Pete Bird of Swallow cycles was a silversmith by trade. He started building frames when he was made redundant from his trade in late 1980. Was located in Brentwood Essex and later in Wales. Built solos, trikes, tandems and tandem trikes. Nice frames. One model he made was called the "Wallow" a hellenic frame where the seat stays are parallel to the down tube, seat stays join the top-tube several inches in front of the saddle. His trike axles were not a success.
Witcomb's did have a frame building unit in Wales. This was funded by I believeWelsh Devolopment agency money to combat un-employment in that region, pre Thatcher. The units purpose was to manufacture for export orders mostly USA. Remember having a conversation with Ernie Witcomb at Tanners Hill, Deptford about this, he was having all sorts of problems with this unit. This would have been about 1976 time. Ernie had a really top rate black frame builder working for him then. They use to do frame 24 hour frame repairs back then and this guy did my repair while I was in the shop. Wonderful bloke always played some reggae while he worked and did a good job. Raced next day on the repaired frame complete with scorch marks. If someone has got any 1970 Cyclings it will probably give Witcombs Welsh unit address.
Best wishes and be lucky. Michael Butler Huntingdon UK.
>From: GRIFFKS@aol.com
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]...........Welsh Framebuilders?
>Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 16:23:04 EDT
>
>a chap whom I work with commutes in on a rather nice Swallow frame built by
>Pete Bird who originated I believe from Essex but then relocated to Wales
>in
>order to pursue a full time career of building tandems, his frames were
>first
>class but whatever happened to him?.............over to you Mick & Norris!
>regards
>Griff King-Spooner (London UK)