When Was It? - Or Wasn't It?
Front cover shows the venue as 'Great Everden Farm', which, apparently, the Folkestone club used for events other than grass track. Q  By Alan Turner Hawkinge Grass Track A while ago I was in conversation with the esteemed publisher of this magazine and for some reason the topic of Hawkinge Aerodrome came up. I could remember going to a grass track there many years ago. A dangerous enough statement as, so often, the 16
passage of time scrambles what really happened into what you think really happened. Occasionally there can be a frighteningly wide gulf between the two. So, on that proviso, the story continues. I recall entry to the track involved passing the old airfield buildings, a still extant reminder of when Hawkinge, just 10 minutes' flying time from France, was
at the very front of the front line, part of Hellfire Corner in WWII. The other memory was that the grass was very long and the cuttings made a continuous bank marking the outer limits of the track. Should a rider veer outside the markers it looked like a collision with a haystack. There, apparently, the matter rested. Somewhere, I doubtless have the programme for the event. But the emphasis is on 'somewhere'. A bombardment of the modern kind arrived a couple of days later with another 'Offers you dare not miss' e-mail from e-Bay. Just as I was about to 'Delete' I spotted 'Grass Track Programme'. Not just any grass track – but Hawkinge! For less than £2, I saved hours of searching my files and storage boxes. The vaguely recalled event, the Chunnel Grass Track, took place in June 1973, organised by the Folkestone Motor Cycle Club. The organisation took pride in meetings where the quality was often close to the ACU National Championships, an achievement due in no small part to the club's spectacular Rhodes Minnis track. Unfortunately, that venue was no longer available. Had nostalgia added unwarranted glitter to the Hawkinge memories? Although a centrestatus meeting, as well as the usual galaxy of South Eastern Centre stars, it featured many riders who had travelled long distances, with a strong presence from the Eastern Centre, a long haul when the motorway system was still