77 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

I see a posting elsewhere from Nomad, but she has refused (so far) to reveal her experiences in the Apple Isle (Tasmania).
Where are you, did you get to Longford, and are you off the Adelaide to see Lobethal soon?

[Nomad]

I am actually in Longford as we speak and because you are being cheeky you are just gonna have to wait a bit longer to find out the state of it at the moment!

[Barry Lake]

Sadly, the state of Longford is very bad.
If it wasn't for the old pub and its motor racing displays, and being able to go and stand under the old viaduct, you would hardly know it ever was there.

[Falcadore]

I remember two years ago during the Symmons Plains ATCC meeting weekend following the remnants of the old circuit, down through an old blackberry lined old road with a electric sub-station in the middle of the road before arriving at the long bridge and seeing open space. Not a trace of either bridge exists anymore. I did find the viaduct though and will post some pics once I dig the film out of archives

[Ray Bell]

Mark - how about we get together and post before and after pics?

[Nomad]

'no trace of the bridge exists'
It is actually the bar at the Country Club Hotel.
There is a sign there asking customers to take care of it and assuring them that it has supported many racing cars and will surely support them should they fall slumped into a stupor on it.
The car of the only woman ever to race at Longford is currently being rebuilt by the landlord so it can race in the Tasmania Tourist Trophy.

[Nomad]

So did anyone here actually watch the races from Pub corner?

[Ray Bell]

Come on, Nomad, you're in with the big boys now!
I watched racing and practising from:
Outside the pub corner entry (the service station forecourt); the point where they came off the King's Bridge (the gate to the camping area); All points on the inside of Newry corner, the exit from the Long Bridge (wish I could scan slides!), right in Newry Corner and up on the hill towards the start of the flying mile (great view - I watched the main races from here, you can see a bit of Tannery Straight, the Long Bridge and then the cars climbing up through the gears heading for the flying mile); The pits; Opposite the pits; And, finally, all points down along the railway line as it climbs over the road at the viaduct.
If you're coming to Brisbane I'll show you pics, but you must tell me - What did you think of the "Rheims of the South Pacific"?
And are you going to take my advice and have a look at Lobethal while you're here?

[Ray Bell]

What was the woman's name?
I would doubt she was the only one - but Rob Saward could tell us quickly. (rsaward@netcon.net.au) He's doing a book on Longford history and lived there at the time.

[Ray Bell]

Nomad, we're waiting...
In the interim we might slip into a little nostalgic thought. Awakening Saturday to the rise and fall of the harsh bark of the motorcycles practising just a hundred yards from the camping area, driving round the circuit to access different spectator areas between sessions and races, the enthusiasm of the entire population of Tasmania during race week...
The 250LM being driven out by a helmetless David McKay to give it to Spencer Martin so he could keep on practising after crashing his Brabham at the Viaduct...

It's moments like this that make Henry Kendall's words seem so right - so I've adopted them as my signature:

[This message has been edited by Ray Bell (edited 04-13-2000).]

[Ray Bell]

Whoops! Try again:

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Nomad]

Ray
I just forget how old you are. I mean, the fifties & sixties, in ancient times, the dark ages, pre-computer..... Also so explains why you are a little grouchy sometimes ;)
Reason for not replying is that I was on a big boat feeling none too well and not having had any sleep I cannot remember the womans name, sorry (Meet soooo many people and all the names merge.) But I am sure that you could phone the pub and find out
And I repeat I am NOT going to Adelaide(been there done that). I was supposed to be in Shanghai ages ago. I may be flying out of Brisbane but I am not sure about it.

[Nomad]

Oh how could I forget the whole point of all this
I think that Melbourne should definitely be scrapped and that with a little bit of work we can have the Longford track ready for Friday Are you on for it boys? You do a little bit of tarmac and build a bridge and I give the orders ;) Actually scrap the tarmac the bumps will make it more interesting. Have you seem how boringly flat Albert Park is? I think a bridge over a river is a great idea for a GP track! Are there any that do that now?

[Keir]

Nomad,
You are the secretive minx aren't you??
In your travels, have you ever graced the USA? If you ever do, give me a ring, it's not every day one meets a woman who can
talk the motor racing walk!!
Yours,
Keir

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Ray Bell]

Old and grouchy?
I fail to see where I got grouchy, I feel I have been pleasant to you at all times.

But one question - Does the statement you made above, rather, the question you asked, indicate that you liked Longford?

Grabbed you, by the sound of it. Let's know when you'll be in Brisbane..

[Ray Bell]

Just for the record, now that I've adopted a signature, I'll put it into perspective. And correct the spelling - it was from Henry Kendall, the first native born Australian poet - from his poem about his infant daughter's death:

You who sit and sob beside me, you upon whose golden head
Many rains of many sorrows have from day to day been shed.
Who, because your love was noble, faced with me the lot austere -
Ever pressing with its hardships on this man of letters here.
Bitter is the world we live in, life and love are mixed with pain,
We will never see these daisies, never water them again.

I could have selected another great line from another verse - but it was too hard to make it fit:

Here the blue-eyed spring will linger, here the shining month will stay...

Graphic in the context isn't it? Going on:

Like a friend by Araluen, when we two are far away...

Grouchy indeed!

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[This message has been edited by Ray Bell (edited 03-24-2000).]

[Ray Bell]

Rob can only identify - off the cuff - one lady driver at Longford. She was Diane Leighton, who drove a Triumph Special in 1961. It would not surprise me, however, if Lorraine Hill went there in 64.... but I'm not betting on it.
Tasmanians would not allow their ladies to race, they would all have to be mainlanders...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

Ray Bell.

Is Nomad the woman marrige councelor in the Fosters Beer Commercial?

Art NX3L

[Nomad]

Art: I don't understand but I don't think its a compliment

Keir: Have been to the USA but never to the mainland, the people are too scary

Ray: 'Grouchy' came from 'Come on Nomad, we're waiting'. And actually I think you're lovely Do you frequent the Paddock Club or should I post here when I know if/when i gonna be in Brisbane (my spiritual home..sigh)

[Nomad]

Yes I did like Longford and I tend to feel that I missed out on a lot by being born too late and not having superbly rich parents who could have taken me all over the world to watch the racing.

[This message has been edited by Nomad (edited 03-06-2000).]

[Ray Bell]

Sorry, I tired very quickly of the Paddock Club, I found there wasn't enough about motor racing there. Readers' Comments has very little to attract me, too, with all the name-calling and super-fan club stuff going on.
I check this forum as often as I can, but my email address is raybell@eisa.net.au if you want to send a direct message. I daresay - if it were at a convenient time - Mark would probably like to meet you too (that's Falcadore). As a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to meeting him. Let's make it a date early one morning at Brisbane Airport?

Dja like the Kendall stuff?

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

Hi Nomad.

I am a 66 year old retired railroad worker from Western Maryland USA. I wasn't putting you down. I watch a series of Foster Beer Commercials during Hockey games. Example #1 A dark night in the out back squeek squeek squeek. A guy appears with three drunks in a wheel barrow (Designated Driver)#2 you are in a dingy motel and a scrubby guy is sleeping with the window open. A guy walks by and throws an alarm clock through the window and hits him in the head (Early Wakeup) #3 A big burly guy walks up to the bar the woman bar tender puts her elboe up on the bar and slams his arm down with a super fast arm wrestling move. As he walks away (marrige councelor).This is all with a heavy Australian accent. My point was don't argue with the woman about racing as you can't win. I have been a race fan for 46 years.

ART nx3l

[Ray Bell]

I know what you mean, Art, I've been trying to talk to my wife about more important things the last couple of days...
Guess the result.
But Nomad's got some promise - she likes motor racing and old circuits (she could be fat and ugly with those attributes and still score well!), and has youth and a sense of humour on her side.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Ray Bell]

Art - Senile you may be, but what I wrote above caused me to think of something you would undoubtedly remember.
From the movie 'A Summer Place' - back in your youth, that is, I only saw re-runs - the line the whole movie seems to have been made to convey:
"We've got the beauty and strength of love on our sides, and, if we can keep our sense of humour too, these are the weapons of the angels.."

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

Ray Bell.

You better hope Nomad isn't Fat and Ugly! As you may get a knock on the door and end up on your ass when she gets finished. My guess is that she is in her late 30s Red hair 5ft 7in tall 130 lbs built like an out house and looks great. Hmmm no telling what built like an out house means in Australian? she may be after me next.

Art NX3L

[Nomad]

Art
You got at least one thing right.
But how much is 130lbs in stone(UK weight) or go metric to kilos?

Outhouse=Dunny

And take at least ten years off my age Thank-you

[Ray Bell]

Art, Art, let's get things in perspective -
I'm married. And 130lb is 9st 4lb, Nomad, which wouldn't be bad at all for 5'7".
But do you notice he didn't comment on the point I made to him?

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Nomad]

Maybe he isn't happily married and so doesn't understand.

[Art]

Mr Bell.

Lets get things straight! You start the thread out (She)and you end your last thread (He). Now just what is Nomad a He or a She?

Art NX3L

[Art]

Nomad.

I don't know any thing about stones and metrics. But let me put it this way 130 lbs would be a small pile of stones.

Art NX3L

[Nomad]

Art the 'he' that Ray was referring to is you, as the question in his post about a film is to you.
I am definitely a 'gorl'

And this thread is WAY off the subject of motorsport!!!

[Art]

Nomad.

How about your chassis dimentions? Isn't that what racing is all about?

Art NX3L

[Art]

Ray Bell.

Back in (MY) day as you call it! WE cussed drank beer and spit on the floor. Not this panty waste buisness like today. Other weise we were Mens Men thank you very much. I would put a smiley on here but I don't know how.

Art NX3L

[Ray Bell]

Art - just tell us if you saw the stinking movie or not! There were Plymouths and all sorts of things you could identify with in there, but do you remember that classic line?

Nomad - sometimes I wonder about poor old Art. Does his nurse post his messages for him?

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

Ray Bell.

We didn't go to movies! We hit Burlesque shows and houses of Ill repute. Smile

Art NX3L

[Ray Bell]

So where's your nurse now when you need her so much?

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

Ray Bell.

My first car as a young kid was a black 1934 Pltymoth 4 door in mint condition. $175.00 And no I didn't see the movie but the cars you read about were running on the streets. And I can remember when Milk and Ice were delivered by horse drawn carts. Those were the good old days! And I can't tell you about my nurse as I would get kicked off of the board.

Art NX3L

[Ray Bell]

So she's got good knockers and makes sure you're not carrying too much dirty water. But I did see those things myself - my dad had a 1937 Plymouth which I well remember travelling to Buff Point in. The horse-drawn bread and milk deliveries were not phased out until I was at school in our suburb, and there was actually a clever milkman in the Revesby/Padstow area that had one right up into the eighties - saved a lot of handbrake applications for him, I can tell you, and climbing in and out - just whistle lightly and the horse brought the rig to his side. But enough of this reminiscing, I'd better let you get back to the nurse...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Ray Bell]

Actually, Art, you got me there! I've never seen ice delivered by horse and cart. Ours always came in a van...
Do you remember the song: "There's a Man that comes to our house every single day..."
Yeah, we had an ice box until I was about seven, and we had a 1924 Chev that I watched my dad working on from the safe confines of my bath in the kitchen sink...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

No Ray I don't remember the song. But I could go back in time and stay there forever. Now if we can get Nomad to kick in a little Nostalgia??? But she may be a wealthy aristocrat and wouldn't associate with old road warriors.

Art NX3L

[Nomad]

Nomad Nostalgia

When I was at school we used to get free milk at morning and afternoon break-times. However I hate milk and I always had to sit alone with nothing to drink as the state would not provide orange juice. Then Maggie Thatcher came and snatched away the milk, the best thing she ever did ;)
My first computer was a BBC model B with 32k memory, I remember it well; It's little black keyboard and red owl logo.
Duran Duran were a little before my time.
The only place to get cash in my home village was and, still is, the Post Office; none of this new fangled ATMs where I come from.
Bagpuss and Rainbow watched on a black and white TV and how disappointed I was to find out that both were actually pink

[Nomad]

Art's 6th post on this thread explains why I will never go to mainland USA

[Art]

Nomad.

Wouldn't it of been easier to say 44-24-36 than to give me those sweet rolling eyes? If you were to meet my wife and I you would find us to be very very nice People.

Art NX3L

[Ray Bell]

It's a cruel world when you can't visit a country that promises so much to see - from the CART race at Elkart Lake to the Grand Canyon - because of the attitude of the people.
Please, Nomad, let him off the hook...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

Nomad.

I was born and raised in Akron Ohio the home of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Being raised by my Grand parents we never had very much but were happy. Radio Then B&W Tv and you walked wher ever you went. If you ripped the seat out of your pants you patched them. Before I retired from the Railroad I made more in one day than the old man did in a month. And I would trade my big house in ground pool and all to go back to those days. And you are correct this damn country is crazy. And not getting any better.

Art NX3L

[Art]

Ray Bell.

Don't try and bail me out! If she is that much of a hard ass so be it.

Art NX3L

[BRG]

Art

There is a saying "I only open my mouth to change feet" that seems to apply here.

May I suggest grovelling as your best course of action? As a British man, I find it works with British ladies like Nomad. She is clearly one of Thatcher's Children judging from her memory of the "milksnatcher" and they grew up tough, or not at all.



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BRG

"all the time, maximum attack"

[Ray Bell]

Art - sounds like you'd fit in well in a place like Northam. Or Uralla. Or Goomalling. Or Leyburn.
What these places have in common are that they are all small (to varying degrees) towns with parts where people don't look at how new your house is or how many cars you're wrecking in the back yard to keep your junker going.
And they all host some form of Historic Racing activity once a year. Racing cars on the streets, old style straw bales (actually, new style huge straw bales in two instances - really huge ones) to give atmosphere and potential protection. The towns swell up one day a year and the cars have prominence.
And all but Leyburn have a railway line... but train services are few and far between on most of them.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Art]

BRG.

The milksnatcher did it? Thats like one of my kids saying that they are thin skinned because. Slick Willie Clinton got his Weenie smoked. And judging the USA by what you see on the news is not the real way it is. There are good parts and bad parts as every where. And if getting POd over being asked your physical atributes is a big thing I will skip posting in certain matters.

Art NX3L

[Art]

Ray Bell.

I live nine miles from Cumberland Maryland and years ago we had the SCCA sports car races one week end a year at the Cumberland Air Port. As you say thousands of people would invade the town. They canceled the races as being to dangerous. The main straight away run way had a 150 ft. drop off into a farmers field. It all seems to lead to the past.

Art NX3L