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Reg Fearman
Part
7 |
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Former
Halifax Dukes
Ron
Johnson- Plaque
Ian Hoskins
Ove Fundin and Family
The Split Waterman Story |
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Meeting Up With The Speedway Fraternity
Part 2 |
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2006/07
Australia
& New Zealand |
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We arrived in Valcros on Sunday eveninig 25
February 2007 after 14 weeks away. Our first stop was Singapore for
three nights where we did a tour of the island and visited what was Changi
Japanese PoW prison. 
My mentor Aub Lawson was in Singapore as a
despatch rider with the Royal Australian Signals when it was overrun by the
Japanese in 1941. He was lucky to escape by troop ship with hours to spare for
it only to receive a direct hit by enemy aircraft. The prison had been built
in the 1930s to hold 600 civilians, The Japanese put 6000 in there, among
them British and Australian troops. We paid our respects to the fallen at the
model of the prison church and left a message. We had been recommended to
visit Sentosa Island which we did. We went up in the corkscrew lift to the
top of the tower from where there were magnificent views over Singapore.
Despatch rider Aub Lawson
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We had a marvelous trip catching up with a lot
of ex riders, most of whom raced for me at one time or another. |
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The BBQ hosts
Mick McKeon and his charming wife Sue with Reg and Eileen Fearman. Mick McKeon put on a BBQ for us in Perth to which
about 9 or 10 ex-riders came with their wives.
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The Group At The
McKeon's BBQ |
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The group at the
McKeon's BBQ Reg Fearman Con Migro Mick ? Nev Riseley Colin McKee Kneeling
Mick McKeon Craig Pendlebury Bob Humphries Doug McKeon
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Reg & George
Craig |
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Reg with George Craig
- George raced at Dagenham pre war and after at New Cross, Bristol and
Plymouth before emigrating to Perth. He looked good for a 90 year old.
George died in May 2009 |
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Reg With Ex Ipswich Promoter
John
Berry |
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Reg with former Ipswich Promoter John Berry who emigrated to
Perth in the late 1980s |
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Reg, Colin McKee &
Craig Pendlebury,
Former Halifax Dukes |
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Reg &
Bob Humphries,
A Former Reading Racer |
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Colin & Trish McKee |
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Colin and Trish McKee whom we
stayed with, took us to Kwinana Speedway with all its different disciplines
of car racing. |
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Colin McKee,
Reg Fearman
&
Chum Taylor
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Chum Taylor &
Colin McKee |
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Chum Taylor Aussie
International: "The Claremont Express" and ex Southampton with Colin McKee
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Ron Johnson - Plaque |
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Reg says: Last year, Ron Johnson was voted by the West
Australian public their most successful sportsman ever. To this effect, a
plaque was presented to former Claremont and Kwinana Speedway Promoter, Con
Migro. I was proud to be asked to place this on Ron's grave in Karrakatta
Cemetery which I did on behalf of all Speedway fans. |
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Little, Johnson, Duggan,Parkinson. |
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Reg Fearman says: Hello John, I wish to share this photo with
you of a time long gone, as have the four gentlemen in the
photograph. Obviously on board ship either on the way to
England or to Australia. They are Wally Little, Ron Johnson,
Vic Duggan and Cliff Parkinson. Could be 1937 or 1947.
Cheers, Reg
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John Boulger |
In Adelaide, we stayed with John and Jackie
Boulger. John arranged a reunion in a very nice fish restaurant, to which
about 20 including riders wives were invited. We were very interested in
the old houses in Adelaide. John and Jackie took us to Mount Lofty which gave
beautiful views all over the City. They also took us out to the wine growing
country in the Barossa Valley. We had a tour of one vineyard, Seppelts,
which specialises in Port. They have one hundred year old at £1000 per
bottle which started coming on stream a few years ago. We were allowed to
sniff it in a very small bottle but no tasting. We bought a bottle of 20
year old and drank that in Sydney over the Christmas and New Year period.
John and Jackie
Boulger and Eileen listen
intently to the story of laying down of
the Port.
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Ray Cresp met us in Melbourne and had us stay
with him and his wife, Marion. Ray took us to Phillip Island to see
the 12
inch tall penguins come ashore at dusk. There were about a thousand of
them. They waddle up the beach and make for their burrows. I just do not
know how they know which burrow belongs to who. He also took us to the Superbikes race circuit and to a Koala reserve. |
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Ray Cresp ex racer for
New Cross Long Eaton and Wembley and Reg Fearman with centre Albert
Mitchell a junior at Stoke in the 1950s. Albert emigrated to Melbourne in the
1980s, he died shortly after our visit. Ray kindly drove Eileen and me out
to the Clinic in a Melbourne suburb. |
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| Sydney Harbour |
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On New Years Eve we booked dinner on a Harbour
cruise boat and saw the Harbour Bridge firework display at midnight on the
water, a truly magnificent spectacle. A couple of days before New Year,
we hosted a drinks party at the Manly Pacific Hotel for eight ex-riders and
their wives. |
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Jim Shepherd |
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Jim and Judith Shepherd
very kindly invited us for a traditional Christmas dinner at their
home - roast turkey and all the trimmings plus Christmas pud. They were perfect hosts to their 16 guests. Allan Quinn
kindly gave us a tour of some of the places we had not been to before in the
Sydney area finishing up for a nice lunch at the famous Doyle's Restaurant at
Watsons' Bay. We appreciated so very much him meeting us at Sydney Airport
and taking us to our hotel in Manly as well as doing the trip in reverse order
when it was time for us to leave for NZ. |
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Jackie Gates
80th
Birthday Lunch |
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The 80th Birthday lunch on 3 December for my old
pal Jackie Gates which we hosted on the Gold Coast was a huge
success. It was kept as a secret and surprise for over eight
months of organising from France. All the invited turned up
before 12.30 pm and were in place for Jack's entrance accompanied
by Bluey and Ann Scott. He just couldn't believe it. I had
spoken to him on the phone just two weeks before from Henley. We
have some wonderful photos of the event.( See Page ! ) The Album
of This Is Your Life contained 150 photos and a few write ups of
his career. He wondered how I managed to get them ----- the web
and e-mails are a wonderful thing. A 'Thank You' page was
included from those who had contributed. Thirty Six of us
including wives sat down for lunch, 2.30pm to 6. 30 pm, including
six times World Champion, Ivan Mauger, and his wife Raye. It
gave us as much pleasure organising the event over the eight
months as it did Jack being on the receiving end and we were most
appreciative of the support from all those invited. Later in
the week, Greg Kentwell gave us a tour up the coast to Sanctuary
Cove where the seriously rich people live. |
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Jackie On
"The Flyer"
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Jackie Gates on the
flyer. He had a lift by Bluey and Ann Scott to his surprise 80th on 3rd December 2006 |
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Bluey & Ann Scott |
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Bluey & Ann Scott on London Eye. In on the
secret 80th for Jackie Gates |
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We had over 5 weeks in OZ and managed to do
Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine, Alice and Ayers Rock. We visited the Flying
Doctor station --- the original -- and also the learning by wireless and
computer for the children who live on cattle stations 300/ 400 kms away. We
learned much including the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in 1941 where
over 250 people were killed in the bombings. |
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We are indebted to Colin and Trish McKee, Bluey
and Ann Scott, John and Jackie Boulger, Ray and Marion Cresp, and Bob and
Lynda Andrews who shared their homes with us and turned on the hospitality, we
thank them all so much. |
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It was a wonderful trip and wonderful to meet up
with so many of our old friends and colleagues. |
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"Squire" |
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The Split Francis Waterman Story |
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Hi
John,
Plenty has been written about Split over the years - as requested
a few lines from me.
Cheers Reg.
Squire Francis Waterman.
Known as 'Split' Waterman he was much more than a speedway rider
of the 1940s and 1950s. Split was born at New Malden Surrey in
July 1923 and passed away in October 2019 at his home near Malaga
in Spain, he was 96 years of age. Split and his wife Avril had
lived in Spain for many years.
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Where does one start to write about Split Waterman, so much has
been written about him over many years.
I had known Squire since 1949 when I raced for West Ham and he for
Wembley. He along with Freddie Williams was subpoenaed to
appear in a Manchester Court in 1950 when I was accused of being
the father of a child born to a local girl. They both denied the
charge and I was found guilty (the full story is in my
Autobiography Both Sides Of The Fence). Several years before he
passed on Split told me the name of the person he claimed to have
been the father of that child.
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The life that Split had you could not make up. He was a wartime
soldier in WW11 and saw service in North Africa and Italy where he
was wounded. It was also in Italy where he started to race on a
dirt track on stripped down Army motorcycles. From there it was to
Wembley in 1947 and a most successful career as a professional
speedway rider. He qualified for five World Finals between 1950
and 1954 all staged at Wembley. Split's best performance was in
1951 when he was second to Jack Young and 1953 when he was second
to Freddie Williams. He became a racing nomad which saw him
race for no less than eight clubs, five of them in London, during
his career 1947 to 1962.
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Squire married Avril Priston in 1970 at Caxton Hall in London, by
then they had been together for a number of years.
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One
will never know the reason why Split resorted to criminal
activity. Was it the thrill of overstepping the law, easy money or
mixing with the 'the other world'. Whatever, he paid the penalty
on several occasions with prison sentences for smuggling Gold
Bullion and counterfeit money. When the police raided Avril's
house at Bedfordshire in 1968 they found rifles and automatic
machine guns that Split 'had stored'. He was also named as an
associate of the infamous Kray twins when it is said he showed
them an attaché case that could be used with a hypodermic needle
protruding from it containing poison. |
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All that is far from the Split Waterman that I knew. When Eileen
and I lived in the South of France it was an easy drive down to
Malaga to visit Squire and Avril for a few days. We would
talk on various topics and have lunch or dinner at one or another
of his favourite restaurants.
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In 2000 I suggested to the WSRA that we invite Split as Guest of
Honour to the Dinner. He and Avril duly attended. During the
afternoon Split kept everyone in the lounge bar enthralled with
his tales of life outside of speedway racing, he was a most
popular guest.
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Squire & "The Firm" |
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Reg continues:
Having lived life to the full Split passed away in his sleep on
the 8th October 2019. I remember on one visit to Squire I
mentioned that at one time I had a motorboat. He said that could
be good news as he could pick up 'a bit of business' in North
Africa. Could I take a boat across the Straights of Gibraltar to
Tangier. I replied not likely on two counts, 1. I wouldn't want to
spend 'time' in Tangier and 2. I have never sailed more than a
mile off the coast at any one time. He told me that at one time he
was 'gun running' in Africa and was lucky to escape with his life
when discovered by the State Security Police. |
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Split &
Jack Young |
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Courtesy of Reg Fearman |
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There is no doubt that Squire Francis Waterman lived life to the
full, I am pleased to have known him for no less than 70 years.
Regards: Reg
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Split and Avril Waterman VSRA Honoured
Guest 2002 |
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Split and Avril entertaining the Fearman's in Spain |
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Split with a Harringay race jacket |
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Ronnie Moore,
Geoff Mardon
Ian Hoskins &
Bob Andrews |
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After New Year we moved on to N.Z. for three
weeks flying into Christchurch where we met up with Ronnie
Moore, his mum and Geoff and Val Mardon. Val put on a super
dinner for the six of us. We drove down to Dunedin and
met up with Ron and Josie Johnstone. We did some of the places we
had not been to before in the South Island and then drove up to
the North Island calling in on the way to Ian Hoskins at Waitara,
near New Plymouth. Ian took us to see the house in which his
father Johnnie was born - Johnnie the father of speedway
racing. In Auckland, we stayed with Bob and Lynda Andrews.
Bob put on a reception for us at the Auckland Returned Soldiers
Club. Another 20 ex-speedway riders turned up, some I raced
against and some who raced for me. Some of the wives came along
too. |
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Adelaide,
Melbourne 2006 |
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Geoff
Mudge Charlie Monk ? Reg Fearman Dennis Gavros Robin Admundson John
Boulger Brian Elliott Dene Davis Kym Admundson
Malcolm Mackay says: I am the person shown as
the question mark next to Charlie Monk
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"WAGS" Of The Above Riders
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Geoff & Pam Mudge
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Charlie Monk &
Sue Gavros
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Dennis & Sue Gavros
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John & Jackie
Boulger,
Eileen Fearman & Father Christmas
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Eileen With The
Little Penguins
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Ray Cresp &
Eileen Fearman With Sleeping Koalas In The Tree
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A better shot of
the sleeping Koalas the little fella on the left looks like he has had a
night on the Fosters
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Manly Hotel, Sydney
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Peter White Editor and owner of
the Australian Speedway World, Howard Cole who emigrated to Sydney having
had an excellent career in British speedway, he is now retired from being a
lecturer and school master, Reg Fearman, Colin Quinn brother of Allan and
husband of Aub Lawson's daughter Rosemary, Jim Shepherd owner of the
"Phantom" comic and Australian speedway historian, Front row :- Allan Quinn
ex St Austell and Harringay, Peter Speerin a champion sidecar racer, Lionel
Benson formerly with the Leicester Hunters at Blackbird Road in the 1950s
Jack Helbeck another exponent of three wheel racing.
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The whole group at the Manley
Hotel reunion just days before Christmas 2006. It would seem that most
former speedway riders from Sydney, when they retire they move up to
Queensland to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.
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Queensland
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Bert Kingston, Reg, &
Nigel
Boocock
On
The Gold Coast, Queensland |
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Dinner At
Moreton Bay |
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Dinner at
Moreton Bay "The Boys" with wives. John Lawson son of Aub, Greg Kentwell,
Nigel Boocock Bert Kingston
John Titman Eileen Fearman, John and Daphne Lawson's daughter Sasha. |
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"The Girls" At
The
Moreton Bay Dinner |
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"The Girls" at
the Moreton Bay Dinner: Daphne & Sasha Lawson Cynthia Boocock Eileen
Fearman Lynette Kingston
Anne Titman Claire Kentwell Moreton Bay. |
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Eileen Fearman,
Bert & Wife Lynette Kingston,
Nigel & Cynthia Boocock |
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Greg Kentwell &
Eileen Fearman |
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Greg Kentwell and Eileen Fearman. Greg who raced for me at Halifax kindly
took us on a tour of Sanctuary Cove on the Sunshine Coast, where he says
the seriously rich people live. Greg has three Dredgers working along the
coast, pumping sand back on to the residents private beaches after the
Typhoons pass. |
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Greg Kentwell
At
Home |
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Greg Kentwell at home. Greg stands
outside his Pole House at Noosa Sunshine Coast. A Pole house Is
constructed by the tree trunks being inserted in the ground and then the
house being built on the top some eight feet above ground. The space
underneath keeps the house cool and is handy for storage and keeping the
car out of the sun. |
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Greg
Kentwell & Eileen Fearman
On The Trip
To Sanctuary Cove
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New Zealand
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Bob Andrews,
Len Perry Speedway & Road Racer,
With Reg Fearman In Auckland NZ |
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Bob Andrews
Len Perry Speedway & Road Racer International Reg Fearman Auckland Bob Andrews is
secretary of the
New Zealand Veterans Association. The late Len Perry an International
speedway rider and an Isle Of Man T.T. racer he
also sponsored many riders from his Auckland Motor Cycle Showrooms. |
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Bob Andrews &
Roy
Trigg,
Auckland NZ |
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Bob Andrews
Roy Trigg Auckland. Roy Trigg raced for
Hackney Oxford
and Wimbledon with great success, he emigrated to NZ in the 1980s |
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Bob
Duckworth,
Reg Fearman &
Bob Andrews
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Bob Duckworth raced for Belle Vue for
most of his career, although he did serve a spell further north at
Newcastle. It was at Southampton that he was involved in a big
accident and sailed through the chain link wire fence. The heel of
his foot caught on something sharp which sliced off the heel of his
boot and the heel of his foot. The track doctor was Doctor Biaggi
(an accomplished surgeon) who found Bob's heel on the greyhound track
and travelled with him to hospital, took him into the operating
theatre and made an excellent job of replacing the heel. From then
on Carlo was known as the "miracle" Doctor and up until his death
in Scotland in recent times, hundreds of speedway riders travelled
from all over Britain to be treated by him. |
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Eileen
Fearman With
Ron & Josie Johnston |
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Eileen
Fearman Ron and Josie Johnston. Ron a Kiwi International known as the
"hard" man spent his racing career with
Belle Vue. Ron in July 2009 has underwent major stomach surgery. He
ran a very successful transport business in
England before retuning home and raising sheep. |
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Johnny &
Son
Ian Hoskins |
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Ian Hoskins with Ian's father Johnnie Hoskins'
home in the background
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| Ian was born in Australia and never had British naturalization. Ian went
to live in his fathers home town in New Zealand, Waitara, which is in the
South Western part of the North Island. We called to see Ian on our drive
North and he took us to see the house where his father, Johnnie Stark
(not many speedway pundits know JSH's middle name) Hoskins
was born in 1892. The house built of Kauri timber is as good today as it was
in the day it was built. I thought it was a part of speedway history and
should be photographed and placed on record. When Johnnie went to Australia
as a young man he only returned once to his former home. |
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Reg With Ian Hoskins
In 2007
At Ian's Home In Waitara NZ
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Reg with Ian Hoskins in 2007 at his home in Waitara New
Zealand in January 2007
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Ove Fundin & Family
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Anna, Ove Fundin, Eileen Fearman,
Stefan son of Anne Marie and Totte Fundin
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Eileen Fearman,
Ove & Brother
Totte Fundin
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| Some of the Fundin family :- Torsten
known as Totte is Ove's brother and a year younger. It is he who
in the early days of Ove's career used to drive all over the
Continent transporting Ove's Speedway, Grass Track and Long Track
machines from their home in Tranas, Sweden to Marmande in France,
Lonigo in Italy and many other racing venues. Ove would arrive at
the nearest airport usually from England on a Sunday morning having
raced at Norwich the previous night. |
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| Ove
has always been keen to retain his fitness and plays golf most days
and thinks nothing of walking the five miles to our nearest village
to post a letter !! For his 65th birthday in 1998 he decided to
cycle from La Londe in the South of France to the Fundin's family
home of Tranas some 2,200 kilometres distant. The trip took him
just 21 days. He arrived to a large welcoming party in the centre
of the town led by Joanna who had flown from the South of France to
be there on his arrival. |
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For his 70th birthday Ove decided to walk a part of the way from La
Londe to Tranas so took the train from Toulon to Lille and then
started walking to Tranas which has a population of 13,700 people
and a history that can be traced back 4000 years. The small
country town is situated between Jonkoping and Linkoping. Tranas
used to be the centre of the fur trade and the Fundin family
business was as furriers. The "walk" was some 1,000 kilometres
which took 21 days to complete. |
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Totte, Anne Marie
& Eileen |
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Totte, Anne Marie and Eileen (Good
night Eileen) Sorry that's "Goodnight Irene, Good Night Irene I'll see
you in my
dreams". - Just an old song sung by Eric Chitty. |
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Ove Fundin
5kr Postage Stamp |
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Ove Fundin 5kr stamp Issued in 2002,
which was several years before that of Ivan Mauger's in New
Zealand. |
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Helen & Ove's Son Niclas Fundin,
Eileen & Reg
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%20002.jpg) |
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Totte
(Torsten) and Anne Marie Fundin |
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Reg Fearman 8 |
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| The contents of the site are © and should not be
reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. The contributors to this site
gave the pictures and information on that understanding. If anyone has
any issue or objections to any items on the site please
e-mail
and I will amend or remove the item. Where possible credit
has been given to the owner of each item. |
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