Dear Mr. Smith.
Thank-you for your help and kindness in replying to my Claud Butler question but I am still none the wiser if this is a rare Continental Classique, will just have to go with my gut reaction and experience that it is.
There are several interesting and very desirable frames for sale on Ebay at present: These are a Scottish George Elrick complete with the rare and distincticve tartan transfers and a W&E Pollard, a wonderful and famous Coventry maker. Sure they were brothers. This model appears to be the expensive "Superlite".
Strange how all the famous British manufactures coined the "Lite or Light" for their better model names. Claud Butler Hyperlite, Higgins Ulralight, Macleans Featherweight positive there were lots more, a Silverlight rings a bell somewhere?
Finally whilst out riding with the 40+ we were talking about Hetchins and their strange front forks but no one could remember the name we looked on the web but could find no reference to them any ideas, they had a strange rake perhaps they were Hetchins answer to the "Diadrant" although not as radical looking as the Bates?
One of our group is a member of the VCC but he finds them to be all "Lightweights" to coin a well Hackneyed phrase my another famous East London boy Alan Sugar. Says their product base and information is pretty lacking and they are not cyclists at all but poseurs more concerned with correct period bolts than riding their bikes,he says they are a strange mix of chaps and not like us "Rough Stuffers and CTC bods. Is this true?
Once again thank-you so much for your kindness and consideration and perhaps we will find out the Claud model and name of the Hetchins forks.
Best wishes Frank.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/
Frank Cohen Hoxton UK