I reckon that whoever suggested that Matt Smith's unknown lightweight might be an Elswick-Hopper, has done a great diagnosis!. My own suggestion that the frame has been badged as a VINDEC still holds tr ue as well. I had suggested that Vindecs were more than likely to have been made by a sub-contractor such as Comrade Cycle Co, but judging by what app ears to be quite the good quality of build of Matt's frame, it is more li kely to be from the Elswick-Hopper workshops, as this company was capable o f producing some very good quality frames in series, and did actually build for several other companies.
I reckon that the "V" under the frame number and the "V-D" on the steering column were just marks made to ensure that the finished frame came out of t he spray shop with the correct decals.
Norris Lockley, Settle UK