Great photo when taken ? /Here is a photo of me, age around 11 on the cut down frame for cycle speedway.
Dave A
View attachment 115145
That would have been 1951...Great photo when taken ? /
You are just a kid Dave!!!That would have been 1951...
Dave A
That's what I love to hear! One of the benefits of this forum is that I'm not the oldest!You are just a kid Dave!!!
I guess you are referring to my photo Eddie? The kid poking his head around the fence is my pal Tony Robinson. BTW, behind that black corrugated fence, are the 4 outdoor toilets, shared by 8 families...John. who was poking his head round the side of the fence?
Was H.Powell the man with the cycle shop either on Witton Road or on Birchfield Road, a Hercules agent, shop had a yellow frontage I think. Probably got it all wrongH V Powell had been quite a successful competitive cyclist in his day I seem to remember. I had my first 'proper' bike from him for Xmas 1964 when I was eleven. He and the other old chap who worked with him were always wearing those brown 'cowgowns' as they were called, and hands covered in oil. I can still remember the great smell of that shop which was unique to bike shops.
Sadly he passed away in 2008 aged 97 so cycling must be good for you after all !!
Here is the obituary entry from the Mail :
POWELL Howard Vincent, Of H.V Powell Cycles, passed away on March 14, 2008, aged 97 years. Fu- neral Service at the Birmingham Crema- torium, Walsall Road, Perry Barr on Thursday, March 27 at 2.00 p.m. Family flowers on- ly, but donations for Robert Harvey House may be sent c/o W H Scott & Son, Funeral Direc- tors, 426 Rotton Park Road, Edgbas- ton, Birmingham, B16 OLA.
Yes Bob, the frontage was indeed yellow and his shop was on Birchfield Road almost opposite Mansfield Road. If you go to this site and scroll down it to the entry for Powells, there is a pic of the shop and one of the road layout as it is today. Also a pic of the man himself with a customer and one of H V Powells 'Joybikes' which was a moped which he designed and built himself. My late older brother had one in about 1959 -60Was H.Powell the man with the cycle shop either on Witton Road or on Birchfield Road, a Hercules agent, shop had a yellow frontage I think. Probably got it all wrong
Bob
Very many thanks, the memory has not quite gone, I had a second hand New Hudson and Dad put wood blocks on the pedals so that I could learn to ride. When I had learnt we we t to Powell's and bought a Red Hercules sports bike. Thus was fine until I discovered Vechietti, Paris, Frejus all with alloy brakes, 'double changers...10 gears, who remembers the Campagnola that moved the whole bike when you changed gear, the lever was based by the front chain cog, there were of course also Dawes, Claude Butler, Falcon, Viking, Carlton and a couple of others whose name I cannot remember. Next question what was the name of the cycle dealer at Beggars Bush on the road to Kingstanding with the West Bromwich 25 bus stop outside, finally was that Wheelers or was that somewhere else?Yes Bob, the frontage was indeed yellow and his shop was on Birchfield Road almost opposite Mansfield Road. If you go to this site and scroll down it to the entry for Powells, there is a pic of the shop and one of the road layout as it is today. Also a pic of the man himself with a customer and one of H V Powells 'Joybikes' which was a moped which he designed and built himself. My late older brother had one in about 1959 -60
https://www.icenicam.org.uk/articles4/pics012.html
I would love to see a photo of Billy Gameson shop on Golden Hillock rd see attached business cardYes Bob, the frontage was indeed yellow and his shop was on Birchfield Road almost opposite Mansfield Road. If you go to this site and scroll down it to the entry for Powells, there is a pic of the shop and one of the road layout as it is today. Also a pic of the man himself with a customer and one of H V Powells 'Joybikes' which was a moped which he designed and built himself. My late older brother had one in about 1959 -60
https://www.icenicam.org.uk/articles4/pics012.html
Bob I can remember the shop by the Beggars Bush - it was on Kings Road and it was called Wheelocks. Apart from cycles he sold airguns, darts, and all manner of other stuff. I remember taking a wheel there to be trued up - that would be about 1965Very many thanks, the memory has not quite gone, I had a second hand New Hudson and Dad put wood blocks on the pedals so that I could learn to ride. When I had learnt we we t to Powell's and bought a Red Hercules sports bike. Thus was fine until I discovered Vechietti, Paris, Frejus all with alloy brakes, 'double changers...10 gears, who remembers the Campagnola that moved the whole bike when you changed gear, the lever was based by the front chain cog, there were of course also Dawes, Claude Butler, Falcon, Viking, Carlton and a couple of others whose name I cannot remember. Next question what was the name of the cycle dealer at Beggars Bush on the road to Kingstanding with the West Bromwich 25 bus stop outside, finally was that Wheelers or was that somewhere else?