My 1981 straight keyhole-spade was at the Cirque this year and there are photos from the Cirque and on Flash's site (http://www.hetchins.org/501keyhole-01.htm). I have the original bill of sale and I'm the second owner so it may be interesting as an example of a Southend made (or sold) Hetchin's. I can't imagine this coming out of Bob Jackson's considering the junky frames Jackson shipped my shop at the time (I know they vary but jeesh).
Joe Bender-Zanoni
Great Notch NJ
> Flash has asked That I pass along this bit of an interim report
> with "teaser" at the end. Looks like some interesting reading by
> weekend's end.
>
> This and the Velo Rendezvous! My cup runneth over.......
>
> See below.
>
> Tom Rawson
> Oakland, CA
> >
> >" The web page at
> >
> > http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/
> >
> > has occasioned an enquiry into the historical relations between
> these
> > two cycle frame manufacturers and the claim by Bob Jackson
> Cycles (BJC)
> > to have been the "exclusive" manufacturer of Hetchins frames in
> the
> > period from 1977 to 1992. My initial response to this claim was
> to
> > assume that "exclusive" is to be understood in the sense that,
> in so far
> > as Alf Hetchin subcontracted frame building (for example, to
> relieve
> > Jack Denny of large numbers of orders), BJC was the only firm
> to have
> > received such orders. However, after numerous emails between
> myself and
> > several sources in the UK, I have come to the conclusion that
> this is
> > not the correct interpretation of BJC's claim.
> >
> > There are several issues to be addressed. These include the
> following
> > (others may arise in the course of the continuing enquiry):
> >
> > 1) Whether Jack Denny made all Hetchins frames. This can be
> definitively
> > denied, without regard to any claims made by BJC.
> > 2) Whether, as BJC claim, Hetchins frames were made by BJC as
> early as
> > 1977--that is, before Alf sold the firm and it was de facto
> consolidated
> > with BJC--, and, if so, how many and whether they can be
> identified as
> > such (e.g., by frame numbers).
> > 3) If claim 2 is verified, namely that BJC did in fact make
> some
> > Hetchins frames while the companies were under separate
> ownership,
> > whether any general degradation in quality has been noted. If
> not,
> > whether BJC-made (or allegedly-so-made) frames have unjustly
> suffered a
> > diminution in reputation in comparison with frames made by Jack
> Denny or
> > any of the other frame builders employed by Hetchin (Harry or
> Alf).
> > 4) The legal status of 'proprietary' lugs, curly stays, logos,
> the
> > Hetchins name, etc.
> >
> > I have received over a dozen emails in the last few days from
> my sources
> > in the UK. They make disjointed reading at present, so I will
> be
> > presenting them in an edited and compiled form. Some of the
> information
> > has been given me in confidence, and so an unabridged version
> of the
> > correspondence in this matter is not forthcoming. I will also
> present
> > what facts I have been able to establish so far, along with
> some
> > considered opinions on this matter, very soon (I hope in time
> for the
> > weekend, 5 Oct). There are some surprises in store. Once the
> puzzle
> > pieces are on the table, I would welcome comments from Hetchins
> > enthusiasts and collectors, as well as from collectors of
> vintage cycles
> > of all marques; we can then try to fit the pieces together and
> see what
> > it all means.
> >
> > end of file"