Call  01380 840 819

H-B Designs News Blog

Memory Lane No.3

23 March 2011
header

Many fortunate cyclists from the late forties onwards, customised, adorned, painted and turned an ordinary pushbike into more than just a means of transport; it became a symbol and source of pride to its owner. The oily rags, chrome polish – usually Silvo- were essential cleaning materials for keeping your metal steed in sparkling condition. For those old enough to recall this mid twentieth century period, car and motorbike owners up and down the land could be seen every weekend washing, cleaning and polishing the car/motorbike. It was an accepted ritual through the fifties and sixties. As new and novel gadgets for the bike came on the market ( headlamp dynamo, milometer, speedometer, windshield, front and rear lights, hockey stick/tennis racket clip, front and rear mounted panniers) it did not take long before many bike owners had some if not all of these additional items fixed to the bike frame.

Read more

Memory Lane No.2.

24 January 2011
header

Behind the pavilion which backed onto brook meadow, mounds of soil had been dumped. These mounds had been there for a very long time and, quite understandably, had naturally grassed over. Riding up and down and round these ‘hills’ was great fun. The meadow became our biking assault course, and we soon created a crude but effective race track. Thus was born in my village what became universally known as cycle speedway.

Read more

Carollers on Bikes!

1 December 2010
header

So on the ‘free nights’, usually five of us, would ride our bikes and park up where we believed and hoped to be well received and be rewarded for our enterprise with a handful of coins –anything from pennies to two shillings & sixpence (half crown). Sometimes we were invited in to sing a special request. After our rendition of ‘Away in a Manger’ we might even be rewarded with a glass of lemonade and a mince pie!

Read more

Memory Lane no.1.

11 November 2010
header

Since the birth of the pedal cycle in the early 1890’s, biking gradually became widely available as a fun and enjoyable social pastime. It did not take too long for the entrepreneur to use the bicycle as a valuable means of transport for all sorts of purposes...

Read more

Fortunate Lads

15 October 2010
header

The bike was your iron horse, your trusty steed which meant freedom, independence a status symbol and made you an acceptable mate among your peers. These were happy carefree days, when the roads, perhaps, were a lot safer to ride along.

Read more