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Speedway

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nigel123
  • Start date Start date
adap2it said:
In post #39, I posted a picture of my dad on one of Geoff Bennett's speedway bikes, he had several...my dad worked for him and did the preparation on his bikes. This Geoff Bennett interview is quite interesting in an egotistical way.
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Thank you, really interesting look back. Gerry.
 
adap2it said:
Hi Gerry...Geoff talked about being in Italy during the war, being the start of his speedway days. My dad was his buddy over there too and did his motor bike tuning...
Dave A
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Quite a lot of the early riders were from the military. I believe that "Tiger Hart" was from that background too.
 
Vivienne14 said:
A panoramic view of PB stadium in June 1949. Viv.

View attachment 131317
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Post 47 shows a picture of the crowd at the starting line in 1947, looking towards the grandstand. This panorama gives a better idea of the size of the attendances at spectator sports in those days.

Here is a picture of the attendance of the greyhound meeting in 1939 at Hall Green, on a Saturday afternoon.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/greyhound-racing.49379/
 
Speedway training in 1946 to tackle shortage of riders. Viv.
 

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great pictures and great memories...top photo is definitely 50's...I see Bill Jamieson, bottom knealing, 2nd from left. He was known as "autumn leaves" for obvious reasons...
Dave A
 
The aging process...changes everything. The blond bombshell no more! Graham Warren, the ladies favourite! He was a great rider, him and his partner Arthur Payne, the 1-2 punch consistently until Graham got injured, was never the same after that. It seemed that most riders suffering major injury became very tentative when they recovered. Harry Bastable, wasn't he and Alan Hunt with Cradley Heath before the Brummies?
Dave a
 
adap2it said:
The aging process...changes everything. The blond bombshell no more! Graham Warren, the ladies favourite! He was a great rider, him and his partner Arthur Payne, the 1-2 punch consistently until Graham got injured, was never the same after that. It seemed that most riders suffering major injury became very tentative when they recovered. Harry Bastable, wasn't he and Alan Hunt with Cradley Heath before the Brummies?
Dave a
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Yes, dear old CRADLEY HEATH. I recently disposed of a whole box full of Cradley Heath Programmes, to the CH Supporters club. I still have quite a few BRUMMIES and other programmes in a collection. Gerry
 
Nigel123 said:
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"
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A very very late reply to Post #1 in this thread ....
This aerial photo of Greet from September 1928 shows the Birmingham MCC track (on the right). Credit: britainfromabove.org.uk

Greet Aerial September 1928.jpg
 
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