Cycle Racing Tracks in and around London 

Research from Peter Magnus

I was sorting-out recently after my daughter said “DAD sort out your stuff and mark where it has to go if anything happens to you, because I don’t want to sort it and Kevin (my son) will only throw it in the skip”.
So I was going through papers left to me by Harold Scott and came across a book wrapped in a brown paper cover; opened it and saw it was an A to  Z London map book, very old and out of date (1969), so I dropped it in the re-cycling box. It hit the edge and fell on the floor and the cover came adrift.

I picked it up and noticed a label stuck on the front of the hard back cover “LONDON CYCLE TRACKS”; opened up the book and found a typed paper listing all the cycle tracks that had been in London with their map reference. Looked the references up he had marked on the map where the track was situated. This must have taken some researching because there was a list of 27 tracks, and 7 just out side of London.

I have re-typed it bringing it up to date and included the indoor tracks and road circuits that I know. If there are any that you know are missing please let me know.

"Members Experiences":

I remember going to the White City on different occasions and events, other than cycling. On each of my visits I could quite clearly see the remains of one of the bankings that would probably have been the last one, leading into the home straight.

I rode at Paddington track and, much later, organised the first Friday evening meeting there, on behalf of the North London Division. I included a Madison that had five National Champions competing. The evening attracted so many spectators that the (Tuesday) night Track League moved their meetings to Fridays. The track had a narrowish grass track just inside the concrete and then a cinder running track inside that. The track was built under the orders of Hailsham’s father, then Mayor of the Borough. The cinder area was a shallow ditch, filled with water to freeze over in winter for ice-skating!!

I also rode on the Slough Track and, as a spectator, witnessed our late clubmate, Gerry Burgess, crash heavily. He broke his back, as far as I can remember, and never raced again.

There were many grass track events around the country. Not far from Gerry's GB Components factory was a small park where there was a regular weekly grass track league. I remember my visits there and having to use my car headlights to illuminate the track as the dark nights drew in!

There were also annual carnival grass track events included Watford Carnival Sports (my first ever track race there, when I rode against Don Wiseman, the then RAF Champion - it was a handicap race). Coupled with this was the Carnival track meeting in Hertford - where we all went to race to make a great weekend.

My club ran a number of grass meetings in Headstone - by North Harrow. I rode there too, and later, became the announcer.

The Dog Track in Staines staged an experimental grass meeting that included the top amateur sprinters and also Reg Harris and Arie Van Vliet. I rode there against Jackie Hyde (USA Champion), and Sid Patterson (Australia Champion) - I wasn't in their heats, but I fell off !! - Smashed my front forks and had to miss the first round of the National Pursuit Championship at The Hill the following week.
I'm sure I wasn't the only competitor who survived to join the PBC - Don McKellow, aka Solomon Pell, was a leading trackman in those long ago times and, of course, Johnny Dennis, aka Tom Cummins, was also a champion and a great rider behind tandems and the motors.

Later, as a track official, I went up to Suffolk to the Women's Grass Track Championship meeting. Another time I was invited to Fallowfield, Manchester to join the panel of judges for a meeting that included Reg Harris's "comeback" sprint in the National Championship that he won. I was honoured for I was the only judge from outside the local team.

I am beginning to wallow in old memories (and there's lots more) - just like an old man - but, of course, that's what I am. (80 now).

Kind Regards
Stan. (Joe, The Fat Boy).

PS I know that there are other great riders / ex-riders in the club, but I am really referring to the days when our dear Chelsea Pensioners were mere apprentices.