Hi Norris and list
Talking of Bill Hurlow, here's a story with a happy ending, .........I'm currently 'restoring' a Bill Hurlow frame for my work mate, and one time frame builder Graham Tomlinson [Graham retires in 17 weeks, 3 days, yes he's counting the days!]
Back in 1962 Graham had a frame built by Bill Hurlow which was supplied by Mal Rees, he had the frame right up until about 20 years ago when he sold it to a club mate, just before Christmas Graham bought it back!
The frame is in good sound condition, has lovely ornate lugs, [but not Bill's signature type] but sadly having been chromed originally its now suffering the dreaded pit marks, specially the forks, which really need new blades!
The plan is to bring it back to its former glory for this Autumn when Graham and myself hope to ride the 'LeEroica'
Like you Norris, Graham had a good long chat with Bill recently, who apparently used to 'fancy Grahams mother' who is now in her 80s and also remembers Bill. So its good that Graham got his frame back, but I think Bill's left it a bit late to get off with his mum!
Cheers
Kevin Sayles
Bridgwater UK
> Like Peter I have been scouring the ink off about two hundred copies of
> Cycling magazine from 1950 onwards, and have just come across one, April
> 1953 I think, in which Paris Cycles announce, proudly, that William Hurlow
> is taking over control of production at the company's new premises, after
> its move from Stoke Newington.
>
> The job at Gillott's advertised in Peter's copy of the the 1948 Cycling
> sounds, to us now, all glitz and glamour, the sound of the files rasping
> and the emery strops hissing as the lugs are given a final polishing and
> thinning down..and all this set in an atmosphere redolent with the odour
> of cutting fluid, thinners..and the sent of old oil on cotton waste used
> to wipe the greasy hands of cosumate crafsmen.
>
> A few months ago I was fortunate in having a couple or three very long
> conversations with Bill Hurlow about those "good old days". he telles a
> very different story of frame-builders with only a couple of days work
> each week, of incredibly low rates of pay..of a totally unglamourous and
> unromantic way of earning a living.
>
> It is unfortunately only with the benefit of hindsight and a ready supply
> of rose-tinted spectacles that the life of a framebuilder in the post WWII
> days manages to look at all attractive. For most of the builders it was
> just a means to an end.
>
> Norris Lockley..Settle Uk
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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