A couple of the regular correspondents with the Blog have pulled me up recently about the "One that got away" - the blog for the meeting immediately before the Cardiff Grand Prix.
It was, indeed a memorable meeting for a number of reasons, which hopefully will become clear as this blog develops.
Our early morning work varies little from week to week, in fact it is important that we have a strict schedule so that important elements are not forgotten and the day can continue in as calm a manner as possible.
But while Roy, Mark and I carry on with the weekly ritual of cleaning the banners, something new was afoot out on the track.
Punch was out watering but instead of using our usual tanker he was using a bowser usually used by the greyhound people. Our tanker produces a reasonably fine spray that can be controlled to cover the entire width of the track. This bowser sprays water directly down onto the track and puts down a lot of water in a small area. The result is that the track is flooded.
Ron has already been round with the wonder wheel, scouring the surface and producing patterns of deep cuts that will hold the water for longer, thus allowing it to seep down better.
While Punch puts down the flood, Mark and I check on the air fence on turn 1. Last week we gained an air bag by taking one from the entry to turn 3, effectively widening the track and allowing us an extra air bag in the event of more problems. None of us can remember anyone getting even close to the bags on entry to turns 1 and 3 so it makes sense for us to re-shape the air fence in those two positions.
We remove a bag from turn 1, shuffle up the end piece and then review the situation. From an entry point of view there is precious little difference except that the entry to the turn looks wider and more inviting. The fact that we have kickboards behind the air fence all the way round, as a consequence of the massive digging work that we undertook last winter, means that the re-shaped corner is still safe - the angle of the removed bag to the direction the riders are riding so slight - that we decide to go ahead and remove the bag.
Out on track Punch continues to soak while Ron puts down tons of new shale, and I mean tons!
The new surface will bind in well with the water and the base and we are hopeful that it will produce some pretty dramatic racing around the old Abbey Stadium.
The shale is brought out on the digger but then spread by hand by Ron and Punch in the time old fashion. The covering is a comprehensive one and I cannot remember us putting so much new material down in one go.
The clouds begin to part and the sun shines down on the old place. This is not necessarily a good thing - we don't want it to dry out the water content this early in the day.
During our tea break the old tyres are collected for re-cycling, giving is plenty of extra storage space at the back of the pits.
But the shale supplies are dwindling. We are talking about using 160 tones of shale on the track thus far in the season. For many tracks that would be enough for 2 seasons, but not here at one of the biggest tracks in Britain.
We are joined by a number of track staff in the afternoon : Adam and his mate, Keith, Ernie, John and co.
The extra numbers mean that the task of putting up the oversized banners is much easier than usual and gives me a chance to view the track from the other side of the safety fence.
The deep scouring that Ron has made into the surface is clear on the back straight. Two hours since the last major flooding of the track, there is still a sheen of surface water across the track - this is a good sign; the water is settling down into the base and it is an even settlement, so no soggy patches nor dry ones.
The arrival of some men with surveying equipment last week and this week suggests that there is movement on the big development first mooted three or four years ago. This would see houses built on the field at the back of the pits, the stadium area re-developed for industrial units and a new stadium built over towards the futuristic Motorola factory at the edge of the existing car park.
But dreaming of new stadiums and tracks will have to be put on hold.
Another heavy watering and the track looks exciting - in that I mean we can see the possibilities of some real rip roaring (steady on) action for our match against the Eagles from Eastbourne.
It being a match against Eastbourne, two days before the Cardiff GP means that we are privileged to get a visitation from top speedway author and good friend of the Blog and Blunsdon, Jeff Scott. With his note pad and pen in hand, Jeff joins Mark and I for a cup of tea mid afternoon.
The new book "Shale Trek" is already out and Jeff will be selling it at the Collectors' Fayre at Cardiff.
As we say farewell to Jeff there is much activity in the pit area. A van has been spotted on the by pass and it looks as if it will soon be turning into the Abbey Stadium.
I am directed by a number of track staff to make my way to the main entrance to the pits car park at the back of the stadium to meet up with some old friends.
Of course, the van is blue and it is Team Holta, back for a second year. Rune had picked up an injury in Poland at the weekend and was still receiving treatment so wouldn't be flying in until Friday morning but Michal Ciurzyinski and Krzystof Nypa were there together with a new member of the team, whose name I wrote down and subsequently (to my extreme embarrassment) have lost.
Michal and Krzystof have been with Rune for some time and came along to the Abbey this time last year on their way down to Cardiff. Cans of Polish lager are opened and we chat about the season and the boys chances of success on Saturday. The move to Dackarna has been a really good one for Rune and the lads. It is a delightfully close knit little team.
The van is packed with equipment. Michal and Krzystof will fly back to Poland with Rune on Sunday for a Polish Extra League meeting - their friend will drive it back to Harwich and then a ferry and a lot more driving will bring it back to Malilla for Dackarna's Swedish league fixture on Tuesday.
Of course, they know so many people in the pits, especially all of the other Polish riders and mechanics.
As they depart at the end of heat 15 we agree to meet up at Cardiff
But back to the preparations for the Eastbourne meeting. A very relaxed Simon Stead undertakes a track walk with his mechanic Dale before settling down to make some last minute adjustments to the bike. Simon's form has been sensational this year and much of that is down to the working relationship his has with his mechanic. As Dale puts it, "He rides the bikes and I maintain them. He doesn't allow me to ride them and I don't allow him to fiddle." It sounds like the perfect arrangement!
Further down the pits Ricky Kilng looks as if the constant crises crossing across the North SEa is finally catching up with him while Justin Sedgmen looks very relaxed in red T shirt and cool shades.
The next set of photographs feature one of the most extraordinary sights I have even come across in all my years of speedway watching.
Mads Korneliussen is not happy with the angle of his front forks in relation to the rest of the bike. He puts his hand between the front tyre and the top of the engine block and declares that the gap is too small. The front end of the bike needs to be pulled out more, increasing the gap and improving the angle.
The solution was an interesting one.
Tie a length of towing cable around one of the uprights in the pit area. Loop the cable around the front forks and then pull the bike back violently before checking the gap between tyre and head again.
All was going to plan until someone pointed out that the pillar was moving when they thrust the bike backwards and that there was a real danger of the roof of the pits being pulled down. Can you imagine the headlines? "Swindon meeting postponed - team buried alive!"
Undaunted, Mads and his crew made their way out back and found the water tanker.
They tied the rope to the tanker and looped it around the forks, as before. Two of them yanked the bike backwards with such force that the tanker actually moved forward a bit, even with its brakes on!
Several more times this most extreme example of mechanical engineering was repeated before Mads and co were satisfied that the forks had been moved forward and the necessary / required gap between front tyre and engine head had been achieved.
Back in the pits phsio Karen "Flo" Pantry stopped by to check on Mads's health, or was it his sanity?
Elsewhere more normal work was being carried out on speedway bikes by mechanics and riders.
A confident Ronnie Russell strode through the pits.
When you suddenly find yourself in short supply of essentials for your bike at Swindon you turn to Max and his wonderful spares van, always parked out the back. I swear that there is enough spare parts in the back to build a whole team of speedway bikes. An early visitor is young Cory Gathercole.
In the away pits Matej Zagar has appeared with the injured Cameron Woodward as his spanner man. Matej has been absent from the Eagles for a couple of meetings and up until 3.30pm we weren't sure that he would appear.
Time for a wander round to the terraces on the main straight where Jeff has set up his stall of books, including the excellent new tome, "Shale Trek."
Out on track the Robins are checking the starts. They kick and prod and move back and forth between gates. It's hardly synchronised dancing and there's much work to do before they can be considered a dance act for a forthcoming Britain's Got Talent Show.
Leigh, as usual, is ready very early and wanders through the pits checking up on the other Robins. Matej is still dressed in civvies even though the start time is approaching fast. He is the last to get on the parade wagon at the start of proceedings.
The Eastbourne reserves couldn't be more of a contrast - Lukas Dryml, ex GP star and once ranked 3rd in the world alongside young Kyle Hughes, who, in a previous life, I taught when he attended Sheldon School in Chippenham and I taught there.
I wish him good luck - a really nice lad. When Lukas falls in heat 2 Kyle acts very swiftly to put his bike down to prevent serious injury to his riding partner. Such swift action earns praise from the referee and a round of applause from the track staff as he makes his way back to the pits.
Tomasz Jedrzejak has just joined the Eagles, and chats with young Pole Greg Zengota. Jedrzejak has always been a more than useful visitor to Swindon and I believe there was a time when he was close to joining the Robins but it was never to be. His performances out on the track show what a useful acquisition he will be for the Eagles.
Matej chats with Greg while track man Paul Gibbs shows me the latest of his artistic works - a design painted on the back of young Cory Gathecole's bike.
While Flo chats with Swindon and Charlie Gjedde sponsor Mark Sealey, Cameron Woodward exchanges views with the two GP riders who have stopped off at Blunsdon for the night - Chris Holder and Hans Andersen. Ironic that the two riders from the GP series who did put in an appearance should both make the final of the forthcoming GP, with Holder going on to win the big one.
And the racing at Blunsdon on the track we had spent so much time preparing during the day? Sensational. Simon Stead's overtaking moves were something to behold while Mads rode the far, wide line to grab a win whilst rippling the air fence banners. Brilliant.
