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motor cycle shops in the past in sheffield and near.


popadodge

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The one's I remember...Grays, bridge street. dc cooks west street. Tom's copper street. Smiths spital hill. Smiths Attercliffe common. smiths ecclesfield, wilf greens abbydale road. bill beavers firth park. pollards dinnington. 

My favourite was Grays in the sixties...solo's in the front combo's further back and three wheelers at the back used to take me about an hr to sit on every one..hehe I did some miles then without even leaving the shop.

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Horridge & Wildgoose - Ecclesall Rd. (I think)

Leather & Simpson - can't remember where.

Dan Bradbury - London Rd (I think)

Wasn't there also Roper's - not sure about that one.

Two old guys on Scott Rd selling second hand parts. No use going there in the cricket season as they were 'busy'.

Didn't Gray's price their machines in Guineas?

All memories from the late 50's - early 60's.

 

Lou

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9 hours ago, Lou Scannon said:

Horridge & Wildgoose - Ecclesall Rd. (I think)

Leather & Simpson - can't remember where.

Dan Bradbury - London Rd (I think)

Wasn't there also Roper's - not sure about that one.

Two old guys on Scott Rd selling second hand parts. No use going there in the cricket season as they were 'busy'.

Didn't Gray's price their machines in Guineas?

All memories from the late 50's - early 60's.

 

Lou

Don't ever remember Horridge & Wildgoose name but I do remember all the other...leather and simpsons was on langsett rd I think, The two old guy's on scott rd where brothers I used to visit them regular in the early 70s I remember them buying a brand new range rover v8 when they first came out. ha good memories cheers for your input Lou.

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On 4/28/2017 at 23:58, popadodge said:

Don't ever remember Horridge & Wildgoose name but I do remember all the other...leather and simpsons was on langsett rd I think, The two old guy's on scott rd where brothers I used to visit them regular in the early 70s I remember them buying a brand new range rover v8 when they first came out. ha good memories cheers for your input Lou.

Horridge & Wildgoose

Sheffield Independent 07 November 1931

 

Capture.JPG

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Bill Beavers at Page Hall, great little shop, I believe Bill had some racing history, possibly Isle Of man.

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My grandfather was the Reginald Wildgoose of "Horridge and Wildgoose". My Mum still remembers where the shop was; she said it was opposite and above where the large Co-op/Bistro Pierre is now. Indeed, I've just found out it was at 890 Ecclesall Road which is now occupied by a solicitors. I don't remember ever going in the shop, but I always had a vague memory of a slope down to an area that was used as a workshop area. I've just Streeviewed it and I'll be jiggered, there is the slope to the right of the shop! Very gratifying to know my only memory was not made up - it would have been mid 60s I reckon, maybe 65 to 67.
I have been scanning my late father's slide collection (which runs into the thousands), and came across a slide simply labelled "H&W 1960" showing the inside of a bike shop. I thought it might be "something and Wildgoose" if it was indeed my grandfather's shop. A quick bit of Googling found Horridge and Wildgoose, which I was thrilled to find. I've attached the photo, which I find a fascinating glimpse into the past. Just a shame that camera flashguns were not more widespread!
I haven't used the group before, so if there is a better area for such photos rather than in a message thread could someone let me know?

 

960591102_HW(HorridgeWildgooseGrandpasBikeShop_890EcclesallRd)_1960.thumb.jpg.6ae892941c2388ecbfc776b9ab07489e.jpg

H&W_now.jpg

 

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It seems that Horridge and Wildgoose's Ecclesall Road premises had been taken over by Freemans by April 1968

1345431224_Cadwell1968.png.25e41fe3fb39acbf628d1adacfc6159a.png

There's a photo of the block of buildings in 1967 on PictureSheffield here:

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u09467&pos=356&action=zoom&id=95272

The London Road branch is here:

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s17665&pos=6&action=zoom&id=20277

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I found that picture of the London Road branch on picturesheffield.com (dated 1962), and assumed that they'd moved from there to Ecclesall Road, but of course they may have had more than one shop - I don't have any knowledge of that. I also don't know if Freeman's were based at the Chesterfield branch then took over the Ecclesall Road and London Road branches, or how the ownership evolved.
I also found this lovely decal for sale, presumably for vintage motorcycle restorers who want the correct dealer stamp on there and everything! Needless to say I had to buy it.
If H&W had 2 branches at the same time, I could't swear that the interior shot wasn't of the London Road branch, however the Ecclesall Road branch was nearer where our family lived, so more likely.

H&W_decalTrim.jpg

Just spoke to my Mum who reckons they started off in Ecclesall Road, then expanded or moved to London Road when business was picking up and needed more room.

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When I was a lad...I used to walk past the London Road branch and they had the most beautiful T120 Bonneville in the window in blue.

Can't tell you how much I desired that bike and I'd go down every week and would be nose pressed against the window. Eventually it was sold and I was inconsolable. Never did get one, I ended up riding a Lambretta.  

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On 28/04/2017 at 14:52, Lou Scannon said:

Wasn't there also Roper's - not sure about that one.

Frank B Roper was on London Road opposite Bennett Street. He started with one shop and expanded to take over a few more in the block before contraction of the business.

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Horridge & Wildgoose was 292 London Road, at the junction with Sitwell Place, so a bit further South than Bennett Street.

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Here's another rather handsome T120 of newer vintage that I spotted while out and about in Somerset earlier this year. It was rather striking I thought. 

T120.jpg

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