January 9th – Spotted just hanging around outside the wonderful Mindful Gifts dementia charity shop in Darlaston, this lovely fellow. Not sure of his actual staff role, but clearly an important member of the team.
How adorable!
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October 30th – A shoutout here for a little shop in Darlaston I love – Mindful Gifts. It’s a charity shop, but not as we know it Jim: It’s a veritable treasure trove of music, books, ephemera and great miscellany at really low prices.
Mindful Gifts is run in aid of folk with dementia and it a really wonderful charity -and there’s always a buzz around the shop. Find out more here.
Do pay a visit if you’re in Darlaston.
June 3rd – I made it to Draycott in the afternoon, after a very fast ride up the A515, and found the usual assortment of unusual cars, motorbikes, tractors, stationary engines and yes, steam traction by the… erm, truckload.
Such events rarely show you anything new, but they are lovely to see the labour of love that maintaining and running a vintage machine – be it steam or petrol – really is.
The Deluxe Trabbant was astounding, and the chance to guzzle ice cream, chat geeky stuff with people who love mechanical engineering like I do was wonderful.
Always a lovely event, and there will be another in October.
September 23rd – A visit to the sadly biannual rather than annual Canal Heritage Gathering at Huddlesford, near Tamworth.
Despite suffering with a heavy cold, it was a lovely day and I met some truly wonderful people, stuffed my face with tea, cake and other grub, mooned over beautiful boats and cars and had fun.
This is a fantastic event run well and I wish it was annual. You can find out more with a large gallery on my main blog here.
July 24th – I paid a flying visit to the Vintage Fair at Chasewater Railway on a very busy day of errands, and despite my general irritation over the glossing over of history’s inconveniences one normally senses at these things, I enjoyed it hugely. There were a large number of stalls, the place was buzzing and there were lots of people in various great outfits that really made the thing work.
It’s always the characters and those with style who make or break vintage fairs, and there were plenty here, and lots of interesting stuff to buy and see.
I do hope Chasewater Railway do this again – it was lovely.
March 7th – Ah, the first decent ride of the year is always the day of Erdington bike jumble. Held at a church hall, it’s a chance to say hello to stuff I see at every such event (mainly bald tyres and old shoes), but also to old mates, acquaintances and to collectively jog each others memories.
Last year had been a muted affair due to a conflicting event, an I had wondered if this thing’s time had passed; but I arrived late for this one and it was still very busy. The usual old hands were there, but also the fixie kids and utility cyclists. There was also strong beardage from the hipsters.
This is the kind of place where you find really, really odd bits you can imagine nobody ever needing again – like an ancient eccentric bottom bracket. I’ll let others work out for themselves what purpose that bizarre bit of cycling design serves. For cottered cranks, no less.
It was nice to see a venerable event back up to full health again.
January 18th – Today, I popped down to Lichfield’s first bicycle jumble. I love a good bric-a-brac sale like this, and Erdington is on my list every year. I arrived at the Martin Heath Hall fashionably late, when things were well underway. It was banging. Loads of folk there, and not just the old nodders like me, but youngsters, fixie kids, tourers and hipsters. Loads of stalls, good tea, and plenty to tyre kick and haggle over. I actually spent more than a tenner, too, which is unusual for me.
It was good to see Vickers Bicycles here too – their Lichfield made roadsters are a modern classic, as was the rather new-looking Charge fixie parked up outside.I loved the vintage lighting – from acetylene to Ever Ready, and I was seriously considering the Sturmey Archer five-speed hub gear (note the two cables).
A fine hour or so in the company of other cyclists, and my compliments to the organiser, Martin Cartwright. Lets hope for many more!
November 26th – I spotted this curious bike as I passed the bike stands at New Street Station. It’s an unusual thing, to be sure. I’d say it’s a late 70s or early 80s knockoff Chopper; all the ingredients are there; small front wheel, three speed with central car-style stick shift, ape hanger bars and big banana saddle. This is clearly not a real Chopper, and has a single front hub brake, and a curious fork with decorative springs to mimic suspension, possibly aping the Cinzia Cricket, another odd, chopper-like bike of the period. This thing must weigh heavily, and the gears are broken, but it’s clearly someone’s loved getabout. It’s the kind of thing one might be lucky to find at a boot sale or house clearance, and is obviously original.
I’d love to know more about it if any bike wonks are reading this?
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 