are 100 all perfect restored speedwaybikes in the museum.

There was another - legendary New zealand midget car ace Frank 'Satan' Brewer - a close friend in the 1940s and 1950s of many renowned speedway riders including Jack and Norman Parker, Reg Fearman and Ron Clarke. Jack Parker even drove one of the Brewer midget cars when on visits to Australia.

WITW! Here's a link http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/archives/sp...ybikes/velo.htm that refers to Jim Kempster's Velocette Ktd. WITW! Signatures by author as below!