A fresh artwork on Canvey Island’s coastal barrier is preserving the legacy of a beloved Hackney speedway competitor.
Vic Harding, who made his home on Canvey Island, passed away at 26 years old following an accident at the East London venue in 1979.
He joined the Hackney Hawks from Weymouth in 1977 and was completing his third campaign at the Waterden Road circuit when tragedy struck.
Fans have maintained his remembrance across the intervening 47 years, even though no speedway events have taken place in Hackney since 1996.
The initiative, directed by Brian Longman, required three years to arrive at the sea wall because of required permissions and two years of revetment construction.
Financial contributions for colours and supplies were gathered via crowdfunding.
The piece was executed by Mr Harding’s niece, Charlotte, who never knew her uncle, and officially revealed by his sister Beverley on Sunday before a modest gathering of Hackney enthusiasts and relatives.
The artwork depicts Mr Harding mid-competition on a speedway circuit, accompanied by a catalogue of the clubs he represented.