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Bicycle saddle factories: Wrights, Leatheries, Lycett, Mansfield

C

colinmann

knowlegable brummie
Any information on these, years in production, location, does the building still exist, if not what is there now?
Did you work there, what was it like?

Also, Middlemore, did they have a Birmingham saddle factory? (I know they had one in Coventry).
 
hi colin
i can only remember brookes sadles in birmingham
whom made them in the early years
the name of the road eludes me at the moment
it was a road some-where down at the bottom end of constution hill
it was around the walker and wood brass workrs ,i think
can any body else brookes sadl makers
best wishes astonian ;;
 
Thanks, some Brooks info, they were first at Great Charles Street from the 1800s and moved to Downing street, Smethwick in 1962. I have basic details that Brooks took over Lycett, The Leatheries, Wrights but no detailed info. Don't know if they got Mansfield or Middlemore.

One of my saddles is a 'Wrights Olympic 90/3' I'd love to know what years it was in production.
 
hi colin.
yes you are quite right it was around the bottom end of great charles
street around that quarter and i really thought that they changed and took
lycett , but i did not want to committ myself in telling you
i like to be as accurate as possible if i am telling people things
as i have said before on this site any think i have ever said on any subject
is from my knowledge i do not have any system or books to cross check
and use for information i don,t even look up subjects to speak about
if any think comes into my head then i will use it
i do and did remember brookes saddles and the change over to lycetts
but by goly we are going back some years and i recall they went to
smethwick during around the time you said
have a nice day colin . best wishes astonian ,;;
 
Hi Colin, I have a 1930 cycling magazine with adverts for Brooks, Letheries, lycet, Mansfield and Terry saddles,
 
Nick,
That's excellent, thanks for putting them pictures up.

I think the Terry brand are still going and make plastic saddles, don't know anything more on them though.
 
OH DEAR !!!! Cycling, Bikes, Saddles etc etc etc Don't get me started ! LOL

Well, I've had a lifelong love of cycling and now it seems theres a huge resurgence - its never been more poular ( or so they're saying ! ) Pity that the British cycle industry ( along with too many other of our world famous trades ) has gone right down the toilet !!

At one time, Brum had countless companies manufacturing cycle accessories and a good few bicycle makers too - I wont list their names - I'll simply post a few ads from a booklet entitled 'Cycling Book Of Maintainance' - which was born from the weekly magazine 'Cycling' and published during the war, towards the end of hostilities I think.

Enjoy these ads for what is surely one of, if not THE most energy efficient means of transport available today. Mansfield saddles incidentally, was located in Heathfield Road ( see one of the ads ) long gone now of course, and Heathfield Road is now a far from wholesome place - I pedal along it on the way to work and like almost all of the area I was born and raised in is a thoroughly depressing parody of what it once was but enough of that !!
 
Heres an ad from the March 12th 1953 copy of 'Cycling' magazine for Dawes Cycles which was located in Tyseley. They're gone too now and were a truly excellent example of handbuilt cycles - you can still buy a Dawes but it aint built in Brum !!! - Vietnam or somesuch place as I understand it !
 
Silhouette,
Great adverts there, what was meant to sell a product in a moment in time have become great historical resources.

Hercules and BSA are still being made in India, this is because TI once owned the brands here, now TI India make them.

You mentioned Mansfield being long gone but is another company using the building or was it demolished?
 
Hi Colin

I really don't know about that - I have no idea where exactly in Heathfield Rd the Mansfield factory was located, or if the building still exists - something for the historians on here to investigate. If someone can come up with the number I will certainly check it out next time I go along that road.

Colin
 
Mansfields seems to have started out as Mansfield & Watton at 33 Bristol St between 1896 and 1899 as cycle saddle makers and fancy leather good dealers. They soon dropped the fancy leather goods, and between 1900 and 1904 dropped the Watton. Between 1908 and1912 they moved to 47 Macdonald str and after 1932 also added Charles Henry St (presumably the same factory but extending round the corner). Between 1937-8 they moved to 79 Pershore St and remained until between 1940 and 1943 when they went to 24 Heathfield road where they remained until about 1967
mike
 
Mike you are a mine of information !! I haven't forgotten how you came up with a list of publicans who'd run the Royal Victoria Cross in William Street !! I will check out 24 Heathfield Rd and see what's there.
 
Unfortunately google street view does part of heathfield road, but not that part (which is on the south side at the villa road end , between villa road and south grove
m ike
 
I went for a ride today, first to Sampson Road North the location of The Leatheries, there were a few old buildings, one was really nice but none had anything to indicate that they were The Leatheries old factory - if only there was an old picture of it!
Next I went to MacDonald Street, one of Mansfield's addresses but there was nothing.
Next, throught Deritend where Lycett had a factory at 164, but there's nothing to show that location.
Next to Arthur Street, Small Heath, site of another Lycett factory, but again nothing unfortunately.

At least I got some exercise!
 
This is a picture of the Wrights Saddles factory,taken in the mid nineties, not sure when Wrights closed.
My wife worked there in the late fifties,

Nick
 
Well, as promised here is a photo of No 24 Heathfield Road, the location of what was once Mansfield Saddles. The house to the left of the premises is No 26 and its difficult to say how big Mansfields premises were - there are 3 numbers chalked on the wall ( 20, 22 and 24 ) presumably to help the poor postman !! it looks like some of this particular building(s) have been demolished to make the space which is a car wash. Hope this is of some use, it was a bit rushed as I stopped on the way to work this morning to take the pics and its not an area I care to remain immobile in for too long !!!!
 
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