Emperor Sport Cycles

[Wocce Racer]

Emperors was a lovely shop ( named after Rik " the Emperor " Van Looy, Tony Mill's fave rider )........ although not the one on Lind Road. Before that Millsy was down near Priory Rd in North Cheam........ many a saturday was spent drinking tea and getting sage advice. Or listening to Nigel Carpenters obsession with Italian bikes......... Yates was often in there too & i think Tony may have helped him get his place at pro Peugot feeder team Paris ACBB (?)......... My first proper racing bike was built by them & although it was beautiful and quick my legs could never get it past 2nd cat status............

Incorrect. The original shop was in Sutton. The second shop opened in Cheam later then closed. Mick Coward has just had a book published and states that all Millsy did was drink tea and nothing else. A good read unless you are Tony Mills.

 

[happy]

Emperor Sport

I remember Emporer Sport it was on the corner of Lind Road in Sutton Surrey. I beleive the shop was opened by Tony Mills and Mick Coward, both old pro's. I think they parted company and Tony moved the business to Box Hill, Surrey. Last I heard Tony was in France and Mick moved North. Unfortunately I go back a lot further than that and also remember Bill Hens Cycles which was a few doors along much earlier in the 1960's. Bill who had a slogan "Chick Hens for chick frames". A bit corney but it has stuck all these years. It was the shop where all the Redmon CC riders gathered. Bill was a great character and helped all us youngsters. I still have 2 Bill Hens frames dating back to the 60's both in working order. They were built by Bill Grey frame builder at the back of Strattons Cycles in Wandsworth.
Sorry I digressed but they were good times. This reply might nudge the memory o some other old uns.

Hi Alangh I did a google search on Bill Hens and it came up with your post. Can you give me any more info especially about his background did he work for Claud Butler? I bought a complete 50s refurbished CB Olympic road path machine off him for (£250 pounds?)about 20 years ago at a VCC Ripley jumble and I have a signed receipt.

 

[Norm]

@happy, Alangh joined on 24th November 2009, posted twice and hasn't been back since 25th November 2009, so I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[happy]

Thanks Norm, I hope that perhaps there is someone else out there who can help.
Pete is " happy"

 

[normgow]

Incorrect. The original shop was in Sutton. The second shop opened in Cheam later then closed. Mick Coward has just had a book published and states that all Millsy did was drink tea and nothing else. A good read unless you are Tony Mills.

Can you tell us the title of the book and where it can be bought?

 

[Colin Coe]

"In My Time"

Memoirs of a Sporting Cyclist by Mick Coward

Advert in the 'Comic' a couple of weeks ago - send a cheque for £7.50 to Mick @ 39 Elmwood Road, Keighley, BD22 7DW.

I bought myself a copy to read over the festive period.

PS: Neither Mick nor Tony rode the TdF (both too classy).

 

[normgow]

Thanks Colin Coe.
I'll write off to Mick Coward staightaway.
Have stopped buying the comic after fifty years as I found the superficial style of journalism, no reports or photos from local races (perhaps there no more local races?) endless road tests and adulation of sportives just too much.
Do I detect a Polhill accent in your post?
Best wishes from Zeus RC and Romford RC

 

[Colin Coe]

Hi Norman,
Long time, no see.
Kind Regards.

 

[pete wagg]

Emperor Sport

I remember Emporer Sport it was on the corner of Lind Road in Sutton Surrey. I beleive the shop was opened by Tony Mills and Mick Coward, both old pro's. I think they parted company and Tony moved the business to Box Hill, Surrey. Last I heard Tony was in France and Mick moved North. Unfortunately I go back a lot further than that and also remember Bill Hens Cycles which was a few doors along much earlier in the 1960's. Bill who had a slogan "Chick Hens for chick frames". A bit corney but it has stuck all these years. It was the shop where all the Redmon CC riders gathered. Bill was a great character and helped all us youngsters. I still have 2 Bill Hens frames dating back to the 60's both in working order. They were built by Bill Grey frame builder at the back of Strattons Cycles in Wandsworth.
Sorry I digressed but they were good times. This reply might nudge the memory o some other old uns.

Hi Alan
I am very interested to read your info regarding Bill Hens cycles. I worked for Bill at Burgons in North Cheam whilst I was still at school and when he bought Lind Rd cycles I went with him to open Bill Hens cycles in Lind Rd sutton. I worked there from about 1966 till about 1971 and was a member of Redmon CC. I had 2 frames made by Bill Grey one for road and one for track racing and had W HENS transfers fitted to them. I thought I was the only person to have frames marked that way although after I left he may have had more frames made in the workshop behind Strattons. They were both quite large 25" I think but I sold them in about 1962.
Yes they were great times. Would love to hear from you Peter Wagg

 

[pete wagg]

Hi Alangh I did a google search on Bill Hens and it came up with your post. Can you give me any more info especially about his background did he work for Claud Butler? I bought a complete 50s refurbished CB Olympic road path machine off him for (£250 pounds?)about 20 years ago at a VCC Ripley jumble and I have a signed receipt.

Hi You may have seen my post in reply to alangh I was a close friend of Bill hens when I was at school in fact he introduced me to cycle racing. I don't think he ever worked for Claud Butler though several of his friends did. My first racing frame was found languishing on a rack in Clauds factory and had been used in the Tour of Britain in Clauds team. I refurbished it and used it for my first events later having frames built by Bill Grey who incidentally had been Clauds tandem builder and probably built the tandems for the Towny brothers who were very successful. Bill lost his business later and I last heard of him working in a cycle shop in Marlow and living above the shop. He must be long departed by now. Regards
Pete Wagg

 

[Jerry Clayton]

Hi You may have seen my post in reply to alangh I was a close friend of Bill hens when I was at school in fact he introduced me to cycle racing. I don't think he ever worked for Claud Butler though several of his friends did. My first racing frame was found languishing on a rack in Clauds factory and had been used in the Tour of Britain in Clauds team. I refurbished it and used it for my first events later having frames built by Bill Grey who incidentally had been Clauds tandem builder and probably built the tandems for the Towny brothers who were very successful. Bill lost his business later and I last heard of him working in a cycle shop in Marlow and living above the shop. He must be long departed by now. Regards
Pete Wagg

Like you, Pete, I was introduced to cycling through the simple request for a U2 rear light battery at Bill Hens' shop in Lind Road in Sutton. I'd been for a job interview, having left school December 1959. So it would have been around February 1960.
He told me that a load of the Redmon members met outside the shop around 7pm on the Friday nights and cycled to the clubroom if I fancied giving it a go.
I'm now 70 and there are four of us lads who meet up each year and amongst the mickey-taking and one liners always find time to remember dear old Bill.
Bill died peacefully in his sleep in, I believe, May of 2002. He'd been out with friends in Marlow the night before, had raised a few glasses of wine and returned home to bed.
Two years ago the four of us paid homage to a bloke who had quite literally changed our lives. We visited his grave in Marlow Cemetery. His sisters had provided a headstone featuring an ordinary or penny-farthing as it was known by the masses and an Irish lady putting flowers on her late husband's grave nearby and probably wondering what our quartet was up to suddenly saids that the cycle shop man?
She then went on to tell us what a lovely man Bill had been, always fair on his prices and always ready to help and show the kids how something should be done. You couldn't have asked for a more touching yet unsolicited tribute.
For some years, he had worked at Hoars Cycles in Marlow.
We always refer to ourselves as Bill's Boys.......There must be hundreds of us!

 

[13oots]

After much digging I have been successful in identifying my frame, it is an Emperor Sport and from the frame number it was the 171st frame built in 1978, forks are marked 531 and I assume that the rest of the frame is the same. Am thinking of having the frame resprayed by Mercian in a polychromatic purple and green, have swapped out most of the vintage components for newer parts and will get outside to take a photo to post.

 

[pauld54]

Hearing bill hen's name reminds me of his little shop at the end of the road where I lived. Bill built my first set of racing wheels. He was always helped us youngsters out when we needed a hand with our bikes and kit.. He even gave me a old Claud Butller frame so I could put together a winter bike. I do remember Emperor sport opening, I was in there the day it opened. I stopped going in because the club I was in (Sorian raod club ) had a dill with W Hinds in Clapham.

 

[ginger boxhill]

Hi I remember both Tony Mills and Mick Coward They were members of the same club as me and we all road for the Southern Velo RC based in Morden. I was a junior and they were Independents I regularly went out training with them around Surrey. We used to hang around HE Green cycles in Morden. They did not ride in the Tour de France but did ride on the Continent at some time. I saw them ride against Tom Simpson at Crystal Palace (the Race was won by Michael Wright if my memory is correct with Tom second) I could tell you much more. For the record I used to visit Bill Hens in Sutton as well and any other shop in the South East I have attached a team sheet for a time Trial on Box Hill 1963 you will see Tony , Mick and me on it. My bike was a Fiorelli and I still have it.

 

[raindog]

the Race was won by Michael Wright if my memory is correct.....

bloody hell, that was a blast from the past!