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Thread: Childhood Memories.

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    Default Childhood Memories.

    Looking through the online news papers I saw an Obituary that gave the old grey matter a mighty jolt, the Obituary was for
    a childhood idol of min, Split Waterman has passed away aged 96 years, he was a speedway rider for the Haringay Racers.
    From 1950 on our little gang would go to Haringay Arena north London for the speedway racing, these daredevils on specialist
    built motorbikes would draw crowds of thousands of fans ust like football clubs do it was big business, the teams would line up
    on the cinder track with four riders per race, when the starting gate went up they took off by rising on their back wheels, down
    the straight and into the first bend taking the bend by sliding their bikes into broadsides, the races lasted for four laps, at times
    it was a heart stopping thing to watch and very thrilling, the smell of the fuel and cinders would hang in the air for ages and is
    unforgettable, there was two Aussie brothers in the team Vic and Ray Duggan, they were all big names in their day, after he
    retired Split Waterman turned rogue and got mixed up with gold and guns smuggling but I will always remember him as a racer.
    Another thing we went to at Haringay was the Roller Derby, an American event that was team tag racing on roller skates, it was
    more like all in wrestling on skates really and very entertaining , I also went to the Arena wit my brother in law sometimes to
    see the dog racing {that is where I learned gambling is a mugs game} the atmosphere was great and to watch the bookies doing
    their Tic Tac sign language was a treat in itself, it's surprising how an Obituary can trigger off so many memories. Cheers

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Hi Chris.
    Funny thing I hate motorbikes and car racing, but I remember Split Waterman, the things that lodge in the brain.
    Des

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    John, stiring the old brain again.
    Remember him, had forgotten him, but do recall dad going mad about him. Went to see so many of his races, one of the best at that time.
    But like so many of that era now all gone and forgotten.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Quote Originally Posted by happy daze john in oz View Post
    John, stiring the old brain again.
    Remember him, had forgotten him, but do recall dad going mad about him. Went to see so many of his races, one of the best at that time.
    But like so many of that era now all gone and forgotten.
    Yep all gone now John, Haringay Arena area is evidently now a shopping park with all the big name stores and car parks, a sign of the times
    I suppose, going back to the speedway riders, as said before Vic and Ray Duggan were brothers from Australia, Ray returned to Aus and
    rejoined the speedway racing clubs there, not too long afterwards during a race he had a collision with a friend and teammate, sadly they
    both died from their injuries. It's such a shame to see these places disappear as they were very much a part of our lives in the days before
    Television and all the home entertainment stuff that came into being. At Harringay Arena there was all of what I've previously mentioned
    plus Billy Smart used to bring his circus circus there also there was an ice skating rink for both professional ice hockey and when no
    matches were being played it was open o the public, I learned to ice skate there, there is probably many more events that were held
    there but I can't remember them now, another thing that has changed there is that for donkey's years Haringay is how it was spelt but
    now it has become Haringey for some reason ,can only say I'm glad I was able to enjoy what it had to offer, in what I
    consider to be "Better Days. Cheers

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    You are sop right there John, so many of the places we knew are now gone.

    There was a big Dog track in Catford, south London, now gone I am told had some great nights out there.
    Then there was a pool with small boats to hire just north of the same area.
    My mates father was the manager there so we had a great time without having to pay.
    I am told this is now a shopping center, just like so many other places we knew in a younger time.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Keith at Tregenna's Avatar
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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Closed in 2003.

    K.

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Quote Originally Posted by happy daze john in oz View Post
    You are sop right there John, so many of the places we knew are now gone.

    There was a big Dog track in Catford, south London, now gone I am told had some great nights out there.
    Then there was a pool with small boats to hire just north of the same area.
    My mates father was the manager there so we had a great time without having to pay.
    I am told this is now a shopping center, just like so many other places we knew in a younger time.
    you will need to move up here then John (if you can stand the cold), there are three dog tracks and two boating lakes within a 15 minute radius of my place.
    Sunderland dog track currently offers two drink vouchers, £1 jackpot bet, pie and peas supper, admission and race card all for £8.95 ( just under aus$17).

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Quote Originally Posted by happy daze john in oz View Post
    You are sop right there John, so many of the places we knew are now gone.

    There was a big Dog track in Catford, south London, now gone I am told had some great nights out there.
    Then there was a pool with small boats to hire just north of the same area.
    My mates father was the manager there so we had a great time without having to pay.
    I am told this is now a shopping center, just like so many other places we knew in a younger time.
    Boating lake reminded me of the Alexandra Palace, the Ally Pally was built in the 1870s as a "People's Palace" and was about four miles from
    our house, there was a huge boating lake with an island in the middle, in the school holidays we all went there and had great fun on the boats
    and the island which was out of bounds, one time the boat keeper rowed out and took our boat back, he was having a laugh with us and at the
    same time he was teaching us a lesson, he brought the boat back after a couple of hours and we never went on the island again, I used to go
    fishing there at times there was only small stuff such as roach and perch. They had a very good roller skating rink which we used every week
    had great times there chasing the girls, also I joined the Ally Pally boxing club when I was thirteen and stayed there until I left school at fifteen,
    they held a terrific public firework display every year and a huge fair would come there annually, I won a ten bob note on the hoola hoop stall
    when I was about twelve, I thought all my Christmases had come at once as it was a lot of money for a kid . Most will remember it for being
    a BBC broadcasting station but for me it was bit of a wonderland with so many things to do, we even took our trolles up there to race down
    the hills, we never seemed to be stuck for something to do we always made the most of our lives, so I find it hard to understand when I hear
    somebody say that kids get into trouble because they are bored, personally I think their problems go deeper than that, we have them in this
    area, throwing rocks at busses and even throwing eggs and aiming firework rockets at the police, I don't think that's boredom it's thugery. Cheers

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Ally Pally, long time since I last heard that.

    But there were a number of similar places around London, now all gone.
    But in those days the social connections were sound, the pub was often the center of the universe for many, working five nada half days a week, Saturday afternoon at the soccer, then night in the pub.

    But that is now gone in so many areas, times and tastes change over the years.

    Saturday morning at the cinema for six pence, what a great couple of hours we had in there.
    Kids of toady do not know what it is like to socialize in that manner. Too busy with the idiot phone.

    As for Sunderland, knew it well as a young lad, spent summers in East Bolden with my great aunt.
    Guy next door spent a lot of time at the dog track in Sunderland as he was a dog breeder.
    Wonderful memories of my misspent youth.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Childhood Memories.

    Hi everyone, can any of you 'southern gentlemen' remember the 'mock battles. that took place off Southsea beach a short while after the war. Landing craft, m.t.bs, soldiers, sailors, marines all taking
    part, and backed up with Vickers Supermarine Attacker jets, plus on times a gloucester meteor, and Vampires, guns being fired, you name it, they had it!
    Can't for the life of me what year(s) this took place, but perhaps a member who now lives in Waterlooville can help me
    Regards to all,
    Colin
    R684420

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