Christmas Gift Ideas

Stuck for a gift idea for the speedway fan in your life? Here are a few suggestions that might just bring a smile to their face on Christmas morning.

Art

Limited Edition Chris Harris Print This is the latest piece in Jim Blanchard's collection of speedway paintings, it shows Chris Harris in action at Cardiff earlier this year. Only 250 prints will be available and Chris has agreed to sign them. As with Jim's earlier works the size is 640mm x 500mm and it comes on semi matt art paper. Available from jbsportsimages.co.uk for £29.99 and £3.50 for recorded p&p in the UK. You can also call 01472 352635.

 

Book

Shifting Shale by Jeff Scott This lengthy book is part travelogue, part commentary. Jeff spends the 2006 season travelling the UK watching the sport, meeting many interesting characters and trying to sell his previous speedway books. It's an entertaining and thought provoking read that's guaranteed to keep the recipient gripped well into the new year. Available from methanolpress.com for £24 (inc p&p)

 

Models

Customised Model Bikes Former rider Jason Reed now produces these fabulous customised model speedway bikes. Bikes in the same livery as many of the sport's greatest stars are available, though Jay can also produce bikes to your own specifications if required. Available from no-brakes-uk.com

 

Book

Tragedy - Kenny Carter by Tony McDonald The first published biography of the controversial English racer from the eighties. The book touches on Kenny's difficult start in life, his colourful racing career and the events leading up to his suicide. Available from retro-speedway.com for £15.99 (inc p&p) or call 01708 734 502

 

Photography DVD

Ashfield Action 2007 Glasgow photographer Ian Adam has captured 3000 pictures from 25 meetings staged at Ashfield this summer. The pictures are both portrait and action and virtually all Premier League riders are featured somewhere on the disc. Available from Ian Adam for £18 (including p&p in the UK) Ian Adam 57 Eckford Street Glasgow G32 7AJ Website : www.ianadam.co.uk Email : ian.adam@ntlworld.com

 

Magazine Subscription

Backtrack Retro-Speedway's magazine covering the period from 1970 until 1989. Six issues are published each year, each one jam-packed with interviews with former riders from the seventies and eighties. Available from retro-speedway.com for £16 (inc p&p in UK) or call 01708 734 502

 

Art

Scraperboard Pictures Artist Steve Ridgway produces work that captures the spirit of earlier days. There's no mistaking the styles of Peter Craven and Ove Fundin in this example. Available from another-fine-scrape.co.uk from £25

 

Book

Shale Britannia by Jeff Scott Another book from Jeff Scott, but it couldn't be more different from Shifting Shale. If the speedway fan in your life prefers pictures to words then this is the one you should be buying. Jeff has captured 245 images of the people and places that make up UK speedway, probably speedway's first coffee table book. Available from methanolpress.com for £18 (inc p&p)

 

Magazine Subscription

Vintage Speedway Magazine Backtrack's 'sister' publication dealing with events up to and including the 1969 season. It features regular columns from speedway personalities Eric Linden and Ian Hoskins. One for the older supporters or students of the sport's rich history. Four editions are published each year. Available from retro-speedway.com for £12 (inc p&p in UK) or call 01708 734 502

 

Book

Blunsdon Bloggers Tour of Sweden by Graham Cooke Graham Cooke and friends spent a week in the summer travelling around as many tracks in Sweden as they could. The full adventure is recorded in this amusing and interesting tale. The book is relatively short at just 67 pages, but contains many interesting pictures of speedway life in Sweden. The book can be purchased as either a bound printed copy or as a PDF file that you can print yourself. Available from The Blunsdon Blog for £9.78

 

Other Stuff

Books, DVD, Music.... Many other speedway books are available in our online shop. This is run in conjunction with amazon.co.uk and this site receives a small percentage of amazon's profit on the item, though it doesn't cost you a penny more. If you are intending to purchase anything at all from amazon.co.uk then we ask that you consider doing so through our shop. Check out our online shop.

 

This article was first published on 29th November 2007