Re: [CR] Churchill Frame

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot)

From: "Ken Foster" <kenf3@me.com>
To: Hilary Stone <hilary.stone@blueyonder.co.uk>
In-Reply-To: <4A8566EC.5070106@blueyonder.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:47:50 +0100
References: <690862.17511.qm@web52606.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, Alan Lloyd <adl2k@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR] Churchill Frame


Thanks gentlemen, I just had to go out and try my 'continental ends' and they do work, though it seems a lot of effort to slide a wheel in!

As for W. Churchill I had a look on Ancestry and there was a 'W. Churchill, Cycle Motor Agent 21 Pk (Park) Street Croydon' listed in the telephone directory from 1913 to 1939. In 1943 he is listed as W Churchill Cycles at 86 George Street, and was still there in 1957, and this is the address on the frame photos posted by list members.

By 1961 they were listed as a Cyc Dlr (Cycle Dealer) and were in Wellesley Road (all the addresses are a short walk from each other), the last entry in the telephone directory was in 1963. Idon't know if it was the same W. Churchill who in 1917 was listed just above Churchill Winston Spencer the Rt Hon etc but I doubt it, seems they rode the post war boom and then faded away.

It would seem a very small window of less than 20 years that Churchill was building their own badged frames in George Street, although the design on the head tube decal is very 1930s Art Deco.

Thanks again

Ken Eastbourne East Sussex

On 14 Aug 2009, at 14:30, Hilary Stone wrote:
> This Churchill frame is fitted with the Stallard long point rear
> dropouts. The long curved horns were first used as far as I know by
> Super Champion on dropouts designed for use with the Super Champion
> Osgear - there were several variations but at least two were
> essentially vertical dropouts. Both Claude Butler and Stallard then
> copied the idea of the long horns on pure horizontal dropouts...
>
> Hilary Stone, Bristol, British Isles
>
> PS There is now a history of Fred Pratt and his shop which has been
> published by the Veteran-Cycle Club.
>
> Alan Lloyd wrote:
>>> Now what are those 'horns' on the rear fork stays?
>> If you look at the "C.B. CONTINENTAL" ENDS at the bottom of the
>> middle column at http://classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Butler_Claud/c_butler_excl_feat.htm
>> or http://tinyurl.com/mubgtn you will see an example of these
>> 'prongs'", claimed to be a Claude Butler innovation and an aid to
>> locating & installing the rear wheel ...
>> "A light, but intensely practical and rigid Continental type solid
>> steel rear end providing instantaneous location of the rear wheel
>> by rolling the spindle into position behind the prongs. A "C.B."
>> design that superceded all others by reason of its great strength,
>> neat appearance and practicability. Continental appeal combined
>> with "C.B." efficiency and reliability."
>> I was born in Balham/Wandsworth, grew up in Crawley and I worked in
>> the General Accident building just east of East Croydon station, at
>> the end of George Street, in the 1970s - and I don't recall any
>> bike shop.
>> I do, however, vaguely remember the bike shop in Salfords (near
>> Redhill), where I worked, owned by Fred Pratt who was married to
>> Claude Butler's sister.
>> Alan Lloyd
>> Schaumburg, Illinois, U.S.A.
>> _______________________________________________
>

Ken Foster
kenf3@me.com