Sorry to take up bandwidth, but I have been trying to contact Brian and have received no answer. I wonder what the reason my be.
Also, the idea of the funny frames designs, whatever they may be, stemming from the strict amateur rules in pre-WWII Britain has been contradicted by Hilary Stone for years. It seems that the ban on advertising came later than most of those frame designs. My personal guess is that it was playfulness, experimenting, the joy of getting something new and rare, and to show you do things differently. Also, once one maker had the flagship frame in his catalogue, the others would have to follow suit.
Anyone who would care to look at some examples of funny frames, though
mostly restored and horribly photographed (flowery printed bedsheet...)
can do so on http://www.wooljersey.com/
Regards, Toni Theilmeier, Belm, Germany.