Another Monday and another Sky meeting and two very welcome visitors to Blunsdon, but more of that later.
With the second leg of the Play Off Semi Final being covered on Sky it was a change of race day for the Robins and that meant having to share the facility with the greyhounds. Those who have read this blog over some time will know that I dislike Monday meetings intensely - the normal routine of work goes out of the window and we are left with a couple of hours on the track first thing in the morning and then a great spread of time, while the greyhounds race, where we can only skulk around back of the pits finding tasks to do. Whilst this break may be OK for some, it delays all of our work on the air fences and their environs and necessitates a massive rush later on in the afternoon.
Fortunately, most of the banner and kickboard cleaning has already been done on the previous Thursday so our now trusty Ford van (starts like a dream these days with the new battery (thanks!)) is filled to the gunnels with banners, spare fence panels and all of the tools.
My first task is to get the air pumps out to the various sites around the perimeter of the track. We use three pumps to inflate and manage the large run of panels on turns 1 and 2. With the pumps delicately balanced on the back of the Ford, it looks more like something out of fiction - jet propelled. No, wait, the imagination is rushing away too quickly in this blog. Time to calm down - plenty of time for hyperbole later.
Once all 7 air pumps are located around the track there is little that I can do - we can't inflate the air fence or put up catch fencing or pin the fence in place. If we did the cameras and the small crowd present wouldn't be able to see the dog races.
In the back of the pits there is the usual semi organised chaos of Sky vans. We pick our way carefully between vast lorries containing studios and editing suites and smaller one filled with cables and lights. The dining car has arrived together with a chef.
An unusually early, but very welcome visitor, is Steve Gobey and his white van. Steve needs to be in two places at once today - setting up the loudspeaker system at Swindon and replicating it at Lakeside for their semi final against Wolverhampton.
We've acquired a new mesh - in fact it's big enough for us to make two out of it. The mesh is an invaluable tool for a track curator. Pulled along behind a tractor, it is brilliant at evening out a track surface and at getting air into a wet surface and so drying it. Given the vast amount of shale that we have put onto the Blunsdon raceway recently, we need a good mesh to ensure an even surface covering. Using his powers of persuasion, Rosco has inveigled Terry Broadbank, son of Mike, to come along and so a spot of welding for us. A bar has been cut from somewhere and is welded on one end of the mesh. This will keep the mesh flat and even on the surface as it is dragged along and provide an easy place for us to attach it to the back of a tractor during a meeting.
Terry completes the job and is promptly given another. The ripper needs some love and attention. The spikes, which are used to dig down into the shale to disturb it to allow us to add greater grip and drive coming out of the corners and at the start gate, have worn down. Sadly, the adjusting nuts that keep them in place have all rusted so Terry uses a blow lamp to heat up the frame, expanding the metal and allowing us to undo the nuts. A combination of Terry on the blow lamp and Punch with a lump hammer and we soon have all of the spikes pulled out to their maximum length. The old thing will last us for another 5 years now.
It all seems as if what we are doing is "a good thing" but we are all acutely aware that we are filling time - we would all have preferred to be out on the track getting it into tip top condition. But we have to wait. As soon as anyone is seen in the outer pit area we are ushered back in case our presence causes the dogs to lose concentration on the hare.
Keith Johnson arrives having started work early and re-organised his day, and it's a good he's here. As we work away on the ripper, Rosco notices that Sky are putting up a camera gantry right where the enormous screen will go, the one that will show the Sky feed for both matches this evening. We realise that Sky's decision to move the studio from its old position on turn 4 to a new one this year, high on turn 3, means that they have to move their camera position around further into the turn, right where the screen will be. REluctant to move their camera, Sky suggest we hack down a small tree further round turn 3 and put the massive screen there.
Step forward the intrepid Punch. Before we know it Punch and Keith have plunged in to the jungle like surrounds at the back of the grass bank and are hacking away at undergrowth that would not be out of place in a tropical jungle.
The offending tree and its environs are cleared by the dynamic duo and all is well with the world, at least it is until Punch notices a rather large thorn deep under the skin on his hand. The air turns blue for a second but the job is well done.
I take the opportunity of a break in the dog racing to catch a few unusual views of the old Abbey stadium. Given that I've been photographing the old place for the last three years, it's something of a surprise that I can find new angles, but with the Sky scaffolding positions I can.
Nigel Pearson and Kelvin Tatum, who will share the commentators role tonight, have a wonderful view looking out across the track from their position on turn 3.
Looking back towards the pits from the television gantry and then down the banking towards the back straight, the size of the old Abbey stadium is clear. If only we had decent terracing round the track. This blog is late because last night (Tuesday) I was drawn to Cheltenham Town's tidy little ground to watch them take on the mighty, and my beloved, Shrewsbury Town (but more of that later). How nice the terracing is there in comparison with our grassy banks. Still, with the enhanced coverage that Swindon in particular, and the sport in general, is getting in the media, perhaps the days of big crowds and major investment are returning and we may see similar facilities in years to come - wait a minute, is that hyperbole creeping back - time for another calming cup of coffee.
Back in the pits I sweep out the pit areas and then wash down the benching that the riders use to put their tools on. Technicians are now swarming all over putting up microphones and transmitters and moving the miles of cables that need to be rolled out to link all the kit together.
I'm getting more than a bit nervous now. Not only will be not be able to get out on the track until after 2pm, and a number of our volunteers will be later than normal today, but a television crew from BBC's Points West are coming out to talk to me about the work that I do at the track. Swindon's press officer Chris Seaward had told me that they were simply coming out to film our preparations and cover the build up to one of the most important meetings in Swindon's long and rather barren spell since we last won a title back in 1967, when I was still at Junior School!
But a series of telephone calls from the producer and then subsequently the presenter shows that they don't really want a general introduction to the sport at Swindon, they want to film me. We agree that at 2pm I'll have just about sufficient to do to make it worth their time driving to Swindon from Bristol.
As soon as the last race finishes and the dogs return to their kennels, we inflate part of the air fence nearest to the pit gate on turn 3. I need to be sure that the patching work that I did on the large hole after someone slid in there during the 4 Team tournament has held. Good news, bad news. The good is that the patching worked. The bad is that further down, and hidden in a fold in the material, there is a large hole where the fabric has been burnt away from contact with a hot exhaust pipe. A hasty patch is put in place but before I can really check it I am called to the pit gate. My guests have arrived.
Cameraman/Reporter Tony Arnese and Points West correspondent Isobel Webster have arrived to do the piece for the Points West programme tonight. They don't have much time. Isobel has to take whatever they capture back to the studios to edit it and then rush back for a live feed from the pits at 6.45pm.
They are both delightful and very patient as I bluster my way through a series of impromptu takes, also inveigling Mick Richards and Roy Hicks into the escapade. My one consolation is that most people around will be with me in the pits and wont get a chance to see it when it is broadcast.
But we are now seriously behind schedule and another little surprise is lurking round the corner in the guise of 5 new banners - the wrap around sort of which I am so enamored! To make it even better, one of them is a double sized wrap around banner - a veritable canopy, and a seriously large piece should the wind ever get up.
We are all worried about the traffic around the stadium. Enormous queues had formed around and about before our recent match with Wolves and all of the car parks had filled up very quickly. The gates will be opened earlier this evening to ameliorate the effects and a significant body of car park attendants are appearing to maximise the numbers using the graveyard car park at the back of the pits.
Out on track Ronnie has been ripping with the newly revitalized ripper and the starts and exist of the turns look particularly appetising.
Punch is keeping the moisture in the track although we are aware that the temperature will drop later in the evening, and that inevitably means that any moisture deep down will be drawn up to the surface, so we can't afford even the smallest amount of over watering at this stage. On time limited days like this we have to rely upon work down previously to help us. In this instance, the top dressing and grading of the track was all done last week, so the surface now looks good.
But we are prevented from putting up any banners until we can find a way to stop the new ones from catching in the wind and taking off. Our suggestions of eyelets and small bungy clips, to attach the backs of these large banners to the safety fence and not to the air fence seems the best one so Steve Masters makes eyelets and then disappears off to buy up the entire stock of small bungy clips from a local B and Q.
With little to do but get increasingly anxious about the amount of work to be done and the relative proximity of the start of proceedings, I venture into the pits to capture some of the riders. A pensive Matej Zagar contemplates the meeting ahead. Mark Lemon is much more sanguine and allows me to demonstrate the basic structure of a speedway bike to Isobel, who has never been to a speedway meeting before and is somewhat concerned about the level of noise that the bikes will make when they are fired up.
Elsewhere, Olly Allen chats at the pit gate while ex team mates, Chris Harris and Simon Stead share a joke at the pit gate.
In the last couple of weeks I've spoken quite a lot to Simon's dad in the pits. It's nice to know that Simon really enjoys his time at Swindon. Indeed, he's just bought a new set of Robins kevlars specifically for the Play Offs because he felt that his old set were a bit worn and faded. There's no doubt that while he took some time to settle into the Robins team, Simon is now an immensely popular member of the team and a good chap to have around in the pits. I think we all hope that he will become a core member of the Robins team for many years to come.
Steve returns from afar with bags of small bungies and we set about hanging the new banners and then putting the kickboards and all the other banners in place. It's at times like this that I realise how lucky we are at Blunsdon - suddenly a significant number of the evening track staff arrive to help out. Many have started work early to ensure a quick get away while others have taken half days off or driven straight from work to the track to help us out. Just brilliant!
Steve's got some new ideas about how to perfect our system of hanging the banners but we agree that they look OK.
Further down the pit car park Steve Johnson has been transformed - gone are the jeans and casual shirt, replaced with brand new Sky corporate kit in readiness for his role as pit presenter during the meeting.
A new tractor has arrived to help us out tonight. Air conditioned and with a sound system, the tractor drivers all queue up for a practice.
Punch applies a last load of water to the track before I use the pressure washer to clean the pit gate air panel. Just as I turn my attention to washing down the tractors (we want everything to be perfect tonight) a value fails and water burst forth showering everyone. Good job that we'd cleaned the white line last week.
I've placed some cones in a corner of the graveyard where the BBC team can park when they return to do their live feed later. As I walk back a gigantic triffid appears above the wooden fence.
It is the gigantic screen. It rises slowly and ever so impressively, from the top of the lorry that has brought it. It is soon clear that this screen is adjustable and all of Punch and Keith's work on the undergrowth is now rendered merely cosmetic - the screen is way above where the old tree stood.
Out by the pit gate the screen is very clear and will carry feed from both the match at Swindon and the other one at Lakeside.
Ref Jim Lawrence, one of the nicest refs I've come across, declares that he has no issues at all and awards us very high marks for all aspects of our preparation. Relief!
As Points West return to do their on air piece at 6.45 I am joined in the pits by fellow Bloggers Neil Wise and Phil Rice. They've just got back from Terenzano and the Italian GP with loads of photographs and tales to tell. Their blog, written by Phil, will be featured here later this week.
Oh, and the match. In a tight encounter (perhaps too tight) Swindon win 47 - 43 and progress through into the final to face the hugely impressive Wolverhampton septet who easily see off Lakeside - sorry Gerald!
I phone to result through to the Points West studio and then we start to take it all down. This Thursday, and next, we will be preparing hard for the final.
Oh, and the other match, the one at Cheltenham. Well, by half time the best bits were the crowd chanting "We've been to Wembley" (the Shrews lost out there in their play off final last year) and some rather raucous chanting at a Shrews fan who returned from half time with a significant amount of freshly purchased food - "You fat ba....rd" and "Who ate all the pies?" rang out from the 1,000 or so Shrews fans there.
By the 60th minutes I knew that they could not refund the 60 precious minutes of my life that had been taken up watching the dross served up before me, but I did wonder if I could have had the £20 they'd charged me to watch it back. And then Cheltenham scored. Despair, woe, sloughs of despond. And then a goal to savour, and one for a "What happens next round" in a subsequent "Question of Sport" show.
Cheltenham's goalkeeper has ball at his feet and attempts to kick it far down field. Shrews centre forward, the mighty Dave Hibberd, leaps in front of him and the ball strikes him on the back, looping over the goal keeper and into the next. Cue, ecstasy amidst the ranks of Shrews fan. When Josh Labedie slots home the winner minutes later we are seventh heaven. Cue a version of cricket's Barmy Army song, this time featuring "Simmo's Barmy Army", a reference to Paul Simpson, our manager.
In truth, had I not been an ardent Shrews fan it would have been a pretty poor evening and served to remind me why I like speedway. Come to think of it, it only makes me realise that we all have to work together to get people like the BBC more involved and to spread the word wider.
