JH: Birmingham’s Ben Taylor is my grandson, my daughter Rachel’s boy.
I like to keep an eye on him and see he’s okay!
It’s his first season out of the Conference League after three years at
Buxton.
HJ: I guess Ben’s involvement
has got you back involved then eh?
JH: Yes after all these years. I’m 77 and never thought l’d be back in
speedway.
HJ: Where do you live these
days?
JH: On my farm in Cleckheaton, near Halifax.
HJ: So when did you finish
racing then?
JH: That would be at the end of the 1954 season - a year after Stoke
closed down!
HJ: Who was that with?
JH: Coventry.
HJ: So you retired early then?
JH: Yes l did retire early - too early but there was a reason for it. I
had business commitments and l had to devote more time to that.
It was very much a case of which way was l going to go.
I worked with my father, sub-contracting coaches out locally in
Yorkshire.
We had about 90 of them, so it was no small business.
It was a good business and it was more important for my family that l
did that rather than ride speedway.
HJ: You would only be about 22
then would you?
JH: That’s right.
HJ: So who did you start
racing with and when was that?
JH: That would be in 1949 when Norma Booth opened up Halifax at The
Shay!
But l actually started in ‘48 doing second-halfs at Odsal under the
same management, of Brian and Norma Booth.
They were good times and l had three happy years there scoring well too
l might add.
HJ: Halifax closed in 1951 so
where did you go then?
JH: I had a full season in the Odsal team and then had a... well not
exactly a fall out but l left to join Stoke.
I wasn’t a top man, or a reserve l was what you would call these days a
second string, middle of the order rider.
The bought Dent Oliver and that signalled my release really.
HJ: So where did you go then?
JH: Well Vic Emms was my partner in the team when l was at Halifax and
he’d gone to Coventry.
He rang me one day and said Charles Ochiltree wanted to see me.
He wanted me on loan from Odsal so l went to ride for the Bees for a
season.
HJ: So what about Stoke - how
did the signing for the Potters come about in 1953 then?
JH: When l was with Halifax l always enjoyed riding at Sun Street.
It wasn’t an easy track to ride but l enjoyed it and seemed to do well
there, so coming to Stoke seemed the right move for me.
At the time Ron Peace was a big friend of mine and it was him really
who said l should speak to Stoke.
I wasn’t really bothered but he said he would speak to Les Gregory who
was boss at the time and l got the okay from Odsal and Stoke it was.
HJ: So how did things go for
you at Sun Street then?
JH: I can honestly say l enjoyed every minute of being a Stoke rider -
Sun Street was a tight track butt that suited me. I loved the tight
tracks. You had to use your brains to get round and that was fine with
me.
HJ: Do you remember any of your team mates back then in the Stoke side?
JH: Yes l rode with Don Potter, Ray Harris and Ken Adams and Johnny
Fitzpatrick.
HJ: What was it like riding
with Potter?
JH: Yes he certainly had a reputation in those days.
I always remember that he would walk into the dressing room and say:
’Whose the lucky lad riding with me tonight?’
We’d all say under our breath ‘oh l hope it’s not me!’
You never quite knew where Don was going, so it wasn’t easy partnering
him. He was a bit harum-scarum l think it’s fair to say.
