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Sunday 7th September 2025

Whatever happened to all the boys and girls who loved to BMX – 40 years ago or more in Warminster? Do you remember the BMX track that was beyond the western end of the Portway Lane playing field. Were you at the very first BMX event held there or any subsequent meets? What make and model of BMX bike did you have and where was it acquired from?

50 BMX riders attended the first ever races meeting of the Warminster Wizards BMX Club on the evening of Monday 2nd July 1984. This not only “christened” the new BMX track at the far end of Portway Lane, Warminster, it also resulted in great fun for everyone who took part. Medals were awarded to the race winners as follows:

Five to Six Years Old ~

Richard White, Simon Mead, Rowan King.

Eight to Nine Years Old ~

Michael Kervel, Richard Hathaway, Jonathan Clapp.

Ten Years Old ~

David Coleman, Lorna Harris, Mark White.

Eleven Years Old ~

Steven White, Chris Mingo, Jason Bevis.

Twelve Years Old ~

Adam Shepherd, Stuart Magee, Tony Sargood.

Fourteen Years Old ~

Glen Pearce, Simon Brock, Richard Magee.

Fifteen Years Old ~

Kelvin Pearce, Shane Sargood, John Morris.

___________

I took this photo of the BMX track at the western end of Portway Lane Playing Fields, Warminster, during August 1986. The gas storage containers at Furneaux Lane (Gas House Lane) can be seen in the distance (they no longer exist). And the BMX track is long gone too.

When I posted this photo and accompanying notes on Facebook it gained 80 likes and received 43 comments including the following:

Gemma Stone
I remember it well was across the road from my grandparents house. I still got some scars from coming of my BMX here.

Matthew Brock
Takes me back to, coming a cropper on the table top.

Loma Harris
Loved this track. My best years there. So many memories x.

Ben Smith
I remember the first time I rode that track. I belive on the last bit there were a few small bumps. I remember not seeing one of them (blended into the ground) and fell off. I only remember it as I can still remember the pain of my nads hitting the crossbar. Good times!

Will Mckee
White lightning lol.

Babs Hayward
When l moved on the Portway estate nearly 50 yes ago the young lads raced around the field on their motor cycles. Got woke up most Sunday mornings along with the lovely sound of the Minster Church bells peeling. That was my alarm call on a Sunday, didn’t need to have to set my alarm clock. And when they built the BMX Track we had to buy a BMX bike for my son Andrew, he was about 14 at the time. We got it second hand. Them days are LONG GONE NOW Xxx.

Michelle Finnigan
I remember this track so well. Lots of fun memories.

John Slade
I had a Yes Titan TX, remember the track very well, fell off a lot.

Angela Saunders – Dix
Spent virtually all my childhood on that track with the gang. Such great memories, thanks for sharing dannyhowell.net

Glen Pearce

dannyhowell.net warminster and district
Glen Pearce Thank you for sharing the pic of your trophies!

Damian Mead
I loved this track.

Martin Woodham
Loved the bmx track.

Stella Hardy
A memory from Warminster wizards, Derby British champions qualifiers:

dannyhowell.net warminster and district
Stella Hardy Thank you for sharing this.

Lee Kennedy
Kye Kennedy they were the days! X

Marc Young
My god I know most of the winners, I was in the Corsley Cyclones BMX club at the time.

Chris Curtis
Didn’t have the BMX but did do First Aid cover there with Warminster Red Cross.

Carl Jenkins
James May sadly before our time.

James Curtis
Looks like a proper bmx track like we had in Bournemouth, before they wrecked it.

Ant Miller
Used to love BMX, I had a Haro Shredder,GT Dyno and finished with a Brian Curtis.

Laura Loobie
Need a new one my son would love this. x x x

Will Mckee
I still got the scars and the memories!!

Stella Hardy

Robin Ellison Loma and I raced wizards track so many times . . . Chris Mingo , Damian Mead , Kev O’mahony, Mike Baggs

Loma Harris
Stella Hardy we definitely did Stella. Great times x

Mike Kervell
I still have my trophy from that night at my mum’s house.

Paul Batchelor
Thank you Danny, for all the documentation you have done over many decades which has become an invaluable source of historic interest to all Warminster people.

Duncan Cockburn
Shameless plug I know but if anyone fancies reliving their youth, BATH BMX CLUB has a brand new start gate and probably the steepest, smoothest Velosolutions berms in the country. They host regular open practice, races and coaching and loan out bikes, helmets and gloves, of all sizes, for free. Current club riders age from 4 to 60 and count amongst its members British and European Champions and even sent riders to the World Championships. Club Champs this coming Sunday if you just wanted to see how things have changed.

Friday 29th August 2025

I posted this on my Facebook page.

The Warminster Bypass opened nearly 37 years ago. I have had in my possession for many years (although I can’t remember exactly how I acquired it) an unusual item of Warminster Bypass memorabilia. And it’s something that is functional too. It’s a chopping board with a handle. And there’s a hole in the handle so it can be hung in the kitchen.

The wording across the top of the board reads: “Warminster By-pass opened 29th November 1988.” Below that heading is a black and white illustration of Copheap and below that is a stylised sketch (not to scale and not totally accurate) of what is meant to be Warminster town centre. There are signposts pointing the way off the Bypass to Bath, Frome, Weymouth, Southampton, and Town Centre. Among the buildings depicted are Warminster Railway Station and Christ Church. The Marsh, east of Christ Church is shown and signposted.

One building, near the centre of the town sketch, is differentiated by being coloured orange. It is the building that was the office and printing works of Warminster Press at Station Road. (This building has since been demolished to make way for the entrance and access road to the Waitrose car park.) On the roads in the town centre are depicted some lorries: two orange ones both labelled “Print”, and uncoloured lorries labelled ink and paper. A motorcycle is shown, having left Warminster Press and turned left out of Station Road, gathering speed and leaving exhaust smoke as it goes up what is meant to be East Street. The word “proofs” can be seen on the back of the motorbike. All of this seems to suggest that this illustration was printed by Warminster Press. Maybe the board was produced for Warminster Press to give as complimentary gifts to their customers?

The Bypass is shown with vehicles bumper to bumper in both directions. Some of the lorries shown on the Bypass are labelled Tesco, Yeoman, Benchairs and Cuprinol. Maybe these companies were clients for stationery and brochure printing by Warminster Press? One lorry is labelled “Crunch Quarries” – maybe this is some sort of joke or signifies how happy everyone was to have the many stone lorries diverted out of Warminster Town Centre?

Does anyone have any details about this item? Was it, as we think, produced with the involvement of Warminster Press as gifts for their clientele? Does anyone else have one of these? Or do you have other items of unusual Warminster memorabilia, either commercially produced or maybe you have obtained a relic of something old or from something that no longer exists in Warminster?

The post on my Facebook page gained 35 likes and 11 comments including:

Charlotte Rivers
Rob’s eldest son William Fryer, who also worked at the press, will be able to answer your question. It was Rob’s sense of humour

William Fryer
My Dad produced this as his corporate Christmas gift in 1988 to celebrate the bypass being built. He gave them to his customers and suppliers. He owned and ran the Warminster Press which occupied the site that is now the entrance to Waitrose. You drive through his old office when you enter and leave the supermarket.

Heather Witless Whitmore
I also had one until quite recently. Yes, it was produced by Warminster Press & given to me by the late Rob Fryer, of WP. I also had a commemorative mug with a similar design, sadly also no longer.

Gordon Davies
Heather Witless Whitmore. Mr Rob Fryer was a very nice man. He helped Colin French and me several times.

Andy Eade
Patricia Eade I remember we had one! Likely Dad received this from Warminster Press. Do you recall? Julie Goodsman?

Patricia Eade
Andy Eade You’re quite right we did have one. It was given to us by Rob Fryer. He did a lot of printing for our business. I think I might still have it, although I haven’t seen it since I’ve moved. It could be in a box I haven’t gone through yet.

Julie Goodsman
Andy Eade I think ours was the key rack. X.

Andy Eade
Julie Goodsman Yes!! I think you’re right!

Julie Goodsman
Andy Eade A gift to Dad as he used to have his catalogues printed by Warminster Press. X.

Patricia Eade
Julie Goodsman Warminster Press used to print all our compliment slips, headed notepaper and memo paper.

Mari Booker
I can remember in the 1960s writing an essay about the plans for the bypass with photographs of all proposed intersections. Where is it now?