PS.
Hi Howard, how are you and where are you living
now?
HC/KB. I am in the best of health: I walk twice a
day (almost 2 hours in total) and go to the gym three times a
week in an effort to keep fit, as well as play a round of golf
every Thursday and go bush walking twice a month. I have lived
in Sydney since we arrived here in 1974, and it’s doubtful if we
will ever leave this great city.
PS. How did the name
‘Kid Bodie’ come about?
HC/KB. Bill Bridgett wanted me to ride in the
second half at Wolverhampton, so he offered me the loan of his
spare bike and I had to borrow some leathers. As I was at
Wolverhampton Grammar School at the time, he had to come up with
a nom-de-plume so that the school wouldn’t find out, and Kid
Bodie was the name he put in the programme. I found out when I
arrived at the track that afternoon!
PS. We’re you originally from
the Potteries?
HC/KB.No, I spent the first twenty-seven years of
my life living in Wolverhampton, the first twelve of which I was
within four hundred metres of Monmore Green Stadium.
PS. What do you remember
most about your riding days at Sun Street?
HC/KB. It was the team spirit and the way
everyone got on so well together that left the biggest
impression. After that came the supporters, who really did
follow you through thick and thin – although I seem to remember
that we lost very few matches at Sun Street.
PS. What do you recall of the
stadium?
HC/KB. The rough track with tight turns and the
fairly primitive changing rooms spring readily to mind. I can
also picture the grandstand and the inside of the bar, although
in those days I only drank soft drinks.
PS.
Did you ever ride at the Potters’ new home Loomer Road?
HC/KB. When I was recovering from a broken ankle
and a dislocated shoulder in 1973, Russ Bragg (a friend of many
years) let me use the track one morning when I thought I may
have been fit enough to get back in the saddle – I turned out
for Cradley on the following Saturday. I also had three match
races with Ivan Mauger during one of the meetings there, either
1973 or 1974 I can’t remember which; I think he won the first
race, but in the second he came off going into the third corner
so I pulled up and we had a restart. Believe it or not, he did
exactly the same in the rerun, but he waved me on when I slowed
down next time around, so we went to the third race which he
won. They were the only times I ever visited there even though
in those days I lived in Eccleshall, just a stone’s throw away.
We kept the Beehive Inn so, apart from actual race nights, my
evenings were fully organised.
PS. When did you retire from
Speedway?
HC/KB. I retired from speedway in England at the
end of the 1974 season with Cradley Heath. I then rode a season
over here at Liverpool, including one meeting two weeks after I
had my appendix out, and I think my last meeting was in March
1975. I sold my bike and never bothered getting another one for
the next season - I went back to playing football and cricket
again, and played both till I was in my mid-fifties.
PS. Do you stay in touch
with the sport?
HC/KB. No. When I retired I thought that the
safest way was to stay away from the track so that there was no
chance of being talked into racing again. There has been no
speedway in Sydney for a number of years; the last meeting I
went to here was that World Series round at our Olympic Stadium
– and I was bored out of my brain as no-one overtook all
night!! I am still in touch with the old manager of Liverpool
speedway and we have a get together a couple of times a year,
and I do meet up with old comrades whenever I travel. I belong
to the veterans’ associations in Australia, New Zealand and the
UK, and Reg or Bob Andrews keep me up-to-date with those who
depart this life.
PS.
What do you remember of your World Final appearance in 1969?
HC/KB. I remember quite a bit about it as it was
my only appearance in a final. I remember the incredible
atmosphere when we went out into the centre, and from memory,
the cars went the wrong way round for us! I missed every start
so most of my views were from the back. I was in the group that
“bumped” Ivan after his final ride to win the title – I met him
in my first race when I scored my only point. This is an action
clip from a paper of that first ride, don’t know which paper or
who sent me the clipping:
I
also remember that the chap on the pit gate wouldn’t
let me out after my final ride in case they wanted to measure
the size of my engine – when I told him I had come last with
only one point, he duly opened the gate for me!
PS. What was your
Mothers reaction when she discovered you were racing?
HC/KB. She knew a lot earlier than we thought.
She was totally
stoical about it and accepted the fact without any trouble at
all, she was like that.
PS. When was the last
time you were in Stoke?
HC/KB. I was in Stoke last September. I met my
wife at Stoke
speedway in 1962, she came from Shallowford which is near Norton
Bridge. Her immediate family live either in Stone or great
Bridgeford, so whenever we are over, we always visit them.
PS.
How did you feel about the
outcome of the
1963 Provincial League title?
HC/KB. At the
time I think I was like everyone else at Stoke, unable to
believe that anyone would stoop so low! As time proved, it was
not out of character for the person concerned – once I realised
that, I never lost any sleep over it. We all knew that a better
team existed than the one that “won/stole” the title. A pity
really, it would have been great to end the Sun Street days on a
high note, wouldn’t it?
PS
Who was your favourite team mate at Stoke?
HC/KB. They were all great, but I think that
Colin Pratt stood out especially when we were paired together in
1963. I also had a lot of time for Ken Adams, he really did try
to help anyone and everyone, he had everyone’s respect. And he
had married a girl, who came from Norton Bridge, and she now
lives virtually opposite my sister-in-law in Great Bridgeford.
PS. Who was the best rider you
raced against?
HC/KB. That really would have to be Ivan Mauger,
he still has the best record ever. He was so consistent for so
many years, although Ove Fundin did finish in the first three in
the World Championship for ten years running. And then there
was Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and Ole Olsen – it was a
fantastic time to be in speedway. I raced against all of the
above both in the UK and over here at Liverpool Speedway when
the promotors decided it would be great to have five world
champions on the programme on the same night (some time during
the 1970/71 season, I think).
