Coventry Bicycle Shops

If my memory is correct there was three Frettons shops, one on the left up Bishop St, and on the left in Lower Ford St by Breens outfitters, and on the corner, Stoney Stanton Rd just past St Marks School

Johnnie Walker, I don't know whether Mr & Mrs Forey retired to Weymouth, but Mrs Forey was the President of the Coventry Sunday School Union which awarded annual prizes (and a shield) for the children who sat the scripture exam. I have several certificates of attainment for these. They may have been connected with the Station Street West Methodist Church, but I am not sure. Also Les Bicknell strikes a chord! The next door neighbours to my in-laws in Honiton Rd, Wyken were called Bicknell, though I do not remember a Christian name.

In the early 70s, I had a Raleigh Roma 80cc scooter. Sold it after a couple of years!

As I once posted we stopped our school bus (1936 app) to buy, pick up the small thing you fixed to blow up a cycle tyre, they also blew up a football, insert in the pap, and a cycle pump, this shop I believe was Swifts back then (opposite the Wolfe).

My dad had my elder brother's bike refurbished for me at Tom Pollards bike shop, not sure where in Coventry, it was like new when I got it back. A while later I ran into the back of a parked car not looking where I was going, I bent the frame but didn't dare tell my dad!!

That picture is a blast from the past. Norman Cycles. When I was fourteen I was used to finding old bikes and doing them up so as to be mobile, my last one was an all steel Raleigh and you knew it. So on this day, a Saturday, me dad said "It's time you had a new bike". Got the shock of my life when he took me to this shop and said "Choose whichever bike you like". My first modern racing bike, what a difference to the all steel one and I had a dynamo with lights. Wasn't till years later me dad told me he had had a small win on the pools.

Scrutiny, that's dads for you.

Hopeful, Tom Pollards shop was in Far Gosford St, same side as the Scala (Odeon) but lower down towards town.

I think there was a Pollards Cycle Shop on the Stoney Stanton Road just past a shop called The Bon Bon, one of my friends' dad bought him a racing bike from Pollards, it was put together by the shop, top quality frame, wheels, brakes and eighteen speed Italian gears for a tidy sum of £41, and it was worth every penny even in 1952/3.

Pollard's also had a shop in Bedworth (Newtown Road). As well as bikes, they also sold air pistols, catapults, Airfix kits, Humbrol paints and model railway items (American N gauge, I think). I bought a bike from them in 1980. Informative history - link.

Yup, post number 24 is right, it was Len Bayliss's place. Ran it with his son when I and my buddies used to frequent the place. Great guy, I bought three bikes from him. A 1949 BSA B31, a '60's Panther two stroke, and a 1961 Triumph Tiger 100. Len told us at one time Steve McQueen had been in the shop. Len was quite well known apparently.

Great info rpfletch thanks. Who would've thought Steve Mc would have been there! There is a couple of images of him at Meriden in the Triumph thread if you've not seen them already. He was there with Bud Ekins who did 'The Great Escape' jump. Wonder if it was at that same time.

Sad to see that Mick Ives has passed away. I think I've mentioned on here before, I knew of and met Mick a few times as he was friends with my Sister's first husband and his family. This was early 80's when I used to watch him race for Coventry Olympic at the Butts Stadium. Mick ran a shop in Coundon at the time just along from Quo Vadis the Italian restaurant who sponsored the team.