When I was 17 I had a boyfriend that lived in a nearby village. There were no buses in the evening so we had to walk everywhere. My boyfriend and I decided that we needed a bike. He knew I was fed up with riding a boy’s bike so hit upon a brilliant plan – to build a...
When my Dad was a young man he was an apprentice at the Gas Company. Living in Dulwich he had to cycle to Greenwich every day. When he married my mother they moved into the flat below where his parents lived. Money was tight and he made a special box so that...
As a child I never had a bike of my own. I always had my brother’s old bikes. I had learnt to ride a boy’s bike. Swinging my leg over the crossbar became second nature. My friends all had girl’s bikes, many with little white baskets on the front. I was the odd one out...
Jen: I went to Cambridge University when I was 17, many years ago. Everyone in Cambridge rode bicycles, even the dons including Lady Jeffreys. Our college groundsman was available for repairs and maintenance if needed and I bought my bike second hand from him. My...
I wanted a new bike, a racing bike with dropped handlebars and derailleur gears. I think a new one would have cost about £30. I repeatedly appealed to Daddy for funds but he firmly said ‘no way’ and so I agreed with Mr Weal, owner of the bicycle shop, to make one...
