Life and cycling is full of surprises and coincidences and today was no exception. Popped in on an old mate of mine to drag him out for a lunchtime beer. Fortunately for me he had company and invited me to stay for lunch. Now this is where the coincidence and interesting bit starts. Turns out that this other chap was also an ex-cyclist, Belle Vue C.C. member and he came from the same area of London as me. Even went to the same school but much earlier. Thought it was interesting and a rarity that I still rode a tricycle and said there use to be a damn fine maker of tricycles in the Belle Vue. I jumped the gun a bit and said Ernie Russ was a brilliant builder him being a Belle Vue stalwart. Wrong! The maker he was referring to was Fred Scott or F.H.Scott of 165 South Ealing Road, London, W.5. Turns out he was a Belle Vue member and he attended the same school as both of us. This is what he told me Fred started building on his own in 1908 from his new home in Murray Road, Ealing. He was bike mad and was given a start in the cycling trade by a loverly old Jewish cycle dealer. This was his first job in the trade at the age of fifteen in 1903. He had several jobs in the Ealing area and the City of London. Finally finishing at Chater-Lea before starting his own business. He learnt a lot at Chater's. He made his very first lightweight from Sun fittings with a blow lamp. way before he could afford gas in his workshop. Chater-Lea painted this frame for him and could not believe it was made this way! It was Chater's who gave him his first big order in business when they stopped making complete frames to concentrate on selling fittings and lugs. They passed over to Fred their Bermuda export orders for lady back tandems (Raleigh's were unable to supply tandems did the solo's). He also did a lot of contract work such as wheel building for Gamages etc. in these early days. The firm survived until September 1963 and he built lightweights for all the crack riders. These were Harry and Sid Ferris. Sid rode two winning North Road 24's on a Scott before turning pro for Raleighs. Charlie Sewell, Arthur Abrams he rode one of the first trikes fitted with a Sturmey, Ernie Johnson Olympic rider in 32&36 to name just a few. His foreman builder and mechanic Ken Crook worked for him for twenty eight years and was there at the end. His tricycles are renowned and have shot in seat stays making them instantly recognisable. Would love one! Mick Butler Huntingdon UK>