Bert Beech cycle shop

[bullerboY 10]

Anyone Remember Bert Beech and his cycle shop on Catch Bar Lane.Was Bert a cyclist in his younger days,did you buy bikes and bits of him,do you remember the foreign coins that customers had dumped on him they were nailed to the counter,the coins not the customer and can anyone remember the tune he used to hum when anyone entered the shop.

[hillsbro 32]

I well remember Bert and the the coins nailed to the counter. I can't remember the tune but I wonder if it was one that he could play on the old Pianola he had upstairs?!.

[Bushbaby 11]

Anyone Remember Bert Beech and his cycle shop

 

Bert custom built a cycle speedway bike for our kid in 1965. Best eighteen quid he ever spent. Paid for it from his paper round, £1 a week.

He won the Yorkshire Championship on that bike a couple of years later

[Russell Beach 0]

My name is Russell Beach and Bert Beach was my great uncle ( my granddads brother) I remember visiting Uncle Bert with my dad, another Bert Beach, sometime between 1945 and 1952  after which we left Sheffield and moved to Lincolnshire.

Uncle Bert was a super guy, friendly and generous. He showed me how to mend a number of problems with bikes that I have never forgotten.

He gave me an articulated hand that was operated by a Bowden cable and was supposed to be fixed to the offside of a car to give hand signals without opening the window.

I remember the coins nailed to the counter, my dad would try to identify the countries of origin for me. Helped with my geography.

Hope fully someone will read this and we can swap stories.

 

[Cycleracer 10]

Bert Beach was before my time but hear lots about him and his sad end up stairs in the shop.

I still use his shop a lot with Mike and Henry.

Apparently he was a very good rider himself and won quite a few races. 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Cycleracer

[bullerboY 10]

I was a regular customer of Berts as a young lad i was bike mad always had to have the latest stuff on my bike Bert was always obliging and never seemed down but alas he must have hid his feelings very well.We would spend hours looking in his window at bikes and bits when he was closed.sad when it all ended

[Blackburnrod 13]

Was this the shop that became Tony Butterworth cycles on Catch Bar Lane ?

[hillsbro 32]

55 minutes ago, Blackburnrod said:

Was this the shop that became Tony Butterworth cycles on Catch Bar Lane ?

Yes, Tony took over soon after Bert died in 1964.

[hillgirl 10]

5 hours ago, bullerboY said:

I was a regular customer of Berts as a young lad i was bike mad always had to have the latest stuff on my bike Bert was always obliging and never seemed down but alas he must have hid his feelings very well.We would spend hours looking in his window at bikes and bits when he was closed.sad when it all ended

. My bike was kept on the road thanks to this shop. Lovely  memories, new inner tube, wheels, handle bar grips,  brake repairs. More than this Bert’s  shop was wonderland to me because he mended my roller skates, replaced lost keys(remember the winged fittings that fastened near your toes) new wheels and straps. Bought my first pair of double ball bearing skates there. Pure Nostalgia.

[Russell Beach 0]

I never knew how Uncle Bert died my dad, who would have known, died before I had a chance to ask him. There are some rumours  but if anyone knows the truth, pleas, please share it with me.

I think my grandad, Uncle Bert and another ( possibly a girl) were three siblings. Anyone know if this is a fact .

 Thanks 

[hillsbro 32]

2 hours ago, Russell Beach said:

.... I think my grandad, Uncle Bert and another ( possibly a girl) were three siblings. Anyone know if this is a fact ...

Hi Russell - I looked up Bert's family in the 1901 census return. At that time they lived on Moore Street in the city centre, and Bert was evidently born in Birmingham. He is shown as having an older sister Maud and younger sisters Kate and Minnie. The 1891 census return also shows a brother Walter, three years older, and the 1881 census shows two more older brothers, Francis and George. There may also have been other siblings.  The "1939 Register" gives Bert's date of birth as 4 September 1880 and that of his wife Gertrude as 12 July 1887. The probate index gives his date of death as 13 January 1964. Here is a link to a scan of the 1901 census data: https://postimg.cc/jDbcXQHV

[Russell Beach 0]

Thanks Hillsboro, a bit more info for the book.

My grandpa  was Walter William, the founder of Beach Signs. Grandma was Millicent and they lived at 12 Priory Road, Eccleshall.

They had two sons, Frank and Walter Bertram ( my dad ).

I was pretty sure of one daughter, Maude, but didn’t know about the other two.

Any other info gladly received.

Russ.

 

 

I never knew how Uncle Bert died my dad, who would have known, died before I had a chance to ask him. There are some rumours  but if anyone knows the truth, pleas, please share it with me.

I think my grandad, Uncle Bert and another ( possibly a girl) were three siblings. Anyone know if this is a fact .

 Thanks