As search through the CR archive should reveal some earlier discussion traffic on Dave.
However in summary Dave Russell was a very fine builder who used to have his workshop / lightweight shop just off the Bath Road in Slough for a number of years in the 1970s (when I knew him / was a customer etc.,)
All his frames were extremely workmanlike and very well finished and at that time he used almost exclusively spearpoint lugs and 531 tubesets etc., Head headbadge was a Black swan on a white background.
Never saw anything?Dave made which could be described as "fancy"...
He later upped sticks and relocated to a smaller shop near to the Railway Station in Theale (I think - but I'll check) just outside Reading.
I moved away from the area myself for some time - and last remember peering into his shop window?in Theale?one Sunday afternoon about five years ago (it?was closed for the weekend)?after cycling down to visit relative nearby. I made a mental note to pop back and re-new acquaintence, but when I did so about 6 months later - I found a florists in its place...
I recall hearing recently that Dave is now in retirement and has been spotted selling off the remainder of his stock / etc., at swap meets and cycle jumbles in the Aylesbury area of the UK.
Dave also used to sponsor both the Reading Track league and a number of singleton Professional riders under the "Dave Russell Cycles" banner (colours were mauve body?and yellow sleeves as I recall) - and a little bit of personal vanity coming up here - one of them, Rhys Bateman, I beat into second place in the BCF Bedfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Division 4000m pursuit championship in about 1975 or 1976...
I know that there at least one other CR list member who will have known / does know Dave very well.
I have a 23" Russell road frame dating from the 1970s in my workshop - just waiting for a refettling... Nice.
Ian Briggs LUTON, Bedfordshire, UK