Tommy Hall

Stumbled across a grave stone in Stoke Newington Cemetery at the weekend for this fella:

William Thomas (Tommy) Hall
Who died April 26th 1949
Aged 72 years
This memorial was erected by his
cycling friends as a tribute to a record
breaking and world famous cyclist
on road and track
A great rider and sportsman

Turns out he was also a coach down at Herne Hill:
http://www.tommyhall.co.uk/stationary-of-a-record-holder/
RPM in another life!
Anyone know much about him?
WHilst looking him up on the internet came across this picture. Now that is a big gear!

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I don't think the picture shows Tommy Hall - it's José Meiffert who held the speed record on a bike at various times (it was ~175kph). There was a write up about him in the current Boneshaker - the Veteran Cycle Club magazine.The picture shows him being paced around Silverstone as part of the Grand Prix from 1952.

Hi TT_Tom, I'm new to this forum but spotted a pingback on tommyhall.co.uk.

I'm a relative of Tommy Hall's (distant relative...my dad's grandad) and I've been to Stokey cemetery a couple of times trying to find his grave as I'm obsessive about cycling too. Could you post the exact location for me please if you could?

He broke the world record for motor-paced cycling over 1 mile (http://www.tommyhall.co.uk/a-postcard-to-hetty/) and the record for London to York.

Cheers,
Chris Hall

^^Yeah I saw it was a different cyclist, I was just impressed with his chain ring!

Apart from tommyhall.co.uk I couldnt find much more info on him, and was intrigued by the memorial and his connection with HH. He must have been well liked/respected.

Hi Chris,

There is a wikipedia page: I'll post a google map when I think i know where it is! The grave stone is hard to read, but has a little picture of acyclist on it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Hall_%28cyclist%29

I think this is roughly right. If you can find the Dr Isaac Watts statue its just in front/ behind

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=51.563642,-0.077387&spn=0.000655,0.001474&t=k&z=20&msid=103448297199206802310.000487f96b3a4e0bda631

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Thanks Tom, the wiki was the first place I saw the picture of the grave....I always knew it was there as he lived just down the road at the end of his career.

I've been round and around the maze that is Abney Park trying to find it but with no luck...

...ahh.....he's there! I've walked past that bit. Thanks again Tom.

Interesting stuff DyerFlyer.

The veteran Cycle Club are having their annual meet at Herne Hill this Sunday 6th. Boneshakers and Old Ordinaries etc.

I'm sure there'll be people there who would have known him towards the end of his life.

I think this underlines the rule that says all Toms must ride at Herne Hill

(There's another Tom just about to join the racing regulars - I think that makes four now.)

Theres 3 of us in Rollapaluza, so 5?

I'm sure there'll be people there who would have known him towards the end of his life.

And Dave Creasey might be able to regale us with tales of racing against him ...

Theres 3 of us in Rollapaluza, so 5?

Three? I'm missing someone. Tom-only races beckon for rights to be called Tom 1, Tom 2 etc

You can have your own Tom Pursuit squad.

I'll get my coat.

There's no 'i' in Tom :S

Too many Toms in the track league.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wl_uQOABxg

I like the fact this has turned into a discussion on Toms.
Tom, the other Tom (calleva) rides an orange Koga, like Mikes. TomP is the other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53V7lt7H6m8

the fifth tom is the guy on the black bike at the LFGSS track day on Sunday - he's been threatening to come down to the track since I bumped into him riding into the track a few weeks back. he's got a bike now and looks pretty quick.

Haha and now I've ended up here too. You'll have to find another Tom first, due to irrational number preference I'd like to be Tom 6.

Thought I'd dredge this up since it popped up while I was searching for something related. Looks like Tommy Hall was supervisor at E.F. Russ on Battersea Rise in the 1930s.

There's a number of those 1930s E.F. Russ adverts here: http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/E._F._Russ