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Dog tracks in london
Dog tracks in london
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Mr Memory, back at the Hilton, and flying back to-morrow, but think I could well be here again next month. Isleworth was boys only, so no luck for me there. Our twin school was the Green school for girls at Busch Corner, near Syon Park, but the local convent girls were 'nicer'. I moved away from the area soon after leaving school, my job then took me away, and my first dogs visit as a worker was Cardiff in 1965 or 1966. I eventually married a Danish lady, and still am, who is also very competent in that area, and most supportive in difficult times, we are lucky.
Thanks for all your insider memories, and to Whitmarsh too; as I have said on other threads, it is a shame it could not all be collated into a history of Greyhound Racing's characters. |
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My wife went to the Green School. She reckons the girls from the convent school were little tarts[;)] She reckons that is what you liked about them.
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Ron-Russian
There was a dog track behind the Hare & Hounds pub in Lea Bridge Road Walthamstow in the 60’s. My Sister took the family pet, a lurcher named Johnny, and won a race there. |
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Eastmead, how could she?! I merely meant that they were more friendly at Gumley House! The nicest convent girls I met were on a school winter holiday, where we shared a hotel with girls from St Vincent's (I think) convent: which was next to Victoria station. Did an early morning milk/grocery bicycle round to remote areas in the borough in all weathers before school to save for that. Well worth it, as I fell in love for the first time! Our footy and rugby pitches were next to the Green School, and their hockey pitches.
I used to go plane spotting at Heathrow, and sat on the top deck of the 81B bus, hoping to catch a glimpse of a race at Harlington Corner. The track site later to become a bowling alley and a hotel. 'Fings ain't wot they used to be'! |
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"happysandwich"............Leyton Football Club played on the ground behind the "Hare & Hounds" in the 1950s.
"expat".......My wife used to play netball agaist Gumley House. My son played in a two day game on the Savannah in the early 1980s. A three week tour with the Middlesex Schools which cost £300(subsidised by the taxpayer for ethnic reasons). The pavilion? was on the other side of the main road.....a useful grounding for when he played for Mitcham in later years. Chris Lewis & the son of Terry Dyson, the former Spurs winger, were in the team. Ian Bishop, later to open the West Indies bowling, was in the opposition. |
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She could expat- she bought me my first greyhound pup as an engagement present.
I see you mentioned Drayton Manor in your earlier post,that was my school. |
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"eastmead"......Was the Mr.Cherry there in your time?
We managed to beat Drayton Manor in my last season, despite all his efforts. |
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Yes he was the games master. Bob Cherry I seem to remember, whether Bob was his real name or one we gave him I am not sure.
I usually avoided school matches as they were on Saturday and I was an avid Brentford fan and prefered going there. |
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Mr Memory, I'm afraid it would be a case of rain stopped play on the Savannah this morning. I hope your wife found her opponents from Gumley House were nice girls!
I was also a Brentford fan, my Granddad took me there when I was little. I used to alternate Saturdays with Hounslow. At Isleworth we played rugby in the first winter term, and football in the second. I think that Drayton were on our football network. Our games were always in the morning. An alumnus of Isleworth was Steve Wilkinson, who went on to play first class cricket for Somerset in the late 60s/ early 70s, I believe. He went on to become a Racecourse bookmaker on the southern circuit. |
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My first Brentford game was in 1943.
Bring back Harry Curtis. |
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you old gits he-he
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An old git indeed chrisjake, 63 in April. Age though is a relative thing, and all I can say is that I am grateful to have lived and enjoyed myself for so long. I have seen many good 'uns go early, and not enjoy longevity, and it becomes more frequent to hear about them as we get older. I hope that you live to enjoy a long one too, do what you can now!
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Mr Memory, I was 8 when I first went to Brentford, I was placed at the front on the New Road side, which meant my face was level with the pitch! It was against Colchester in D3S, and one of their fans brought on a dog on to the at half time, and performed tricks. When I was a bit older, I upgraded to standing on the Braemar Road side, changing ends to always watch the Bees attacking.
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one of the best trainers in the land comes from Greenford....
Terry Dartnall know the area well ,Ravenor Park , Cardinal Wiseman ,happy days |
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"masked magician".............Ferrymead Avenue.
His brother, Geoff, was in my brothers form at Greenford. |
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mr m,
yes oldfield lane turn right at the church opposite british legion. wish i could go back in time - i went to Visitation school. went on to live in hillingdon , watch the planes from stockley park ! |
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Masked Magician, our offices are near Stockley Park. I used to cycle there with friends in the school holidays, to go fishing on the canal. There was a small humpback bridge, with a pub near it. It was almost countryside then!
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"masked magician"..............I am not far away.....Ickenham....can watch the planes from Northolt Aerodrome.
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expat & mr m,
one of the 1st aeroplanes i saw was Myrtown at White City! loved the Xmas Holiday ,Flip Your Top era. always remember the buzz when Ger McKenna sent over his Derby runners. |
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I lived away from London in my early days, so Dolores Rocket was my first on returning to the area for a while. Rocket by nature too I remember. I think she produced a very fast time. Owned by the White brothers I think. To be honest it was difficult to drag me away from Slough then, even for a Derby final!
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Roy Dwight was a top quality P E teacher in South east London, still using the slipper in the eighties as I recall, took no c r a p p that man.
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Mr Memory do you remember Sid Waite, used to be at Slough and Stamford Bridge.
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"Southwark Star".......I am afraid that I do not.....Tommy Barham & Tom Allsop are the only bookmakers that come to mind at Stamford Bridge.
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happysandwich Joined: 06 May 10
Replies: 40 28 Jan 11 23:43 Ron-Russian There was a dog track behind the Hare & Hounds pub in Lea Bridge Road Walthamstow in the 60’s. My Sister took the family pet, a lurcher named Johnny, and won a race there. Thanks Happy, i've not been reading this thread lately |
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Southwark Star- You don't by any chance mean Sid White who made a book at Stamford Bridge. He was the brother of John White senior and my father clerked for him there.
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Sid Waite was a small man about 5 3 in height a dog man all his life and a fine judge, he was a good friend of Jim Leyton and could read his grading to perfection.
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Mention of Steve Wilkinson,racecourse bookmaker....now there was a nice guy...havent been to the track for a while so guessing he may have retired hurt...speaking of which we(racecourse layabouts)play an annual cricket match against the quiet posh Odiham Cricket Club in Hampshire,Bob Butchers the Mirror racing guy was President....Steve would open the batting for years,get 100 and retire totally knackered,while the rest of us got about 80-100 between us..a few footballers like Alan Ball and Tommy Langley would show up,gratis of course....we also used to play the horsey lot at football...Hayes Town....in our team were...Brian Robson,Peter Borota(Chelsea keeper)Eric Clapton,Phil Collins along with Tommy and Alan...the layabout also had son of dog bookie Leslie Spencer ,Nigel...Fred Honour would as usual buy more than his share of raffle tickets..
I never knew there was an Edgware track...any idea where it was...?must have closed way before my time.... Jonto was a legend..I will ask if there any stories...the one with him having 6 dogs in a race is new on me..my guess is he would have pretty close to Joe Chamberlain and Toffee Prince...Sam The Barber would have been involved in a few coups at Watford also....there was talk of a good coup at Luton with Albert Dimes...sometime after my father spent some time with Albert and George Raft...who was in London on some missionary work..little Ebby would have been around the group and legend has it Ronnie Corbett was the court jester for a time(he worked a lot at Danny La Rues club,which had a high percentage of racing guys as clients) Aaaron and Billy Corcoran must have been around in Jontos time....Aaron called me a few months back and he aint doing that great...no idea what Billy is doing..funny enough the talk here late last night was of the Corcoran clan...there were dozens....they liked a party and then all had a fight after Has anyone here any news of London track regulars Dougie and Brian Matthews....the two names White and Cyril put it in my head..as they were related and ran the Wembley pitch with him Great read as always ... |
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"celticgr".........A recent triple dead heat has hit the headlines, but I remember one at Luton in the days before photo finishes.
The reason that the third dog was included in the winners may have been due to it being owned by Mr.Dimes. |
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"celticgr".......Edgware Straight was situated at Brockley Hill, not far from the Aldenham Bus Depot.
The owner was Mr.S Deegan & it was managed by E.Dinas. The races were run over 200 & 300 yards. A trainer friend from Owlerton won a £1000 open there. |
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This is a fantastic thread
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aldenham bus depot is now a hideous business park and the old dog track a poxy car boot sale site
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celticgr: I chatted to Steve at a sparse AW Kempton meeting a couple of years ago. He was on the rails, not doing a lot, and I think was comtemplating giving up, as had become disillusioned. Steve's dad was a sports master in Heston, and I think played for Hounslow CC, so Steve had a good grounding in cricket coaching, and was also an above average footballer. Steve's dad used to help him on track, along with Johnny Black.I had the fortune to play with Steve in the school teams at Alexandra Primary school in Hounslow, and we later both went on to ICGS in Osterley.
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A lovely thread. I went to a funeral last week, and many of the old faces from the Wick were there. Bookies, trainers, and punters.
Terry Ramsden included, still much the same, and still hovering round companies on the AIM; I hadn't seen him or many of the others in years; shame its funerals that bring us together. good luck to all. |
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Mitcham Greyhound Stadium was close to Tooting & Mitcham Football Club in Sandy Lane off Steatham Road. I think the dogs might have started in September 1937, but not sure.
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Expat
thanks...intend going soon so will look him up...poor old Johnny Black....tried to help them with a few market moves years ago...he died far too young..never knew his Dad was a sports master.. Mr M AMAZING AS USUAL Terry Ramsden....there was a guy who could have a bet |
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20 Rye House ???
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Amazing to see some of these names but it makes you think that why did so many close in the fiftys and sixtys...cant blame betfair or fobts for this...thought the real decline started in the eightys but looking at them names and dates it started well before then
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"Mr Stupid".........The advent of betting shops initially slautered the attendances at matinee tracks like Park Royal....then came the realisation that the land was worth more than the greyhounds.......i.e. Wandsworth.
A hotel was built on Harlington Corner, Ladbroke Leisure built on Luton & Clapton, Salford & West Ham became housing sites....Hendon ended up under the M1. |
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Mr Memory can you remember Gloucester Peter, he was a regular at Slough and Wimbledon for many years and was a very good judge of dogs.
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"Southwark Star"....I am sorry, but I cannot place him.
The one man that I can remember from Wimbledon (plus Ascot, Kempton etc.)was Stan......always on the lookout for a free pint & seldom without a glass in his hand. |