It's been such a long time since I wrote anything for the blog that's it's really hard to get going again. That the end of the season was something of a disappointment was put into stark contrast when my mother was taken ill and died suddenly in the following week. Since then I've often thought about starting up the blog again but writer's block has intervened.
Anyway, it's Boxing Day afternoon, the rest of the family are either out or are slumped in front of the television and I am desperate for a cigar, so I've locked myself in the office and have determined that I will not leave the smoke filled room until a blog has been written and composed.
Early October was a busy time for all the day time track staff. In addition to preparing the track for the play off semi final and final, we also had Thursday "Behind Closed Door" practices to prepare. Given that the semi finals and finals were staged on Mondays for Sky camera purposes, Thursday's were set aside for team practices, and that meant the small day time team not only setting up the track but also packing it away afterwards.
The first leg of the final at Wolverhampton had been, let's be honest, a desperate disappointment to the massive traveling Swindon support, and we knew that the boys had to be on their top form and Wolves somewhat below theirs if Swindon were to turn around the fixture and secure that elusive Championship trophy.
Monday dawned bright and warm. By the time that I arrived at the track at 8.30am work was already underway.
Miles of cables are laid down for a Sky meeting and we had the added problem of a greyhound meeting between 10am and 2pm to contend with.
When Sky come a calling they bring a significant quantity of equipment and those lorries soon fill up the area at the back of the pits.
Early morning watering commenced on the track to mitigate against the effects of the drying sun and the fact that we would be unable to work on the track for a four hour period while the planned dog meeting went ahead.
So that we could make up some lost time we laid the rubber kickboards out in the area reserved for the riders' vans and washed them while the doggies raced.
The arrival of the double decked Sky catering van meant that tractors and track equipment had to be moved around and our stack of plywood (to be turned into new kickboards over the winter) had to be moved by Keith and Mick into a spare bay in the pits.
Punch and I made sure that the water bowsers were all filled and that the holding tanks were brimmed in readiness as we waited impatiently for the dog meeting to end. Under the clear sky the track was holding the moisture quite well but we knew that watering would be critical. In the middle of a hot summer it is important to get lots of water into the track surface to help it bind. That watering can be continued right up until the meeting starts. A visual check of the surface shows when when and how much water needs to be applied. But we are now in October and, although the day is very warm and the track is drying, we know that potential disaster is just around the corner when the temperature drops in the evening.
As soon as the day time temperature drops so the moisture in the track starts to come back to the surface. A track that at 6pm looked dry can be very wet indeed come 7pm!
Lunch time and Punch shows us all how adept he is at making sandwiches. We couldn't call them "door steps" - they're much too thick for that.
The race bibs for the forthcoming Sprockets match against the touring American DReam Team, scheduled for the following Thursday, arrive. Keith Johnson models the bibs (which were never used - the match being called off hours before tapes were due after a distinctly wet and miserable day - but more of that in a subsequent blog).
We aren't the only people "champing at the bit" - the Sky people are desperate to get out and carry on setting up. A wagon appears at the pit gate full of microphones waiting to be placed around the in field.
A most welcome visitor to Number 96 is author Jeff Scott. Jeff's been a good friend of the track staff and the blog for some years now and is always welcome in the confines of our little bolt hole.
Ronnie takes time out to come and join us for a mid afternoon cup of tea and is joined by track staff stalwarts Edwin Hutchison and Mark Price.
On meeting our Flo (Karen Pantry, the club's Sports Therapist), Jeff suddenly starts to complain about "writers' cramp" in his hand. Flo administers some therapy and Mr Scott's expression says it all!
At pit gate Leigh Adams and Matej Zagar chat. It's been very clear to all of us that these two have forged a very strong working partnership, and they will need to be on their top form if Swindon are to turn around a 16 point deficit.
The pits are very full, more so than usual and there is a palpable tension in the air. Morten Risager is busy setting up his machines while visitor, Hans Andersen sits in the home pits chatting away with Cory Gathercole, who has just taken delivery of one of Hans' rolling chasis.
In the away pit area Freddie Lindgren checks the programme while Adam Skornicki's bike is still covered.
As the away pits fill with bikes, veteran Peter Karlsson chats with Christ Louis in the riders' car park.
As we suspected, the temperature began to drop as 6 o'clock approached and the 3rd and 4th bends, in the shade of the air fence, were already beginning to glisten with the moisture drawn up from the base of the track.
Three new banners were unfurled on turn 4 - each of the infamous over and down variety - advertising Ashley Holloway's Ash-Tech.Pl engine tuning company.
Ashley inspected the new banners with Hans Andersen, whose engines he now services.
But back in the pits the media was everywhere. In addition to the Sky boys, there were representatives from BBC Points West and BBC Midlands in addition to the Re-Run lads.
The traffic queues were still far back onto the dual carriageway but new policing measures meant that the inflow of vehicles was much improved over the debacle that nearly was the semi final.
There is something magical about watching speedway under lights and Blunsdon looked superb (those bits you could actually see of it.)
The crowd was one of the largest I can recall and the noise made its way into the depths of pits despite the roar of the Harley Davidsons that were warming up ready for the parade.
Each rider was taken out on a gleaming Harley from a local club together with the ubiquitous start line girls. Leading the parade was a face well known to speedway fans in the UK and the States.
Ronnie Correy was astride the first Harley. Having ridden for both clubs in an illustrious career, it was good to see him back at Blunsdon.
Down on turn 1 "Moley" was ready, the music started up, Sky co-ordinated its feed an the meeting began.
As the record books will show, Swindon finished top of the table but it was Wolves who won the big prize. The deficit was just too much to make up despite a late rally from the Robins.
It was hard watching the Wolves fans celebrating but the track staff gathered at the pit gate to applaud the Swindon riders as they came back to the pits. Morten thanked us all and Simon Stead shook everyone's hands.
While the track staff set about packing the meeting away my daughter Steffie waited for Morten and Simon to emerge from the changing rooms and photographed them with Dave. Certainly they are two riders who really endeared themselves to the Swindon staff with their friendly and approachable manners. Let's hope we see both in Swindon colours next year.
