Fifth California-in-England Reunion
By Stuart Towner

The Display of Machines

As organisers of this event, Friends of Speedway were more than pleased that their prayers had been answered for good weather and what a great day it turned out to be. Initially followers were slow to attend but all of a sudden the venue was buzzing with people arriving and meeting old friends and making new ones too.

With not quite so many of the old riders being able to attend over previous years the organisers was immensely grateful when 'Mr. Fearless' Reg Fearman arrived now he is back in this country. Many photos were taken and folk wanted a souvenir snap with Reg who is still an icon of promoting speedway over the years in England. It was suggested to him that if he was still at the helm of British speedway things would certainly be a lot better - to which he responded with that wry grin and a twinkle in his eye!

Reg Fearman

Stories were being swapped, tales were told and many 'old lies' were being re-lived. The local press was in attendance with reporters from two newspapers plus the scribe from Friends of Speedway taking useful contact addresses from folk who remembered the venue from those halcyon days of speedway at the park to be used in a forthcoming book.

With the event getting going a bit late it was well after 4pm when the last people left and the organisers could clear up and pack away their displays.

All smiles from the left; Jim Gleed, Reg Fearman, Eric Hockaday, Terry Stone, Dia Davies, Pete Rogers and Eric Jolly.

Thanks go to everybody who came to make it an enjoyable day, but especially to Tim Templeton who gave his time coming up from Poole with his display of bikes and body colours, to John and Pauline Kerrison from deepest Kent with their display and to Neil Roberts who combined his trip from Ireland to attend as his Father, Neil used to practice there all those years ago.

This article was first published on 4th November 2010

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