Gone to the Dogs

15th August 2008

After 75 years east London's famous Walthamstow stadium faces closure this Saturday raising the question: why are we not taking care of our national institutions?

Watching a mechanical hare in a tightly fitting fluorescent orange jacket being frantically pursued by six greyhounds might seem like an odd spectator sport, but on a summer evening, east London's iconic landmark is full to the rafters. Middle-aged men in badly-fitting beige macs huddled over their race cards mingle with trackside diners munching happily on chicken and chips, whilst families chat excitedly and office parties and stag do's gatecrash the bar.

However, if you’re looking for the hard core action, this takes place down at the track where half a dozen independent bookies - as much part of the furniture as the famous front façade - (no Tote or Ladbrokes welcome down here) stand under brightly coloured umbrellas taking bets from men clutching their bibles: copies of the Racing Post.

But suddenly silence - the greyhounds sprint out of the traps and then for a manic 30 seconds the crowds scream as the race culminates in thrilled applause from the winners and mumbles from the disappointed losers.

Given the venue has attracted celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Vinnie Jones whilst Blur featured a classic race image on the front of their Parklife album, it seems outrageous that closure is even an option. Even Sir Winston Churchill made use of the stadium to address 20,000 people in 1945, two days before the country went to the polls.

In most parts of the world traditional pastimes and sports are treasured as part of a country's national heritage. Imagine Rio without the Maracana Stadium or Ladakh without its Polo Fields. However institutions are not just the domain for sport, they are critical parts of the country's heritage. Peru would be barren without Machu Picchu just as Libya would be neutered without Leptis Magna. Ask anyone who has visited Jordan what they remember and Petra will invariably be top of their list, as indeed will the mud brick mosque at Djenne in Mali. Financially these institutions may be loss makers, but their harder currency is their heritage and to eschew this is to rob the country of its birthright. These monuments need support from their governments and in some instances from charities, but most importantly they need visitors. Proper visitors, those that value responsible tourism, not ones just prepared to tick it off their wish list before moving on to desecrate another paragon of history with their 99 other coach pilgrims.

But of course, as with all parts of tourism, it is not just the potential visitors who are affected. "Normal" peoples lives are also affected, such as Dougie Tyler, 90, who has been running a book at Walthamstow's trackside since 1946, "I feel sick, this place means everything to me - I'll be crying my eyes out when it closes." Likewise imagine the vendor seller outside the Pyramids if this ancient monument is reduced to rubble.

Dog racing has been going on far longer than most sports and certainly longer than Australia and its abbreviated history. Therefore it is ironic that it is the major backing of an Australian that looks like it could be the stadium's saviour. This is a predictable outcome as Anglo/Aussie liaisons normally are, we teach them the activity, be it cricket, rugby, swimming or whingeing and they surpass us, but if it means saving this treasured landmark who is complaining?