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Odd things often turn up when you are moving house, but what Mr
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Memory Lane
Odd things often turn up when you are moving house, but what Mr
Odd things often turn up when you are moving house, but what Mr. Frank Clarke found in his cellar at Leamington must surely be one of the oddest. Hidden away amongst piles of derelict furniture covered in the dust and dirt of probably 70 years neglect he discovered an almost intact velocipede, a sort of mini-penny-farthing bicycle. " I should think it almost certainly belonged to my grandfather, " said Mr Clarke as he dusted down the ancient machine in the yard of his upholstery business at 17, Regent Street. " He was running the business here at the turn of the century and he must have put it away in the cellar and it had been there ever since." The handlebars and part of the brakes are missing and the saddle has been replaced with a more modern and comfortable type, but otherwise it is completely authentic. The front wheel even has the somewhat tattered remains of the original rubber tyre. It came to light as Mr Clarke was clearing out his cellar in preparation for a move to new business premises on the Sydenham Estate. There is no makers name on the machine and Mr Clarke has not yet had time to examine it closely enough to discover anything of its history, but he would like eventually to completely restore it. The county museum at Warwick said they were very interested in the find and would welcome the opportunity of having a close look at it. Our photograph shows Tony Bennett brushing away the cobwebs watched by Mr Clarke.
20th February 1973
Brian Wood
Coventry Telegraph Archive
Mirrorpix
Leamaington
Warwickshire
England
PM*887698
Media ID 21577386
© Mirrorpix
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photo print, we are transported back to a moment of unexpected discovery during a house move. Mr. Frank Clarke, the protagonist of this tale, stumbled upon an extraordinary treasure hidden deep within his Leamington cellar. Amongst layers of neglect and forgotten furniture lay an almost intact velocipede - a miniature version of the iconic penny-farthing bicycle. As Mr. Clarke carefully dusts off the ancient machine in the yard of his upholstery business on Regent Street, he speculates that it once belonged to his grandfather who ran the establishment at the turn of the century. It appears that his ancestor stowed away this marvelous contraption in their cellar many decades ago, where it remained untouched until now. Although missing handlebars and part of its brakes, as well as sporting a more modern saddle for comfort's sake, this velocipepede exudes authenticity from every angle. Its front wheel even proudly displays remnants of its original rubber tire - tattered yet resilient after all these years. Preparing for relocation to new premises on Sydenham Estate prompted Mr. Clarke's exploration into his cellar's depths and led him to uncover this remarkable artifact. While no maker's name adorns the machine and its history remains elusive for now, Mr. Clarke hopes to eventually restore it fully. The Warwick county museum expressed great interest in examining this rare find closely; they eagerly await their chance to delve into its mysteries firsthand. In our accompanying photograph captured by Brian Wood, Tony Bennett assists Mr. Clarke by brushing away cobwebs while both men marvel at their newfound piece of history frozen in time.
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