[Slotsofsparetime]

Hi There

I've just been reading the Asects of Modelling book on slot cars and a club at Middlesbrough in the NE or England gets a mention. Does anyone have any details ot history on this club?

It's typical that when I get into a hobby the nearest club is miles away (NERC) and if I's been earlier there would have been one on my doorstep.

Cheers

Mark

 

[loosesalute]

Hi Mark.
When I was a youngun there was a large club in Middlesborough . Was a goodun, but it`s long gone.
In the North East there is NERCS (Washington).We`ve been going since 1971.
A nice new club has just opened through the Tyne Tunnel, Tyneside Slots (just North of the Coast Road).
Also there is a superb professional BSCRA club in Birtley (practically next door to NERCS!).
South of you there is a club in York.
If you ever fancy the trip up to NERCS you would be made to feel most welcome.
Cheers,
Kev.

 

[PJF]

Hi mark.

Redcar is not that far away mate, Im busy working on your new fire station

& i travel from Newcastle. If I dodge the traffic I can do it in 50 minutes.

As Kev said, NERCS just off the A19 (A1231) then us just through the tyne tunnel. Both clubs have members from smoggy land

Cheers Paul.

 

[CJA]

Ey Up,

What the heck happened to George Kimber's club ??.

Used to be known as Washington, or Newcastle, a main player in the BSCRA scene,

surely it cannot have disappeared without mention !!??.

Though I dont run in BSCRA anymore, I still have great memories of that club.

vbr Chris A.

 

[PJF]

No mate, thats him over at Birtley. The place at Benton closed, so they have a nice business unit in Birtley.

 

[loosesalute]

Aye Chris,
George Kimber is also a member of NERCS. Still daft as a brush!
We both live in Washington. NERCS has started to link up with his club & we are doing regular visits there.
Just thinking, I remember going to a small BSCRA club in Middlesborough about 20 years ago. Thats also gone.
Cheers.
Kev.

 

[vfr750]

I raced at a couple of ECRA area rounds at Middlesborough in the early 80's. It was good to meet George again at the recent D3 meeting at Wellinbugger.

Cheers

John

 

[owensy]

Hi Mark

As Kev and PJF have already suggested there is NERCS and Tyneside slot car club, we are both very similar in format and the way we run with an emphasis on having fun. I'm sure you will have great fun at if and which ever you attend and if you want to take the trip to Newcastle there is a Greggs pasty waiting for you mate!

Stephen

 

[CJA]

Ey Up,

just out of interest,

I believe that "Big G" ( the larger of the two tracks at Gainsborough club ), is in fact the ex Middlesborough track !!.

Look on our club site for a few piccies.

vbr Chris A.

 

[loosesalute]

Didn`t go there regular Chris so I can`t really remember what the track looked liked. But that`s really interesting if it was Boros! How old would that make the track!?

Cheers,
Kev.

 

[CJA]

Hi Kev,

Along with John R (VFR750) and others, I raced ECRA rounds at Mbro in early 1980s.

We were in Doncaster Club at that time, before John moved eventually down to Bedford.

The track must be 30+ years old !!??.

It is structurally sound, and a really good fast drivers circuit. We've had BSCRA and BOC events on it, but rarely used for years as we dont have any BSCRA members nowadays. We run "hard-body" cars on the "Little G" track.

Moe relaid all the tape back when, which is unfortunately now needing replacement due to the temperatures experienced in the club room. The tape expands more than the track and lifts away from the glue !!.

We are running an invite Slotit event tomorrow and Stoke club plus others are coming over. This is an attempt to revive the track, and club !!.

vbr Chris A.

 

[loosesalute]

Best of luck with the event Chris!
I wish I lived closer so I could attend.
Cheers
Kev.

 

[wayneslot]

Hi Mark
I travel to NERCS from Hartburn for pretty much every session, There are also some who travel from M'bro. I am sure you could thumb a lift with someone, I will gladly offer you a ride if you can get across to Hartburn / stockton area or meet you somewhere off the A19 as i often travel straight to NERCS from work currently in Sheffield.
Wayne

 

[f143]

HI mark,
I was a member of the Middlesbrough slot club in the early 80's before moving to Australia.
The first track I remember was early 60's in Bottomley street in central Middlesbrough, where the Cleveland centre is now.
It was a pay circuit and well attended until the down turn in slots in the late 60's.
The Settlement community centre was located on Newport Road and housed the circuit from the early 70's through to about 1979 when it closed.
I had the track in my garage for a year or so while the few remaining members tried to find an alternative venue.
Eventually we housed the track in a church hall in South Bank and it enjoyed a revival in membership for a while, then I left for OZ, after misses T drove the nail in the coffin of Middlesbrough.
I was told the track was moved again, possibly over the border in Middlesbrough, but it then went off the radar.
The most illustrious member of the slot club was Phil Enos who will be remembered as a champion by some members on slot forum.
George Kimber who has been mentioned above visited the South Bank and Settlement club, and a few members used to travel over from Hartlepool.
I hope there are others on the forum who may be able to add some more.
Nigel

 

[f143]

I have looked at the photo of the big G at the Gainsborough track and that wasn't the Middlesbrough track that was at the Settlement or South Bank, ours was a 6 lane.
Nigel

 

[bensonsnuts]

I think the Big G track may have come from St Lukes Church in Thornaby ? I remember checking them out when I got back into collecting in the Eighties and losing interest when I found out they ran scratch builds and my old Scaleys weren't going to cut the mustard ! Never visited but I think that's where they were based . The area has been redeveloped and the church hall has gone but the church is still there.
I have the vaguest recollection of the town centre track as I was but a nipper . I do have fond memories of the old Boro toy shops though . Wasted lots of hours drooling over stuff I couldn't afford in Romer Parrish and Nelsons !

 

[superhornets]

hi guys
middlesborough was quite a big club in the 60s, so big in fact that it built the track that was used for the 1967 ecra national finals ,and this subsquently became the middlesborough club track
coincidentally one of the ecra national champions that year in sports was middleborough club member simon davey ,a victory which not surprisingly led to some mumbling amongst other competitors of illicit practice ,who knows ?
additionally the brilliant but somewhat eccentric anglo american smoggie Philip rudi enos who was a multiple national champion, began his club career at middlesboro
Dont remember too much about the track except that it had a huge 180 degree banking and was 6 lane
There is a picture of it on page 22 of my book ,if anyone wants reminding what it looked like..
cheers tony

 

[CJA]

Hi Tony,

I know you wont mind my saying that you have "been around a bit" !!??.

Could you take a look at "Big G" on our website, and let us know if you recognise the track, please ??.

vbr Chris A.

 

[nitro]

link to club.. http://g-slot.co.uk/default.aspx

 

[loosesalute]

Strange Tony talking about cheating Smoggies...we`ve got about eight of the cheating sods at NERCS!

Cheers,
Kev