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Franco British cycles and motors

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
This appears to be at 218 - 229 Rookery Road. It’s labelled as c1910. The lettering in the image looks to have been ‘improved’ possibly for advertising purposes. But what a lot of information it gives about the business. Presumably the “showrooms” were through the low level building (?). Viv.

A9588D33-C2C4-4CD0-B098-E609193CD760.jpeg
 
As the Showrooms had an odd numbered address I suspect, Viennese, they were in another part of the road. But our friends with Indexes probably will reveal all to us. :grinning:
 
The numbering on Rookery road was odd one side, even the other, so added numbering must be wrong. One entry on ebay describes the post ard as on the corner of Elmhurst road, which would fit with the 218. on map below in red. the 1910 kellys shows 218 as Edward Hollingsworth ,ironmonger. Mysteriously the 1912 Kellys still has hollingsworth at that position, but he is thennnumbered 220, and 218 is stated to be on opposite corner !! !913 edition is the same. None of these Kellys lists Franco british.

map c1904 junction elmhurst road and rookery road showing no218.jpg
 
There’s something not right about this. Could it actually be an image of a shop somewhere else, with only the ‘showrooms’ being in Rookery Road’ ? Alan put the idea into my head suggesting the showrooms were elsewhere, but taking this further, it might mean that #218 was in a completely different road. Viv.
 
Also interesting to note the extravagant brackets which I presume were holding up the guttering. I've never seen anything similar anywhere else.
 
The small part to the right hand side of the shop certainly seems to be added, as it cuts into the shop biuilding. Frankly I dont really believe any of the wording that is "enhanced". The Kellys for 1910 shows no 229 as being a tripe dealer, and is the wrong position as can be seen in the c1950 and c1915 maps below (though it looks like 227 would fit). The newspaper archive gives no references to "franco-british cycles" or "franco-british motorcycles"

map c 1950 showing 229 rookery road.jpgmap c1915 showing 229 rookery road.jpg
 
I notice Franco British is in quotation marks. So perhaps the shop was not officially listed as Franco British. Also, perhaps this postcard was an adaptation - there are so many of, what look like, ‘enhancements’ in the lettering and in the guttering mentioned by jmadone. I’ve looked up some of the products such as for example ‘Fleet’ and they exist - and using that logo. So I’m now wondering if this was an adapted postcard issued at the time of the Franco British exhibition of 1908 - in recognition of the signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904 ? Viv.
 
British Library Newspapers search shows that the only 229 Rookery Road mentioned is the above, but no mention of Franco-British or of modes of transport.

Maurice
 
It was a postcard put up for sale by an eBay dealer trading as PickLick, so the date is just what the dealer estimated. There is no mention of the address or Franco-British Cycles in the London Gazette either. This looks like a non-starter.

Maurice
 
I believe the building(s) in the photo was their workshops and stores. Engineers is prominent over the doorway and they do mention that they are a garage for cycles and motor cycles. Ideally we need a photo of their 'showrooms'.
 
Last edited:
Ken_R said:
I think I have it.

218 Rookery Rd · 218 Rookery Rd, Handsworth, Birmingham B21 9PY

Building
www.google.com www.google.com

It looks like it was 218 Rookery Road, Wolverhampton.

Not so sure now.

Another edit. Google Maps was showing a 218 Rookery Road, Wolverhapton but took me to the Birmingham/Handsworth location. Almost certainly the same building with the distinctive roof overhand and the upper window.
Click to expand...
I agree. It certainly looks very similar to the building in the original picture but with modernisations.
 
That certainly looks very similar. So to be clear it’s at the junction of Elmhurst and Headingley Roads. I think it’s pretty certain that the postcard has been embellished. Thanks all. Viv.
 
The ‘showroom’ building at 229 Rookery Road is still there (Lycamobile) and not far from the Elmhurst Road house. The shop next door seems to have/is being rebuilt. Viv.

4A4D1FC6-5872-4F78-AB3F-8D57748E039E.jpeg
 
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