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  1. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    I found two old pictures of a girl friend from Spring hill rink and married her back in 1965, note the state the ice was in. but so many great memory's from that rink and the coach trips to Richmond rink. On one trip to Richmond rink the coach drive could not get to the car park because a Mini...
  2. J

    Bellis and Morcom

    Hi my name is Richard Downing and my father Albert Downing worked for Belliss and Morcom as a center lathe worker turning very big crankshafts for ships. when I was about 20 years old in 1964 I was working for Crockett and Lowe and was sent to Belliss and Morcom a couple of times to mount two...
  3. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Good day Lauraloo My name is Richard Downing and I remember John, in the team picture above which was taken in 1961 he is in the third row from the front and third from the right, I am in the second row from the front and second from the right, I presume he had only just joined the Mohawks as he...
  4. J

    Slade Primary School

    Good day, My name is Richard Downing and I remember going to Slade road all boy's school for one year in 1955 and the music teacher was a Mr Nutt and he had been my moms teacher somewhere!!! I lived very near the corner of Gipsy Lane in Farley Road and first started at Marsh Hill school then...
  5. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Good day to anyone in the links above, my name is Richard Downing and I started going regularly to Springhill ice rink in 1957, joined the Mohawks in 1961 to the end of the season in 1965 at Silver blades, and I saw Bill West, in fact I am in the same picture, see above picture #155554 from Phil...
  6. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Thanks Phil for your fast reply and for your tech note recommendations
  7. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Good day Phil, I'm still thinking of the fluorescent light tubes experience of yours and have related it to my kids, one of which works in a bank and she showed other tellers some of the pictures of the Mohawks, so when I walked into the bank 4 other tellers shouted loudly Hi Dad, I thought that...
  8. J

    Stepping down as moderator

    Thanks for your hard work in behalf of BHF, it has helped me to do some great reminiscing even going back about 60 years to when I started speed skating for the Birmingham Mohawks, there's fabulous threads to them on the BHF. Its a great website, all the best.
  9. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Hi Phil WOW, So it was probably do to your experience that every speed skating rink now has padded boards when racing, Thanks for getting my imagination going!!! brilliant. One time when training at Silver blades one of the other guys asked me to look at the ice on the corners and said, what do...
  10. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Actually another somewhat funny situation happened at Silver Blades, we were training and Bobby Grinsell fell at one of the corners just in front of me but there were no steps up of the ice like Springhill only about 11/2" so he slid across the rubber mats on his bottom, thus a brazing his skin...
  11. J

    Springhill Ice rink Summerhill Road

    Good day Phil I just thought of some funny memories from Springhill and Silver blades rinks, At Springhill the team was being introduced one at a time and Eric Grinsell was just in front of me (Richard Downing) so he goes down the 5? steps and jumps onto the ice and goes flat on his face, he...
  12. J

    Silver Blades Ice Rink

    Good day my name Richard Downing I raced for the Birmingham Mohawks from 1961 to 1965 and I remember helping some of the Herman's Hermits to skate after the session had finished at Silver Blades, I also was presented a trophy by one of the cast of James Bond's Dr No, if my memory is correct it...
  13. J

    Crockett & lowe

    Good day my name is Richard Downing and I started my apprenticeship with Crockett and Lowe 14 January 1961, I worked at three of his places one that backed onto the canal near city center, one on Broad St, and the head office, Bill Crocket was very good to me he even helped me get a house to...
  14. J

    Speed skating

    Good day Phil Sorry for not getting back to you sooner but we just had 2 blizzards in 3 days. The three pictures inside are at Nottingham's rink under the stands, and the picture in a starting position has Brian Grinsell with the starting pistol was just for the front of some Silver blades...
  15. J

    Crockett & lowe

    Hi my name is Richard Downing, I worked at Crockett and Lowe as a Wood/metal Pattern maker in Birmingham, all the patterns were for different car company's like RR, Jag, Lotus, this was from 1960 to 1966, Then Pitt and Dickson ( Walsall ) from 1966 to 1970.
  16. J

    Speed skating

    Good day Phil I will talk later all the best.
  17. J

    Stockland Green

    Good day Anyone, my name Richard Downing and I went to Stockland Green Modern School for three years, leaving on 23 July 1959 "that is very accurate date as I still have my school leaving certificate" but spent one year earlier at Slade Road all boys school. One thing I remember, I must have...
  18. J

    Speed skating

    Yes that is me and the one next to me on the end of the row is Colin Smith, and just behind me on the end of the third row is Brian and Eric Grinsell's (Spelling may be wrong) younger brother Bobby. Thanks for the instructions on adding photos, I will see what can be done in the next couple of...
  19. J

    Speed skating

    That's who I thought it was to well done putting up the photo, and sorry he passed away. But now you have raised another question, Phil "old Mohawk" do you remember the older man standing in front of the door, he and his friend (not in the picture) who was the world 10000 meter roller skating...
  20. J

    Speed skating

    Well Ladywoodite that name does sound familiar, but I would need a photo to be sure, as that was about 60 years ago !! A person who I raced with ( old mohawk ) "Phil" put up some fantastic threads you should look at his pictures especially club photos and see if can spot him. All the very best.
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