CHANGED DAYS

Hey, remember when we were all really, really scared of getting a virus – in our computers?

Changed days…….

My computer’s thankfully (like me) virus free, but in recent weeks it’s had quite a few strange messages..….

Now, not all folk who write to this blog (address below) are strange by any means, but a lot of strange people seem to feel a deep need to drop a line….

I would publicly exempt correspondents Jim, Raymond, Pam, George, Colin (no, not that one) and Barry – all of whom have recently contributed fair and interesting comments, but there have been others……..

Not just the usual suspects — loonies destabilised by gross quantities of impure homemade liquor and generations of profoundly unbiblical sex – but a couple from outwardly-normal people who violently disagree with points I’ve recently raised……

One writer (no names, no pack-drill) has taken great exception to my suggestion that speedway could do worse than having a few ‘extras’ such as fireworks or a bit of a carry-on during a meeting. I was accused of “wanting to turn speedway into a circus” and told in no uncertain terms that people don’t pay to watch fairground stunts. Just racing, nothing else. Well, to each his own – and that was one of the more-reasonable messages of the week!

Another enquiry last month regarded the music played at meetings. Well, this is an old chestnut. While one person may want hip-hop and house, the next one might hate that, and prefer light orchestral background ambience.

Over many years I’ve been involved in many consultations at various tracks when people have been canvassed about what music spectators might prefer to hear played during meetings. Over more than thirty years, yet the results have been amazingly constant.

Ten per cent of those questioned – every time, at every track – want to hear the latest, cutting-edge chart stuff. Another ten per cent were very clear in NOT wanting to hear that, preferring what we might call golden oldies. But the remaining eighty per cent have always told poll-takers that they didn’t give a flying flick what music is broadcast – they come to a speedway to watch bikes going sideways, not to dance at a disco!

I could add a wee story here about speedway music. A few years ago I was in New Zealand, to cover a Grand Prix. I was in the hotel in Auckland before the event, and in a lift with a few other folk. It was one of those swanky hotels where they play background musack – and there it was, the familiar melody of “Wheels”! As I smiled while listening, a Danish official who was there for the GP leaned forward and tapped me on the shoulder. “Ah!” he smiled. “Berwick Speedway music!”

So true. Wherever I am, if I hear a snatch of the String-a-Longs playing their biggest hit (#8 in the UK chart in 1961) I’m transported straight to a Shielfield Saturday night.

Actually, when Liz and/or Danny first chose the tune as our theme, the version they used was a cover, called “Wheels Cha-Cha” by Joe Loss & His Orchestra, which wasn’t as big a hit. I hated it – I thought it was dreadful. Indeed, it was so bad it wasn’t even within hailing distance of being dreadful.

It took another seven years before Dave Gifford joined the club, agreed with me about Mr Loss and sourced a copy of the original.

We substituted the String-a-Longs, to whom have rolled out our wheels ever since.

I mean, who ever wants riders dancing out to a cha-cha beat?
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Want to disagree with Dick (as so many do?). He is always happy to hear from interesting people at dick@crystalfm.co.uk