Obviously I'm extremely slow on the uptake here (so what's new?) but I'm slightly distressed to hear that Walthamstow Dog Track may be closing in 2008, victims at the hands of local property developers who wish to replace it with a new housing estate. Regular readers of this blog will know that it's often been a feature of my social life, and has given me a lot more pleasure than perhaps continually losing money on disappointing whippets ever rightfully should.

Above and beyond that, the track has been a feature of local society here now for 70 years. My father attended races there, my brothers periodically used to nightclub on the premises, and for all I know my grandfather may have wandered down to the track from time to time as well. He's not alive for me to ask, but it would certainly have been his style. This is one of the few London venues that has proven to be an area of common ground amongst my entire family. On top of that, the loud neon signs for the dog track are something I can see from the top of the hill near where I live - each evening when I walk home from the station, I know I'm almost at my front door when I can see a large flourescent hound on the horizon.



I realise that there are arguments to be made against dog racing, and I've no doubt somebody will flame me with them very shortly, but for me personally it would be a deep shame if Walthamstow lost its only significant stadium. In fact, let's go one further than that and say that it would be a pity if Walthamstow lost its only significant venue of entertainment full stop (so far we have no cinemas, no major gig venues, not even a bowling alley to call our own - we're getting a bicycle track for the Olympics you say? Well, wowee. I can't wait.)

You can sign the petition by following the link below. Britpop geeks with no links to this area at all may also want to sign it when they realise that Blur used the stadium in the picture shots for their "Parklife" album.

http://www.savethestow.com/