Jeremy asked re UK makes:
> whether there were any smaller brands (less well known)
> that were considered as well made and riding as the bigger
> labels back in the 50's-70's?
There were hundreds of small UK builders. Many folk learned the art with Bob Jackson, Claud Butler or whoever, then spread their wings to try it on their own. Coventry alone, just outside Birmingham, was dubbed 'the cycling capital of the world' with over 300 cycle manufacturers in it's environs. Link to transport museum:
http://www.transport-museum.com/
Quality would generally be very good, but as Wild Bill Hurlow says "The hand on the torch matters more than the name on the frame". Some frame builders moved around from one outfit to another, the wages were often pretty poor. Let me give you just one example in some detail.
Andy McNeill worked for Rattrays, Glasgow, Scotland building 'The Flying Scot' and 'The Scot'. He started up on his own just off the Craigton Rd in Glasgow, probably late 1950's. Andy and his son built almost all the frames but Frank Elliott worked for him too.
Frank died in May 2004, he used to help at my friend Jimmy's car repair biz. Jimmy (63) told me Frank was the best he had ever seen with a brazing torch. I had a chat with Frank at the wedding, when my niece and his son were married. Frank described Andy as "a wizard with a brazing torch". So Andy must have been particularly gifted.
However it is common knowledge that Andy had a drink problem. Frank told me that Andy was so good he didn't even bother to pin the lugs, he just brazed it up. This was fine as long as he was sober, but if he wasn't...
So what of Andy McNeill frames? He used top quality tubing, lugs, ends and was highly skilled. Get a sober model it will be absolutely top drawer, I assume the son was also good, but then there were the others. The worst would not have been sold of course.
Our judgement of quality is often clouded by nostalgia, but there can be no doubt there were a substantial number of very small scale builders who were every bit as good, maybe even better, than the big names. Hurlow, Cottingham, Merlin, Clements, Baxter... I think Norris could fill a page with such names in the time it takes to drink a cuppa.
Norman Kilgariff (Glasgow, Scotland)
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