Monday 5 December 2011

FOSTER'S BIKE SHOP 1960s


In a photo from the Paul Hough Collection, here's another long-lost Middlewich institution - Foster's bike shop as it was in (as far as we can tell) the early 1960s. The shop was in Lower street, directly opposite the Town Hall and its location relative to that building can be seen in this photo, the accompanying description of which also tells you more about Lower Street..
Mr Foster was an excellent bicycle repair man, but many  youngsters lived in fear of his wrath if their bikes had to go in for repair and had not been 'looked after properly'.
The bike repair shop was actually out of shot to the right, at the end of the path with the wooden fence running alongside it.
The door giving access to the shop's living accomodation can be seen at the side of the building.
Although the workshop was a little ramshackle, the shop/showroom and associated house were very substantial buildings, as were the two adjoining cottages.
On the extreme left we can just see  the block of shops also mentioned in the posting linked above which closely resembled the Wheelock Street row which still exists and includes Peter Forshaw's funeral parlour*  and Cynthia's cake shop.
The 50s (or 60s) vintage car parked there is also interesting. Can anyone identify it?
We welcome your memories of Mr Foster and his bicycle business.
*Update: Forshaw's moved to the former newsagent's (Challinors/Gibbins) on Leadsmithy Street in 2014
P.S. You'll have realised, of course, that one way of dating the above picture accurately would be to find out when that Heinz Ketchup ad was current. Don't think we haven't thought of it. No success so far, though.

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David Graham got many a bike part from there - built/resurrected a few bikes in my misspent youth

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