Motorcycle shops in 70's Sheffield

[bullerboY 10]

Hi Nimrod

Yes Barry Dungworth is still around and living in Wadsley,but it wasnt Grays who displayed Coopers bikes it was Wraggs on Shalesmoor who were his sponsors.Alf Parker sold Piatti scooters,emigrated to Australia,invented a swash plate pump and became very wealthy.Bill Kenyon was a clever man my mate Mick worked for him for years he had a brother called Howard who sold bikes near Leather & Simpsons on Langsett Rd and onRoselle St in Hillsboro.Bill lived on Dixon Rd.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi Garyb

I knew Charlie well and Maynard,he used to work for horridge and Porridges before charlie and went to work for his relative at sheepbridge that is after founding Dronfield motorcycles.Sadly he is no longer with us.Ted Boyce use to work for chas,George Pollard at Dinnington has Charlies crashhat and goggles and gloves on his workshop wall and a mate of mine has his outfit engine in his road going manx,you probably know him.I remember billy he owned Eckington fuels he was killed I think riding a Paton.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi euclid

Ill take it you were (are a diggerdriver) Charlie Freeman also had another shop on Infirmary Rd in Sheffield in the sixties formerly Victor Parrs car dealership.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi Beechnut

Leather and simpsons were one of the better Sheffield dealers,it was Harry (fred) Simpson who died in 92 Eric Leather also owned Leacroft Garages on Penistone Rd at Wadsley Bridge and I believe retired to the Isle of Man never playing a large part in l-s business.David was his son who ran the business until its end and is still around locally,the mechanic was the relative.They had a sales man in the sixties who left to run Loxley post office and general store.

[beechnut 10]

Hi bullerboY - thanks for the information re the Simpsons. I've just looked on foundmypast.com; a Frederick William Simpson died in Sheffield in November 1992 aged 86, so this could perhaps have been him. I seem to remember the mechanic telling me that both he and Mr Simpson had worked for Ropers (?) before Leather & Simpson was established. I recall that they also had their own finance company - Simlea Finance Ltd.

[Tooeg 10]

Hi Nimrod

Yes Barry Dungworth is still around and living in Wadsley,but it wasnt Grays who displayed Coopers bikes it was Wraggs on Shalesmoor who were his sponsors.Alf Parker sold Piatti scooters,emigrated to Australia,invented a swash plate pump and became very wealthy.Bill Kenyon was a clever man my mate Mick worked for him for years he had a brother called Howard who sold bikes near Leather & Simpsons on Langsett Rd and onRoselle St in Hillsboro.Bill lived on Dixon Rd.

 

Wow two memories at one go

My brother bought a Piatti as a rebuild project in our cellar, resprayed it with a vacccuum cleaner, that was probably about '61 or '62.( probably £2 or £3)

I think he pushed it further than he ever rode it.

It was the only one I've seen or even heard about since. It looked like a torpedo on wheels with a seat and handlebars.

The other memory you jogged was Bill Kenyon, I can picture him now, but can't remember where he was.

[shanes teeth 10]

Got my first bike,a Honda CB 175,from Geoff Hall,a tiny little shop on Langset Rd.Then a 250 Suzuki Hustler from Steve Richardson on Neil Rd .An RD 350 Yamaha from Charlie Freeman.Then my only brand new one,a Honda 400-4 August 1st 1977 from Bentley's,Abbeydale Rd.A 400-4 "cafe racer" bought private and then a CX 500 plastic maggot from Richardsons at Crookes.

[Eater Sundae 12]

Wasn't there a car spares shop on a corner half way up Division Street, called Kenyon's? Was that Bill Kenyon?

[biker 10]

Wasn't there a car spares shop on a corner half way up Division Street, called Kenyon's? Was that Bill Kenyon?

 

He rebored a motorcycle barrel for me in the 1960,s on Division Street.I think he was an engineering shop.

[lagerlil 11]

A. S miths on spital hill

[Bassman62 10]

Also on London Road (Highfields) was Cadwallanders.

[bullerboY 10]

Hi magic fairy

I know Barry very well,he used to due a lot of diving at one time,he is also a friend of Heinz Luthringhauser Ibelieve he fixed him up with a Rensport engine and introduced him to the BMW bosses. I used to work with Molly at Globe and Simpsons on West St. Afew years ago we all used to meet in the Strines when Stan had it