speedyguy

Sadly. from the last post I read on Speedway-Plus (oops!!!) it seems to have ground to a halt. However, the posting was made some months ago so things may have changed.

Great track in pre-war years. Lloyd Goffe was the big star there at one-time.

What Ms Taylor said and did in the 1930s was nothing compared to what is said and done by people today. Have you noticed the trial going on about bomb-making...the recent arrests for alleged offence in Birmingham...what happened on the London buses a few years ago. All Ms Taylor did was join a right-wing group and make a few silly comments. I am certain that when New Cross held their 20th anniversary of British speedway meeting in 1948 she was the guest of honour. She was also, as I have mentioned, well received by people who knew her in pre-war days when the war was over nd she 'returned to circulation'.

The X-treme Ice Racing Series in the USA gets underway this weekend. Brits Anthony Barlow, James Mann, Dave Meldrum and Ricky Ashworth start against American star Charlie Venegas.

How do you equate what Fay Taylour is reputed to have said with what "the mad mullahs" are precahing in our counytry these days then? Her doings look pretty tame in comparison with what we are now facing i.e alleged threats to behead British Muslim soldiers.

QUOTE(iris123 @ Feb 2 2007, 06:38 PM) I wonder if we had a rider saying "I love the Taleban and their leader and this war seems terribly unfair."Would speedyguy say they were far from being a nasty piece of work?I think not.end quote. I would think: 'what a burke' the rider is but not take it too seriously. This is the world of Jade Goody intelligence after all. I still think Fay Taylour was villified at a time when people did not have the compromise towards attitudes of mind that exist nowadays. She most likely, as so many people did at that time, by linking to a neo-fascist party adopt a stance against a party opposed to communism without knowing its real intentions. Didn't the Duke of Windsor in the 1930s visit Germany and was impressed by Mr Hitler as well? I am sure I read something on those lines somewhere. Was what Fay Taylour did so different? I have, like the renowned author of her biography, studied Fay Taylour's career and attitudes towards things over the years. Most people seem to have the opinion the 'right-wing' attitude was a blip with things said to gain attention - wrongly by her maybe. But let's in more modern times be tolerant to her. After all, as a very young person I used to admire the Stalin-era Russia. I shudder at the thought of doing that these days. I was only 10!

Then why was it so many of her pre-war racing colleagues, especially in the midget car world. accepted Fay Taylour post-1945? If I gave names of these drivers they would mean little to speedway fans but in the USA, Australia and New Zealand their status was certainly akin to that given to speedway riders. Maybe they decided that her faults of the pre-war years could be forgiven. And maybe also that Fay herself repented these pre-war actions - I am certain that will be clarified in Dr Belton's proposed second book on her. I know his most dedicated reviewer eagerly anticipates its publication! The fact that she was allowed into the USA to race in the 1950s would indicate they had no concerns about her. Fay also entered Australia and New Zealand several times to race, and was given warm and welcome receptions. They obviously did not regard her right-wing leanings of the 1930s with as much concern as we do now in hindsight. According to the earlier Belton book, Fay Taylour was also welcomed around British speedways in 1946 and 1947, very soon after the end of WW2. They must have been aware of her WW2 internment. And obviously felt no concerns about it.

Fay was far from being a nasty piece of work. A little misguided maybe at one time, but generally you will find that most people who knew her in England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa loved and admired her. One day maybe an author will write he life story... That site you have shown doesnot show her actually committing any offence - just falling foul of the times that she lived in.

Yes I remember Mrs Batson. A terrific Wimbledon fan. And wasn't her husband involved in midget car racing along with Percy Brine at some time in the late 1950s - believe they tested the car at Aldershot and also tried to match it against the more powerful Skirrows. Sadl, they don't seem to have fans like Mrs Batson these days.

A matter of interest. I read in today's 'Croydon Advertiser' that Crystal Palace FC are considering the National Sports Centre as an alternative home to Selhurst Park. Could this not be the time for somebody to also sound out both these parties about staging speedway at this ancestral home? It would suit me as a 417 bus goes all the way from Streatham to Crystal Palace Parade... A chace for former parties at Wimbledon Speedway perhaps to resurface. The NSC was originally suggested by some supporters almost as soon as the GRA turfed out speedway in 2005. A new speedway plus the long promised Donsking article on the venue is something to look forward to.

Last time I was in Cardiff to see speedway they had Les Moore riding for them...was that a different Cardiff?

Breathlessly (!!!) waiting - as a one-time Keith Harvey fan.

I remember watching your two greats of the llate 1950s early 1960s: Antti Pajari riding for Coventry, the very stylish and fast Timo Laine in Holland about the same time. Also seem to remember Timo riding in an Internationale round at New Cross in the early 1960s. He had to use a borrowed bike because his bike was either stolen or lost in Holland - not sure which. I think Timo later went into powerboat racing and was a top performer in this sport as well.

Any update on where and when this will appear please?

Great stuff. I actually covered the last ever car race meeting when I worked as a freelance photographer. Got loads of negs - but lost the list of names, although I have (I think) the programme so can probably match them up.

To be honest, I don't think Johnnie Hoskins had anything at all to do with the building or early promoting at West Ham. This was, I am positive, Jimmy Baxter who also devised the idea for league racing. In teh 1930s he promoted at speedway and midget cars at several tracks. In 1947 he brought Southampton back into the sport and, I think, also promoted at Plymouth.

I understand that the actual stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch, but have no idea who the builders were. As stated, it could have been George Wimpey company.

From what I remember, West Ham (Custom House) was finished in 1928. Thames FC were the first tenants bu speedway under Jimmy Baxter started in July 1928, as I believe greyhounds did. Johnnie Hoskins turned up some time later. Over to Norbold!

Is there a chance that Dan Stevens was in fact Stan Stevens? I cannot recall a Dan Stevens - can anyone else?

Are you the 'Man On The Terrace' who for so many years wrote stock car articles in "Short Circuit', 'Stocks and Rods', the Spedeworth programmes and various other stock car publications? If so, just to say how much I used to enjoy those writings over so many years.

A stupid comment IMO. Nothing to do with speedway.

The possibility is that Webbon was injured either in the New Cross match at Bradford on July 27 or in the second-half of that meeting. I doubt of there were second-half races to the NX British Championship round on the following Wednesday. PS: In the second-half, in heat three, there were two non-fishers, Keith Harvey and Les Webbon. Was this where Webbon met with his head injury (?) resulting in the end of his speedway career? PPS: Webbon rode in the first two meetings of Bradford's 1946 season before moving to New Cross.

Thanks for this. Believe that Keith Harvey - and possibly Vic Weir - later joined Norwich for the rest of the season until the start of war in September 1939. After the war, Harvey was allocated to Norwich for 1946, announced his retirement, then came back with New Cross and stayed until June 1947. He was past 50 years when he retired.

I have been told that four tyres in the more exclusive non-contact hot rod formulas can work out at around £200. The drivers also have to have sets of tyres for wet and dry track conditions - and some cars with race-prepared engines are valued at around £20,000-plus.

Racingwise, many car drivers object to shale because it gets thrown upwards into the engines and causes expensive problems. Additionally, the more exclusive non-contact formulas like Hot Rods virtually refuse to race on dirt or shale. You will find most of the 'stock car only' tracks are tarmac. I wish a way to get speedway back at Yarmouth could be found.