It's been another scorching day at Blunsdon with no sign of any rain at all. Fortunately the supplies of water are topped up and we are able to get on with watering the track very early indeed, just after the fences have been inflated and while Mick Richards is still cleaning them with his pressure washer.
At this stage in the morning all we were concerned about was getting water through the top racing surface and into the base in the hope that the two would bind properly.
What we weren't expecting was the imminent arrival of Speedway Control Bureau track inspector, Colin Meredith, who was to carry out a full inspection prior to the crunch meeting with early season pace setters, Coventry.
One aspect that the new "high profile" nature of the sport has brought is the need for smartly attired track staff and officials. Above, left, Assistant Clerk of the Course, Andrew Reynolds looks out across the desert wastes of Blunsdon decked out in smart white shirt, official tie and identification tag.
On the right we see Robert Nobbs dressed in the newly sponsor kit for the track staff, thanks to Profile Shopfitters. Whether the new blue kit, that also includes a fleece, will permanently replace the old red leathers synonymous with Swindon is yet to be seen.
Most of our work today has been keeping the track moist. We did get the big blade out early on to re-shape the entrance to turn 1. A close inspection showed that while the holes on the entrance to turn 1 at the start of the season have been successfully plugged, a groove was beginning to form mid turn 1. Once the blade had taken away the edges of the groove, Punch and I filled in the gap with fresh shale while Gerald used the big blade to tyre pack it into place.
In fact, everything was going well, perhaps too well, when two bomb shells dropped in early afternoon - the drive shaft that powers the pump on the main water tanker sheered, thus stopping us from using by far our most effective watering system - and we received a telephone call informing us of the official track inspection.
In a previous existence the mention of the word "Inspection" was sufficient to render me a quivering wreck. You know that you are doing everything within your power and scope to get everything done properly but there is always the nagging doubt that you will have overlooked something important - familiarity breeding contempt, so as to speak. In education there was also a feeling that : "Those who could, did; those who couldn't, taught; those who couldn't teach, taught teachers; and those who couldn't even manage that, became inspectors!"
We are nervous. Gerald attempts to take the pressure off by saying that as far as he can tell, we are doing a good job, but Punch and I detect just a little tension. We don't want to let Gerald down so we carry out all manner of rigorous checks on pumps, fences, safety measures - anything and everything.
While this frenetic activity continues, the pits is populated by bikes, mechanics, riders, mountains of tools and kit, wives, girlfriends, Rory Schlein's dog, and the mass ranks of families Richardson and Adams.
Colin Meredith poses for the Blog's ace photographer with Terry Russell. They both seem happy with the world and word soon filters down that the inspection has gone well and there will be no nasty surprises to rear up and bite our collective bottoms.
As the track staff enter that quiet period of the late afternoon when all we can do is monitor the moisture in the track, Mick Hunt, Clerk of the Course and the man responsible for the lighting the fusillade of fireworks at the end of each meeting, is rushing round the pits filling in all of the necessary paper work for the SCB.
Things are happening out on the centre green. Brian Cox and Len are checking up on the bindings that keep the centre green advertisements in place. It would not be looked upon lightly if a race had to be stopped by an errant low flying banner!
Down by the starting gate things are looking more sprightly and bright than in previous weeks. Local businessman Andy Nurden, in addition to sponsoring Lee Richardson, has kindly sponsored the provision of flowers and shrubs in the half barrels near the start line. Sponsorship is a vital part of our sport and this is an example where the sport and business can work together effectively for the benefit of both sides.
In addition to the advertising on the front of the barrels, Andy has a banner on the air fence advertising his building trade and garden centre business. The banners on the air fence not only bring in much needed and valued financial support but also serve to bind the fence panels together effectively and thus prevent a rider from slipping between two panels in the event of a crash.
One of the jobs of the rakers during a meeting is to keep the banners as clean as possible, and where that is simply not possible, to remove shale covered ones and replace them with new ones.
Two characters of Swindon Speedway arrive in the pits, one very much a current member of the administrative staff and one simply a legend.
On the left is Rob Bamford, best known perhaps for his excellent range of speedway related books, but known to us as the Robins' Statistics man and the person behind the matchday programme (second placed in last year's Speedway Star programme competition).
On the right is simply one of the nicest men you could ever have the pleasure of meeting - Dave Prowse. For many years Dave was the Commercial Manager at Swindon Speedway and was responsible for the vast amount of commercial backing that the Robins have enjoyed over the last two decades. Dave retired two years ago, handing the commercial reins over to Paul Oughton. Dave hasn't appeared at Blunsdon too often recently so it was a particular pleasure to stop and have a chat with him. People like Dave Prowse are the bed rock of our beloved sport.
The meeting is most satisfactory. The Robins bring a halt to Coventry's unbeaten record and the racing is described in the press later as "sensational" and "the best seen at Swindon for many a year". Of course, most of the plaudits go to the riders, and deservedly so ... but it would be nice if the men from the press would acknowledge, as Rob Bamford does in his match report, that it takes a good surface to enable speedway racing of that quality to take place.
At the end of a meeting the track does look a bit sad. The loose shale has piled up so high on the air fence that the kickboards have disappeared, and this despite the fact that we clear the shale from the kickboards after each race! Who says that there is no dirt on a British speedway track? Come down to the Abbey - we've got mountains of the bl..dy stuff!
The entrances to corners always take a real beating. Above, right, a great section of the racing surface has slabbed out, revealing the rock hard base below it.
And so to the end of the meeting.
Immediately after the juniors have finished their after meeting practices a small team start working to put the track to bed.
My first task is to dig out the thick deposits of shale that have been thrown up against the boards on the back straight. The blades cannot get really close to the boards so the material has to be moved out by shovel and rake. Another team is working on the main straight boards. Gerald is bring back this material to the centre of the track while Punch is grading it into place. The air fences are left running for a little while longer to allow the blades to get closer to the kickboards and any build up of shale there.
When blading reaches the middle of the track, Adam Laws collects in the four air pumps and then hitches up the Kubota tractor with the larger lorry wheels for tyre packing.
The pits are being swept, rubbish is taken to the bins, the green netting is unhooked, as are the air fence panels themselves.
Once Gerald is satisfied that as much light blading has been done as is necessary,Punch starts on his doughnuts on the corners, driving the tractor and grader round and round to pull shale down evenly across the surface and remove any bumps.
I get ready with the tyre packer and wait for Punch to hitch up the harrow and then follow him round and round, tyre packing down the material he has graded out.
We spend the best part of 15 minutes driving round and round - Gerald with the small blade, Punch with grader and harrow and me with tyre packing wheels.
When this is finished we park equipment and tractors, put the greyhound fence piece back in place by the pits gate, remove the steel plates that protect the greyhound track from the wear and tear at the pits gate and retire for a cup of coffee. Punch goes off to collect his wife from one of the undercover areas on the main straight, Adam is picked up by his mum and gerald and I make sure that all doors are locked and lights are switched off. It's 11.20pm - a long time since we started at 8am!
