Feb 17
- 10:21
- Posted by Robert Garbutt
- comments (3)
Herne Hill has a future
Great news this week that Herne Hill has been saved. There are so many links, personally and professionally, between CW and the South London track that it would be unthinkable that the last remaining venue from the 1948 Olympics could be torn down.
At long last The Dulwich Estate has agreed to a long-term lease and the £300,000 resurfacing work can get underway in time for some racing this season.
With the Herne Hill Trust now awarded charitable status the next phase is to find the £5 million needed to rebuild the stand and other facilities.
Herne Hill was where I first witnessed bike racing when I was given tickets to the 1972 Good Friday meeting for my 13th birthday. A year later I was back again to ride the afternoon schoolboy training sessions on those terrible blue hire bikes.
I recall several incidents including a snowstorm during a very long distance race, a duck invasion in the back straight of a sprint and a particularly loud front puncture which saw me ride into the long jump sandpit.
With CW I reported some of my very first events at the Hill and even managed to win a magnum of Champagne in the raffle at the Moët & Chandon meeting one hot Wednesday night.
Happy memories. Let's hope there will be many more.
Robert Garbutt is editor of Cycling Weekly
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skippy
February 17 11:56
Blogging as Parrabuddy i wrote up the need to assist Herne Hill in December 2010 . Pleased to see Dulwich Estate has granted the Long Term lease needed to bring this Venue back to life ! Now Londoners need to see that the 2012 Stadium continues as a Landmark after the Paralympic Games instead of being kicked around like a football. Too often the man in the street is disregarded by those making "money saving discisions" ! Was the Olympic Games in London necessary with the Eurostar available For travel to Paris? Londoners built the Stadium for the Future not as a temporary structure !
Peter Reed
February 23 09:41
wonderful news, speaking as somebody who did Monday comp. in the 50's and actually road a Madison with Cyril Peacock on a couple of occasions. saw Fausto Coppi at "THAT" meeting, etc , etc. And yes I am in my late 70;s and still riding.
gerry oates
February 25 17:46
At home in Manchester we regularly frequented Fallowfield after WW11 but this track has been built upon since.We had our own world champion (Reg.Harris) and had lots of entertainment.That is what we wish for everyone who can use Herne Hill.Here in Portsmouth there is a concrete track which I think could benefit from resurfacing.Anyone agree ?