A picture of cycle speedway teams from The Swillett and Maple Cross published in the printed edition of the Watford Observer in July prompted Paul Robinson, of Carpenders Park, to get in touch.

He included a photocopy of a Wembley Speedway programme for a meet which took place on Thursday, July 22, 1954, plus two pictures of himself on his converted bicycle.

Paul writes: "In 1946 I was living in Willesden. A friend, Eddie Durak, and his parents took me to the Empire Stadium Wembley to see the first speedway meeting to be held after the war. I was 13 at the time and, from that day on, I was hooked on speedway and for many years went to the stadium every Thursday night to see all the speedway stars: Bill Kitchen, Tommy Price, George Wilks I think he came from Watford, Alf Bottoms, Freddie Williams and his two brothers, Split Waterman, Bronko Wilson and many more stars. What wonderful days with crowds of up to 90,000.

"With a group of mates we formed a cycle speedway team and we named ourselves the Willesden Comets, we built our own track, as many others did, on some old waste ground at the bottom of Mitchell Way, just off the North Circular Road at Stonebridge, I think it was part of the old sewage works.

"Our match results were printed in the Willesden Citizen every week. Our big local rivals were the Stonebridge Rockets, they raced on a track only a stone's throw away, also on some waste ground, on the other side of the North Circular Road at the bottom of Conduit Way.

"I think that cycle speedway originated from all the old bomb sites as I remember a picture in one of the national newspapers. Tracks were built all over the country.

"The tracks I remember were Wembley Paddocks, Welsh Harp, Alperton, also one in the Sylvia Gardens / Derek Avenue area, near Monks Park. One of the riders there we knew as Buster Brown and he later rode professionally for the great Wembley Lions. We also travelled to Bromley and Peckham, we hired an old coach and all the bikes were strapped to the roof. There was a state-of-the-art track built by the council at the Little Scrubs.

"The years take their toll and a lot of the names escape me, also where all the tracks were. Billy Brewster was the captain of the Stonebridge Rockets together with Sydney Bevan and Ray Humphreys. Our team, the Willesden Comets, was captained by Eric Willis, together with Dud Smith, Frankie Hopcroft and myself.

"The only photographs I have are of myself, one taken outside 3, Casseldon Road, where I was living at the time, and the other one of me on the track at Stonebridge with Sydney Bevan behind me.

"I used to have a wonderful picture of the whole team taken by the Willesden Citizen just before a big match. It included our manager, Mr Keebul. Sadly, over the years, the photo has gone missing and I would love to obtain a copy. I wonder if anyone out there who used to ride for the Comets still has a copy?

"I think that Dud Smith ended up riding professional speedway for Swindon. Another great friend of mine, Jimmy Riley, and Tiddler Humphreys came along later and Tiddler later rode professionally for Rye House Rockets under the name of Tyeburn Gallows.

"Our bikes were stripped down, no brakes, no lights, no mudguards, we also changed the rear sprocket according to the track size and a nice Michelin 'X' tyre on the rear wheel.

"Sadly, all the boys had to do national service at 18 and I lost touch with everyone."

Paul Robinson can be contacted by e-mail at: paul-joy.robinson@ntlworld.com.