That's Me Set For The Summer!

The speedway season is back and I'm happy as a pig in shit......... Great fun today, watching everyone bumping and bouncing round the track, trying to find their footing and not get thrown off by the boggy bit at the inside of the track and the dirty great big ruts that always remain after a winter of disuse. The Tigers came good in the end and just edgedout Berwick Bandits with a 5-1 in the final heat.

A Moment Of Your Time Please

As some of you know, I have a bit of a love affair with Speedway. It's gonna be a long winter without it, but the news I learnt last week regarding the future of Ashfield Stadium, home of the Glasgow Tigers, has meant that the long-term viability of the sport in Glasgow could be under threat. Essentially the stadium is zoned as 'Greenspace', so any developer wanting to build on it must also provide an alternative venue for the displaced football team/speedway promotion. This is of course a pain in the arse for any would-be developer. It would seem though that the planning application being submitted will be to use the area currently occupied by the car park and the Ashfield Club. This spares the stadium itself, but as it's a combined office/residential proposal, the chances of Speedway continuing at Ashfield for any length of time would be distinctly remote. There are enough issues regarding noise as it is and this would simply make things worse. It would also make entry to the ground a logistical nightmare as the proposed construction area would obstruct entry to and from the ground. Essentially, the developer has found a way around the 'Greenspace' legislation and should the planning dept allow the construction to go ahead, it would essentially make the original designation of 'Greenspace' for Ashfield Stadium utterly pointless.

The good news is that we can object, preferably via individual e-mails sent to the DRS. For the letter format and a better idea of what seems to be going down, click HERE.

I realise this is a bit of a long shot, but if anyone reading this happens to find this all a little objectionable, or if you don't like to see any local attraction/ammenity/source of community cohesion & pride being marginalised or snuffed out, I would be most grateful if you could take ten minutes or so to send an email to the DRS, quoting the reference in the above link (take some time to read the link, it'll give you all the info you need) and stating why you feel that the application is unsuitable.

Ok, normal service will be resumed soon.

Cheers!

June in Photographs

West End Festival Samba Dancers
Great Western Road, 4.30AM
Heron in Kelvingrove Park
Mountaineering Squirrel
Waiting for the tapes to go up, Ashfield Stadium.

We Will Return After These Messages.....

Another late post. Blogger threw a spaz on me, so I've had to content myself with spouting nonsense over on ptfc.net.

I've been soup making tonight. It was just an ad-hoc thing, based around Clairwil's idea of a "What's in the cupboard/fridge/leftover from last nights tea" soup. I was missing a few things, but then I did add a few odds and sods too. It looks a bit 'minestrone-ish'. Not sure if that's right, but it certainly tastes damn fine. I'm sure the iLL Mother (and she's been a bit iffy recently) will help herself to some of it tomorrow.

Two more things. I can heartily recommend as a day trip, taking the Carlisle train from Glasgow Central and alighting maybe at Dumfries. All you need is a cracking day. The Ayrshire leg is a bit of a curates egg, some of it's a wee bit grim, but the scenery is lovely. The section that follows the Nith to Dumfries is pretty much unspoilt. If yr feeling brave, you could always get off at New Cumnock or Auchinleck..................(No, seriously, DON'T!!)

The other thing I realised was the droning noise I've been hearing in the background on Sunday afternoons for the past eight years or so is the Glasgow Tigers speedway team at Ashfield Stadium. I had never bothered to go until Sunday there. To think I pay out good money after bad every fortnight at Firhill, when I could be having twice as much fun watching lunatics ride around a 350 meter shale oval on motorbikes with no brakes. Oh, and you can have a few beers while you watch. What's that all about? Are they mad? Are they European?


Gutten Nacht!

Now, That Was A Weekend!!!!

First Lap Madness
Terry Butcher takes warm up for partick Thistle
Ashfield Stadium

Howdy troops! How was yours? It's late and I'm tired, so I'll just stick some photos up just now. A big thanks to all who responded to my request for soup, especially Clairwil and Katy. All suggestions will be attempted in the coming weeks and months. I'll let you know how they go.

Cheers!