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Speedway

N

Nigel123

Guest
Can You Help?

I am researching and compiling a history of Pre-war Speedway (Dirt track racing) in Birmingham and the Midlands 1928-1939. I am trying to trace relatives/decendants of the riders/officials and anyone else conected with the sport.
At this moment I am particularly interested in riders... Tommy McDonald (raced at Hall Green in particular) George Britt and Pat Biddle who was a tester and Fitter at BSA and may still have been working there after the war?

Also looking for members of the B'Ham MCC who may have info and photos of the track at the bottom of Colebrook Rd, Greet, known as the Birmingham Motordrome. 1928/1929.

Anyone help with old photos & programmes, or permit Copies of both?

Many thanks, Nigel, "Up the Brummies"
 
Hi Nigel

My mother and father were members of the Birmingham MCC, and used to be regulars in the clubhouse which was sited at the end of Colebrook Road, I remember going with them quite often as a child. I was not aware that there used to be a track down there though.

The clubhouse closed around the late 70s / early 80s.

Mother is still alive I will ask her if she has any info that may be of help to you.

Cheers
Paul
 
Pre WW2 Speedway meetings were held at Hall Green dog track, York Rd, a friend of my Dad whose name was Gus Kunz ( spelling?) my Dad said he was speedway rider circa 1937-39, its just a memory i could be wrong.
 
Lloyd thank you for your link, Gus Kuhn has been a memory of mine for years how my Dad met Gus i don`t know, Gus had his dinner (midday) with us it was stewed meat and veggies, after he had eaten ha said "Best chicken stew i have ever had!", we all laughed because it was rabbit, he took some convincing, my father a Skilled Sheet Worker was out of work at the time and did`nt get a fulltime job until WW2 started.
 
oldgreetboy said:
Hi Nigel

My mother and father were members of the Birmingham MCC, and used to be regulars in the clubhouse which was sited at the end of Colebrook Road, I remember going with them quite often as a child. I was not aware that there used to be a track down there though.

The clubhouse closed around the late 70s / early 80s.

Mother is still alive I will ask her if she has any info that may be of help to you.

Cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks for your interest, The track was short lived. The land was bought by the Serk radiator company. Photos of the track are my main want, but all info however small is always welcome.

Nigel
 
lencops said:
Lloyd thank you for your link, Gus Kuhn has been a memory of mine for years how my Dad met Gus i don`t know, Gus had his dinner (midday) with us it was stewed meat and veggies, after he had eaten ha said "Best chicken stew i have ever had!", we all laughed because it was rabbit, he took some convincing, my father a Skilled Sheet Worker was out of work at the time and did`nt get a fulltime job until WW2 started.
Click to expand...

Interesting, Gus Kuhn was born and lived in Yardley but later moved to London. He was a top motorcyclist before taking up speedway in 1928, and was a star of the Stamford Bridge team.
His granddaughter has a site dedicated to Him. https://www.guskuhn.net/
She would be grateful of any stories about him .

Nigel
 
Nigel123 said:
Interesting, Gus Kuhn was born and lived in Yardley but later moved to London. He was a top motorcyclist before taking up speedway in 1928, and was a star of the Stamford Bridge team.
His granddaughter has a site dedicated to Him. https://www.guskuhn.net/
She would be grateful of any stories about him .

Nigel
Click to expand...

My Grandfather and father rode with Gus ( see the above site for details ) My father rode on the speedway from 1927 to 1932 at Hall Green and Perry Barr also Coventry, he rode with the Parker's, Jack Amott and Bert Perrigo who I worked with later at the BSA. Look for the section on George Dalby on the site. Lou Dalby.
 
lencops said:
Pre WW2 Speedway meetings were held at Hall Green dog track, York Rd, a friend of my Dad whose name was Gus Kunz ( spelling?) my Dad said he was speedway rider circa 1937-39, its just a memory i could be wrong.
Click to expand...

Hi, See my later note about Gus and my Grandfather and Father. Lou.
 
Louis Dalby said:
My Grandfather and father rode with Gus ( see the above site for details ) My father rode on the speedway from 1927 to 1932 at Hall Green and Perry Barr also Coventry, he rode with the Parker's, Jack Amott and Bert Perrigo who I worked with later at the BSA. Look for the section on George Dalby on the site. Lou Dalby.
Click to expand...

Interesting stuff Lou, but your dates may be a bit out . Speedway did not start untill 1928 and I have no record of George riding in 1928, but my records are not complete.

Do you have any Speedway photos?

have you any knowlage of a pre-war BSA tester Pat Biddle who rode speedway 1930 -32 . He learnt to ride on the BSA works Speedway Track

any info greatly appreciated... regards ...Nigel
 
Nigel123 said:
Interesting stuff Lou, but your dates may be a bit out . Speedway did not start untill 1928 and I have no record of George riding in 1928, but my records are not complete.

Do you have any Speedway photos?

have you any knowlage of a pre-war BSA tester Pat Biddle who rode speedway 1930 -32 . He learnt to ride on the BSA works Speedway Track

any info greatly appreciated... regards ...Nigel
Click to expand...

Sorry about the dates, Brandon 13 th Oct 1928

Hall Green 19th Oct 1928

Hall Green 24 th Aug 1928

Bert Perrigo, Gus Kuhn, Harry and Cyril Taft, Jack Parker all rode at the 19 th Hall Green meeting

The only info I have is what people have told me and my reserch at Beaulieu who only have info up to 1928.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone can help me with this matter. Lou Dalby
 
Cyril Taft was the older brother of my grandfather Harry Taft.
Both were speedway riders and Harry rode on the British team against Australia before he found his career developing in the foundry Industry, he started the Idoson Motor Cylinder Foundry at Great Bridge Tipton supplying air cooled cylinders to the BSA Motor Cycle Factory. He later sold the business to the BSA group before its demise.
My father John Taft followed into the foundry business and was previously a BSA apprentice who raced BSA Bantams before going on to trials riding on a Greaves Montessa and Bultaco I helped build them all from a crated delivery and he finished the Scottish six day trial three times. He was a mate of Brian Povey a BSA test rider and great character sadly now passed away, Brian was famously known for scrapping a promising test bike in the last hour or so of 24 hrs or more as he followed the line of telegraph poles along a high hedge setting up each bend before he had sight of it, although the only issue was the telegraph poles went across a field at a certain point and he put the bike in the hedge!

Cyril won the IOM TT Clubmans light weight on a 250 cc Excelsior at 46 yrs old his last race in 1949.

Bert Perrigo was a friend of Harry and my grandmother Doris Taft.

Regards Ian
 
Taft777 said:
Cyril Taft was the older brother of my grandfather Harry Taft.
Both were speedway riders and Harry rode on the British team against Australia before he found his career developing in the foundry Industry, he started the Idoson Motor Cylinder Foundry at Great Bridge Tipton supplying air cooled cylinders to the BSA Motor Cycle Factory. He later sold the business to the BSA group before its demise.
My father John Taft followed into the foundry business and was previously a BSA apprentice who raced BSA Bantams before going on to trials riding on a Greaves Montessa and Bultaco I helped build them all from a crated delivery and he finished the Scottish six day trial three times. He was a mate of Brian Povey a BSA test rider and great character sadly now passed away, Brian was famously known for scrapping a promising test bike in the last hour or so of 24 hrs or more as he followed the line of telegraph poles along a high hedge setting up each bend before he had sight of it, although the only issue was the telegraph poles went across a field at a certain point and he put the bike in the hedge!

Cyril won the IOM TT Clubmans light weight on a 250 cc Excelsior at 46 yrs old his last race in 1949.

Bert Perrigo was a friend of Harry and my grandmother Doris Taft.

Regards Ian
Click to expand...
My DaD rode with Cyril and Harry on the Speedway in 1927 - 1932, He also worked for Fred Povey before WW2 at he's garage in Hall Green. I worked with Brain at BSA and we all did the Cafes in Hall Green and Earlswood together. I think Harry or Cyril ran a garage near the Springfield after the war.
 
jennyann:

Isn't that here at Perry Barr Stadium - aka Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium



Nice photos of it in today's printed Birmingham Mail! Only a handful compared to the website though.
 
Thanks for that Ell. A shared space these days with Greyhound Racing on Friday and Saturdays. I never went years ago to the Speedway but thousands did and my friends who went with their Dads and Mom's talked about it at school. They knew all the names of the best riders. I like the Wiki description of the history of the stadium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Barr_Stadium
 
07 December 2014 (2).jpg07 December 2014 (2) 8.jpg
phil taft said:
cyril taft was my dad,but got no info on his speedway,
could you let me know if you find anything on this/photos,thanks
Click to expand...
Your dad and uncle and my father rode on the speedway ( Dirt Track ) to togther with the Parker brothers, I think I can remember them having a car showroom by the Collage Arms Pub.
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!speedway.jpg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!speedway.jpgHere are a couple of bits about the Birmingham Bulldogs who used to race at Hall Green until 1938 .
 
Curiously enough I never heard about the Hall Green events. I do, however, remember some Sunday afternoon 'grass track' events close to the The Aqueduct at Shirley. My father took me there a few times. He was not a motorcyclist, nor afficionado, neither was I, but it all seemed good fun at the time.

I did manage to get acrros the City to Perry Barr a few times. It was. however, a long treck - two diffent bus journeys for a start - from due south of the City. I recall - I do believe it is still in my nostrils - is the smell of the scorching of the cinders. :biggrin:
 
You've jogged my memory, Radiorails !

I remember not long after the end of the war, my dad taking me to watch grass track racing in a field in the area you mention, I would've described it as over the "Stiles" though.

I still like the smell of two-stroke exhaust.
 
A\strong possibility that we were both there at the same time then Maypolebaz. I don't remember the stiles but then it was over sixty years ago and I haven't been in that area since 1954! I was impressed with the sidecar races: I always expected some poor devil to fall out! :biggrin:
 
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