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Post by julian57 on Sept 2, 2009 22:56:23 GMT
Sorry...I am posting this topic under various sections but only because there is an urgency..... Can someone out there please help regarding the location of Jim's Velocette KTD. There is a website which is no longer maintained but, if you google search for Velocette KTD, will come up as Jim's bike. It looks, from the image on the site, as if it is on display somewhere but, try as we have, we cannot locate it. Jim was my wife's great uncle and her mum's uncle. She (Jim's neice is nearly 80 and would like to see the bike her uncle rode) so the tantalising photo is a case of so near yet so far as we cannot locate it. The website seemed to be hosted by an Andy at Exeter falcons but, again, this has drawn a blank. Anyone knowing where the bike is - please email me outside this forum. Thanks Julian Attachments:
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Post by thebaldeagle1932 on Sept 3, 2009 7:03:22 GMT
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Post by tungate on Sept 3, 2009 10:34:07 GMT
There is an old Wimbledon team photo on the defunct track site run by John Skinner which includes "Smiling" Jim Kempster. The photo dates from way back in the 1930s.
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Post by crossedhammers on Sept 3, 2009 11:29:53 GMT
There is some stuff on there about the Velocette speedway bike but it shows Bert Clayton as the rider. And in its LINKS sections there's more stuff - all in German - but no mention so far as I can see about Jim Kempster. Alf Hagon (Harringay and Wimbledon) and the famous grass track star Lew Coffin do get comments on the German site.
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Post by crossedhammers on Sept 15, 2009 11:29:03 GMT
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Post by Administrator on Sept 19, 2009 22:55:02 GMT
This is a message sent to me on the BSF::
Dutch Velocette, Today, 06:35 PM
This is a message sent to me on the BSF
The (Jim Kempster?) Velocette speedway machine is on display in the Scottish speedwaymuseum, (from Cinder to Shale) Owner of that museum is former Speedwayrider for the Berwickshire Bandits Ian Paterson.
At this very moment Mr Paterson is restoring a Harley Davidson CAC with 500cc from 1934. If this bike is finished then there are 100 all perfect restored speedwaybikes in the museum.
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Post by julian57 on Sept 20, 2009 10:47:20 GMT
Thanks to Dutch and for posting.
We appear to be closing in.
Jim wasn't the one of the great riders of all time but was the first Englan team captain . From scrapbook of 1930's press cuttings passed to my wife from her family he was never the same after a nasty crash and left the sport mid 30's.
Fortunately, for the brief time he was near the top his constant smile earned him his nickname 'Smiling' Jim and my wife and her mum are proud of him..so thanks for all the assistance in locating his Velocette.
He enlisted at the start of the second world war and ferried planes to airfields.
Sadly, in ferrying a plane to Germany, just after the war his plane hit cables and he was killed.
We will update when we know more but thanks again.
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