Happily, I was privileged to watch "The Mighty Atom" for two seasons.........unhappily, I was also at Old Meadowbank that dreadful day. The man was so respected, the whole of Speedway was, metaphorically, crushed. A black day for Belle Vue and for Speedway.
Peter Craven is and always will be, synonymous with Belle Vue; there should be continuance of his Memorial Meeting.

I was also was privileged to see Peter Craven many times and his memory should live for evermore and a Memorial Meeting in no matter what format should be run every
year. It was a pleasure to see a wonderful artist at work and see him win two World Championships.

I really like this idea - a real festival of speedway to commemorate a rider held in awe and respect even by those of us who never saw him ride.

Whatever the format, it's a meeting which MUST, imo, be held.

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Statue! Statue!

Peter Craven simply the best bar none was lucky enough to watch him througout his B V CAREER , we must keep his memory alive .

nice idea tiny, what a way to remember the first P.C. , and both championships should always be made room for somewhere

A true legend but as most things money to run the meeting lack of sponsors and poor crowd turnouts are the key to why such meetings are not run anymore

Hakarimata, Coxsy, and Vintage, even though you are old, you lucky, lucky men.
As a speedway historian myself, I would give up everything (nothing in this particular case) just to see the great man in action.

You lads were blessed to see "The Mighty Atom"

I had to put up with Morton, Collins, Wilkinson etc.

Useless the three of them.

TEL

Collins, Morton, Wilkinson and Crump are all brilliant in their own way but the original PC was a superstar at a time when bikes were pretty standard and there were no super tuners.

To watch the unique style of the "Wizard of Balance" was worth more than the admission money, the way he contorted his body on the bike to keep it as upright as possible when sliding and so get maximum drive was a joy to watch. He could gate but often came from the back and was usually in front coming off the second bend, even when he had to start off 30yds. when he and the likes of Briggs and Moore were handicapped in all league matches

As a child I often went into the pits after meetings along with dozens of other kids to wait for Peter to emerge from the changing rooms and he would then spend as long as it took to sign autographs fro everyone and to have a chat.

Remember he was only 29 at the time of his death so could have added to his two World Championships.

On that dark, dark day many years ago, Peter Craven was going out on the track.
He said to his Aces team mate, Gorton's own Billy Powell..."What gate do you want mate?"
Billy replied..."I'll take the outside."
Peter said..."Right you are pal!"

They were the last words the great man ever said.

A day later, Peter Craven passed away.

TEL

Add another to those who saw the man race. (ahem!.....I was very young at the time). Well,youngish.

Another thing I always remember about PC was that in the close season he was one of those riders who rode abroad........not all that common back then, and I remember seeing reports in the Star about his exploits.

It seemed to me that he got a 15 point maximum wherever he rode (time has probably erased some of the lesser scores.....) but back then this was indicative of the man's ability. He just turned up and seemed able to beat just about anybody, anywhere.

Like others I was in the pits after the meeting watching him load his Jowett Javelin with his bike (on a rack at the back!) and staying around to sign autographs.(To be fair I can't remember a rider who was not prepared to do this back then.)

I was at Wembley in 1956 to see him defend his title, but it got away from him that night.