At 5:07 PM -0500 5/19/02, Steve Kurt wrote:
> I've had a chance to visit southern England
>and poke thru some castles and cathedrals. Even the
>flamoyance of a Hetchins pales compared to the
>incredible ornateness and detail of some of the
>cathedrals.
Damn, you beat me to it. The English built in a Gothic style for 300+ years after the rest of Europe had moved on to other "less ornate" styles (That is after going on to more ornate styles first). The English also have a lot of pageantry and history wrapped up in their culture. This is shown regularly during the changing of the guard and the entering of parliament. I think they may have a keener sense between artistic and utilitarian design. I have a soft spot for pre-1960 British path racers and rough-stuff bikes since I think they are built to be robust and have a subtle flair at the same time though they are examples of the utilitarian style. Hetchins and Bates are much more in the artistic camp. Taking the tradition of ornate ceremony and applying it to bicycles. enjoy, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives