1954

When the first motorcycles appeared on roads at the end of the nineteenth century, it was inevitable riders would want to know whose bike went fastest, and who was the better, quicker rider. Thus, motorcycle sport was born and various forms of competition quickly developed — including road racing, cross-country, track racing, and hill-climbing — each prompting new and specialised motorcycle designs and configurations. As early as 1908, motorcycles such as the Brisbane-built Spencer were racing laps of a dirt track at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba. The sport got its start when riders used the loosely packed horseracing tracks and circuits, including the Brisbane and Sydney Showgrounds. By the 1920s, these races had evolved into a sport called Speedway, which was pioneered in Australia and went on to take the world by storm. The Australian Individual Speedway Championship is the longest-running speedway race in the world, occurring annually since 1926. Brisbane has a long and colorful history of the sport with the first Speedway race held at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds on 23 October 1926. In early races, the track was covered in grass, although the surface was soon destroyed by tire treads. The slippery dirt track, while being safer for riders, also proved a more thrilling and entertaining spectacle for audiences. Speedway involves four to six riders competing over four anticlockwise laps of slippery dirt or crushed rock circuit and requires the rider to expertly ‘powerslide’ around corners at high speed. Put yourself in the position of the rider daring enough to ride without gears nor brakes and hardly any suspension at ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ showcasing 100 designs from 1871 until 2020. Source: blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/the-australian-sport-5-speedway-ra...

Great photo of a great musician. At first I thought he was jumping up in the air, but he is sitting on the fence. See photo in the article below. Read All About It ! - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229218579 " ..."Satchmo" (short for for Satchelmouth) wore a dark blue sports suit, bright green flowered shirt, and carried a portable radio. ..." A different article says he played "St Louis Blues" - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23444170 Priceless - Armstrong and Sibelius and cigars - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18448853

Here's how he sounded in 1954, doing "St Louis Blues" - youtu.be/D2TUlUwa3_o

beachcomber australia 9:15am

Highranger Ha ha! I missed that.

Highranger But ... According to that first newspaper report, Louis & Co. " ... had a free-half-hour sightseeing trip over Sydney before their plane touched down. It was half an hour ahead of schedule, and had to circle until 1.30 pm. ... " So Louis' wristwatch might still be on San Francisco or Hawaii time, and it was about 2 pm ?!

Excellent!!

Is this our shortest phone number to date - Rathmullen 11?

FORT ROYAL HOTEL RATHMULLEN -- CO. DONEGAL Why not arrange your Summer Holidays at this carefree Country House Hotel, far from the turmoil. In its delightful setting on the Shores of Lough Swilly, amidst the unsurpassable scenery of the Hills of Donegal. Waiter service on our Private Beach. Golf and Tennis facilities. Hot and Cold all Bedrooms. Excellent Cuisine Fully Licensed. Family Parties with young children most welcome. Please write for Brochure or, better still, call at the Hotel on your next week-end car drive. PHONE: RATHMULLEN 11.

(Belfast Newsletter, 9 June 1954)

Carol Maddock I think I see the waiter on the lawn near the building.

Sold in 2013 for conversion to a private house? See - www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/a-fo... Which has this - "... The 11-bedroom hotel was built in 1805 by Charles Rae, a British navy officer, and has more than six acres of magical gardens, including a front lawn that leads down to the beach, and three converted, self-contained cottages that were used as holiday lets. It had been run as a small but elegant three-star hotel by the Fletcher family since 1948, and had an award – winning restaurant, but the business closed two years ago. Next to Rathmullan House hotel, Fort Royal also has a tennis court and nine-hole pitch and putt course overlooking the sea as well as an arboretum and a walled garden. And as if that wasn’t enough, a 204sq m (2,196sq ft) detached manager’s house was also included in the sale."

The foreshore has lost the rocky outcrops and gained a sandy beach over the last 70 years. Dropped pin maps.app.goo.gl/rQtBPBLgUAACdJKKA