Taunton's original 'Greyhound Girls' look back to 1961

The article was based on an interview with 15 time National Hunt Champion trainer Martin Pipe, who had recently discovered a scrapbook from 1961 containing many cuttings and pictures of how his dad Dave Pipe who was a local bookmaker back then, set up and ran the greyhound racing.

Included in the article Martin made reference to the group of Greyhound Girls who helped out at each meeting and begged the question- “I wonder what ever happened to them?”

Just before Christmas a letter addressed to Richard Walsh, who wrote the article was received at the Gazette from Lydia Lee (nee Rees) saying that 60 years ago she had been one of the Greyhound Girls.

In her letter Lydia explained that she and her best friend Jane Alba (nee Hoile) were both 16 and worked locally in Taunton, They were trying to save up some money to go on holiday to Jersey when they heard that Dave Pipe was trying to recruit a group of Greyhound Girls, so they went along and they got the job.

Lydia concluded her letter by saying that she and Jane would love to see the scrapbook and recapture some of the memories of their time as Greyhound Girls.

We contacted Martin Pipe about the letter that had been sent to the Gazette and he kindly invited the two former Greyhound Girls to meet up with him and look at the long lost 1961 scrapbook.

Last week the meeting took place and accompanied by photographer Alain Lockyer and Richard Walsh the two met up with Martin for the first time in 60 years.

Both Lydia and Jane grew up in Taunton and became friends when they both attended North Town Primary School- where they discovered Martin’s wife Carol had also been a pupil at about the same time so they had a great deal in common.

The two girls talked about how they came to get the job as Greyhound Girls in the first place.

Jane, who was working at Herbert White Jewellers in Station Road said :” My sister and brother in law Ken and Shiela Stark were friends with Martin’s Dad so that’s probably how we got to know about the job.”

“When I started working first I was earning £2- 10 shillings a week, ten shillings of that my mother had so we had no money. We were looking to get as much money as we could for a holiday that we were planning in Jersey the following summer,” said Lydia.

The girls went straight to greyhound track after work where they got changed into their uniforms.

Jane said: :We used to wear cobalt blue trousers that had stirrups under the feet, sloppy Joe light blue jumpers and white boots and I always had to wear the white hat . I always walked out with dog number 3 Lydia’s hat was blue I think and she always walked with dog number 6.

“We also had to put the dogs jackets with their numbers onto them and after parading our dogs in front of the crowd we used to place them into the traps ready for the start.”

Lydia recalled: “ The dogs were all so excited because they all knew what they were up to and sometimes it was quite hard to get them into the traps.

“The hare would then come round wobbling on the track and as it passed the traps the doors would go up and the dogs would fly out and they were gone.

“Then after the race was finished we would run across the field to collect our dog before they tore the hare to pieces, and walked them back to the kennels where the owners would pick them up, and if they’d had a good win they would sometimes give you a nice tip.”

“I remember one dog that I led out won and the owner was so pleased that he gave me £20 which was a huge amount of money back then which would have paid from my air fare and my holiday!”

The girls both continued to work at the Greyhound Racing for some time after the initial meeting and by the following summer had saved up enough money to go away on holiday together.”

“Jane and I had a great holiday in Jersey, thanks to Mr Pipe and have remained friends ever since, in fact we still go on holiday after 64 years of friendship,” said Lydia

Did the two former Greyhound Girls remember any of the others?

“We never really go to know any of the other girls but they were all local because nobody had a car in those days so everyone probably came from within walking distance,” said Jane.

“It was all good fun back then and when you think about how things were back then you realise just how much Taunton has changed.”

Lydia has remained living locally ever since and although Jane moved away for part of her married life she has now returned to where her roots are.

Lydia who wrote the letter said: “It was only by chance that I read the Gazette that week and as I was flicking through I saw the article about the Greyhound Racing at the County Ground and thought I have got to reply so I wrote my letter and here we are today!”

“It was very kind of Martin Pipe to invite us along to his house. It was lovely to meet him and his wife Carol who we went to school with and great to see the scrapbook and chat together about some of the people and places we knew back then.’

Martin Pipe who was 16 and still at school when the greyhound racing started said: “I used to go down to the race track to watch the greyhounds- it was always a pretty good evening and I really used to enjoy myself.

“It was a real pleasure to meet up with two of the Greyhound Girls after such a long time. They were very enthusiastic about the scrapbook and it was great to chat about the good times they had at the dog track and remember how it was growing up in Taunton back then.”