Speedway Museum Project We have now been fund raising for almost 3 months and are
within £100 of halfway to our target of £55,000. Our first track collection took place at Wimbledon and we
are now agreeing dates with a number of promotions for further track
collections to take place in July & August. The Rye House date has
been arranged for 23rd July
at The Vic Harding Memorial Trophy. We will try to attend tracks when a collection is arranged,
But may well not be able to make all. Perhaps it would be possible to
organise volunteer collectors on behalf of the fund. We have now been to Peterborough BMF, and Cardiff.
Beaulieu Motor Cycle World took place last weekend.
Together these events have helped to boost our funds. we have met
many enthusiastic people and made lots of contacts and offers of help.
The Speedway Museum Fund badges are now on sale at £4.00 Made in four
separate helmet colours on gold or silver. They will be available at
some track shops or post from the address below. We took the opportunity
to advertise many Speedway venues having been given leaflets and
promotional items from Wimbledon, Sittingbourne, Exeter, Somerset, Isle
of Wight and Poole. Lew
Coffin, now 83, also made a visit to our stall giving us a donation for
the fund and posters for a Sandbahn Rennen Meeting in Germany. We hope
too that those people who took leaflets for Paradise Wildlife Park
will visit and have a great day out with their family. Next we promote the fund at London City Airport Open Day on
16th July, start time 12 noon. We will be joined by The Men
In Black and also Wimbledon Speedway. We would love to see lots of
Speedway fans old and new on the day. Entrance is free. If any tracks
have any promotional items they
wish us to display please send to us. We have contacted a number of Speedway sponsors and have
had a limited response but we continue to explore every avenue and ask
all concerned with Speedway to spread the word. A list of sponsors from
each track would be a huge advantage to us. This was done by Mr. Tony Mole, and we were able to send to
all as listed immediately. We are still receiving many ideas from all sections
associated with Speedway for fund raising. This is something that could
be carried out locally by enthusiastic Speedway groups. If anyone has
time to organise an event at their local track i.e. quiz night or a
social fund raising event it would be a very positive input. Following our previous update we have had coverage in a
number of programmes and we thank those tracks. Any tracks who have not
so far been able to promote our project we would be very grateful if
they would please consider doing so in the coming weeks. This proposed
Speedway Museum is for the whole fraternity. A comprehensive and
accessible record with up to date technology showing our sport from 1928
to 2005 ever onwards. It can only be good for our image, as other major
sports have their own museum, and Speedway compares favourably. We are as ever very grateful to Peter Oakes who continues
to publish our progress in the Speedway Star, Tony Macdonald who
publishes Backtrack and VSM
Magazine, and Alan Hodkinson who updates many web sites, his wife Jackie
is setting up a website for the WSRA which will include updates for the
museum. There are many others assisting us in different ways with raffle
prizes, technical and legal help, assistance with the building,
materials too. They may not be in the public eye, but their help is
invaluable to us. WSRA member George Daubney is running a solo campaign
which, if successful, will mean we all know his name.
Many thanks to all.
May we repeat that regardless of prominence within Speedway
or socially, all donations will be accepted in complete confidence. No
amount will be disclosed but all donors will be acknowledged within the
museum. Please do not think you have to donate beyond your wish. Many
small amounts will build Speedways museum. While of course we do
appreciate that some of our ‘family’ have been very generous indeed. Every penny donated goes to building. Costs are met
separately. For further information please contact George Barclay 41
Lodge Ave. Dagenham Essex RM8 2JD.
Telephone 0208 592 3361
George Barclay |