LIKED TO BE BOOED

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1939, Page 2

LIKED TO BE BOOED

SHOWMAN’S •■ADVERTISING.” LONDON, January 10. A. man who liked io ho booed and hissed died in hospital, ar Fulham, rcccnity. Ilf was Tom Bradbury Pratt, known as a fearless showman, who promoted greyhound racing, boxing, speed ways. Stories of his devil-may-care showmanship were told to a reporter by his elder brother, Mr. Harry Brad bury ITatt, with whom he was associated in several ventures.

■'Tom was always happy-go-lucky.” said Mr. Bradbury Pratt. "One of his strongest points as a showman was his deliahl in provoking people. Not. long ago. he publicly denounced his | speedway lettin al the llarringay I track--told the world that they weren't trying. (hat they bad lost their nerve. The team was so upset and so determined to prove him wrong that they won match after malcli. And they became- Hie best of friends with him again. Al a local speed way 'derby,' lie would go deliberately to Hie opposing team’s ground and raise some technical point to infuriate the crowd. They would boo and hiss, but he just stood there with

bis cigar in his mouth, not caring. Many star speedway riders owe their prominence to him.” His first experience in showmanship camo after his war service in the R.A.F. lie helped his brothers to promote Hie ten popular whist drives, including the world’s record whist drive at Olympia, in which 17.000 players took part. When he was taken

to hospital, suffering from a tumor on the brain, he was within a few days of his fortieth birthday.