On common ground

The arts and speedway racing may have more in common than some of your recent letter writers may realise. They both suffer from a lack of a purpose-built facility in Lismore and make do with the venues at their disposal with the art gallery a prime example.

They both are chronically under funded by the government, in the case of the speedway any funding is non-existent. They both contribute enormously to the rich and diverse culture of the Northern Rivers and, although based in Lismore, they are attended by both national and international performers and patrons.

Might I add that Lismore Speedway was a sponsor with both cash and equipment when Norpa staged the very successful Cars that ate Paris production back in the 90s. I made my one and only stage debut in that production, albeit in an old valiant with a helmet on, racing up and down Bounty Street (all obviously under controlled conditions) and not on the stage. Ah well, closest I’ll ever get to the dizzying heights of stage and screen.

Recent letter writers have also been happy to make sweeping generalisations about speedway supporters, labelling them as rednecks, knuckle-draggers and yobbos.

Come on guys give me a break. I love a good shiraz, read plenty of books from authors as diverse as Garrison Keillor to Tim Winton, have attended a number of Norpa productions over the years and I sometimes find myself nodding in agreement with something Bob Brown has said. I certainly don’t consider that I fall into those categories and I’ve been attending and racing at Lismore Speedway meetings for over 40 years.

Anyway I better go drag my knuckles out side and weed the vegie patch, get all my yobbo mates together and go down to the library then pull out that bottle of pinot noir I’ve been saving and do some work on the race car.

Warren King
Goonellabah