Who remembers Don Louis of Herne Hill?

[yello]

I first heard of Herne Hill when I was in my teens and living in New Zealand. Long before I actually got to see it for real.

My father told me that he and 2 others used to go down to London (from Leicester) to compete in the Friday night events. I guess we're talking late 50s. One of the 3, the somewhat shiftily named Shinty Grey, used to do pretty well apparently. I think they were all reasonable cyclists though and used to have equipment provided by sponsors... or some such anyway. Probably a bit of Chinese whispers going on in honesty!

 

[brockers]

Entering the tuesday CP crit est tres facile, but first you'll need to get yourself a British Cycling Licence. As it's a closed circuit, you can get away with a Bronze Membership (£13.50) and pay a fiver for a day licence plus the tenner entry fee. It's Entry On the Line (EOL), but effectively £15 to get your arris kicked, which I imagine is much more than France. You might be able to swerve the BC membership bit if you have a French licence. Give them a ring and see. The 3rd and 4th cats set off first (everyone starts as a 4th nowadays until they get ten points in a season.....more details from BC), followed a lap later by the Elites. 1st's and 2nd's. Much hilarity and swearing then follows as the experienced try to get past the inexperienced. As I pointed out earlier, if it's been raining that day, then the whole shebang is likely to get called off as the lower ("Dead Man's") corner becomes a lethal combination of off-camber madness and leaves/tree detritus. It's eyeballs out straight from the off, and I've only managed to hang on for a few laps twice before getting churned out the back. Next year, though. Next year...

Here's a video to give you an idea.

View: http://vimeo.com/6170164

 

[limey]

Basically rien a changer. It's still the same formula. The video is great- except the track is much narrower than I remember and I am pretty sure we never had a hairpin. Looks good though.

For the licence, do you need a medical certificate to accompany the application? Here in france it's obligatory and a good GP will send you for a comprehensive blood test (including diabetes, liver function and electrolytes) and an ECG before issuing a certificate. Apart from an FFC (equiv to BC) licence we also have a multisports licence (UFOLEP (which I have)) enabling you to practice several sports with one licence. So I can cycle, run, play football, tennis, ski etc all with one licence. Do you have the same in UK and is it valid for events under BC jurisdiction?

Another point, all our maillots et cuissards carry sponsor advertising. Is this allowed in the UK?

Merci beaucoup for all the infos et a bientot.

Yello, nobody had sponsored equipment in those days. Carlton churned out some special bikes (all chrome frames) for national champions and special visitors (Tom Simpson for example) but that was it.

 

[rich p]

Ot but my son has acquired a bike from his girlfriend's recently deceased grandfather. I've tried googling it but can't come up with anything.

It is badged as a Nelson Cycles, West Wickham frame with a mix of campag and shimano. It has J&E Holland written on the downtube. There was a bike frame manufacturer in Slough named Nelson but that's a distance from WW.
My guess is that it's25-35 years old. Any ideas?

 

[rropo]

Don Louis

Hi I have just joined this forum and saw your post re Don Louis of Herne Hill. I remember him very well,bought my first bike from him (a TJQ) and regularly went on rides with him particularly around Dulwich park etc. he was a nice bloke definately Welsh and we would all congregate in his cycle shop in Herne Hill - there were always more people behind the counter than in front checking out the latest 'gen' accessories. Don was very generous and if you couldn't afford a pair of his wheels he'd let you have them on credit. More often than not the goods were never paid for as Don's bookkeeping was a bit lax! The other memory is that Don rode a beautiful all chrome bike and used to swear like mad if he was overtaken by any of us lads!!


Happy Memories!


rropo

 

[sunray]

I believe the mechanic at Herne Hill Cycles is called Ron, and he definitely isn't Welsh.

Not sure if he speaks Flemish or not...

Yes you are nearly right his mechanic was JOHN, I spent some time watching him welding the 531 tubing in the jig,

my first bike he made for me cost 30pound back in approx 1957.

 

[Andy_R]

My God.....I've just realised.....you city boys are so.............provincial...who would have thought it?

 

[yogi100]

I remember the shop well, it was called Herne Hill Cycles opposite the bogs in Brockwell Park and Don Louis saw the boss/owner. At the time I had a Phillips Kingfisher that my Dad bought for me for about 22 quid around 1959 from the nearby cycle shop in Effra Parade opposite Mundays Sidecars. But some of my chums had proper racing bikes with tubs instead of tyres and inner tubes. It was said Don was a bit of a gay boy or twilight man as we called them back in those days but I do not know if it was just gossip. Never the less he was a character and we used to spend a lot of time in his shop talking about bikes and cycling.This was in the late 50s and early 60s.

He was a nice man, he was Welsh and we used to have a laugh and joke with him. Years later, in the late 80s or early 90s the local council introduced the Lambeth County Fair which was held in Brockwell Park. I was in there and who should I bump into but old Don. By this time he was an elderly fellow but still quite fit and was in the company of a woman (so much for rumours). He remembered me and we exchanged a bit of gossip and he explained that he had moved away as had all of my old pals and school chums who used to visit his shop.

There was also a coffee bar a few doors away called Tom's Cabin with one armed bandits, a juke box and pin tables that was popular with us local lads. When I hear The Animals' song 'A house in New Orleans' it always reminds me of it. Coffee bars were popular meeting places for young people in those long gone days

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I first heard of Herne Hill when I was

....Passing through it on the train (either a VEP or a CEP) and thinking

'My god, what a dump!'

 

[dellzeqq]

Herne Hill is a great place. It now has two bike shops and a picture framers. The area outside the station is sweet, and the park is a joy

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

A picture framers?? Imagine that!


I'm sure it is. I didn't stop to see though.

 

[yogi100]

Herne Hill is now a very yuppified area with very few council estates in the immediate locality. Many of those houses round the old Velodrome by the railway lines are all well over the million pound mark. A one bedroom flat will put you back at least 200K if you can locate such a property. Two of the four pubs are now 'bistros' where a pint of beer will knock you back about 4 quid!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

£4 for a pint? Ok, I take it all back!

 

[Blue Hills]

This Sunday - free entrance apparently.


http://hernehillrevival.com/

 

[Frankiethetan]

who sold me my first bike - a Claud Butler. It cost five pounds which was not bad considering it had a (five speed) Campagnolo derailleur.

My recollection is that the Don employed a mechanic who was Welsh, and only spoke his native language and Flemish.

I remember Dons shop o so well, I lived on Tulse hill on the other side of the park.me and my brothers would have to sometime go to the shop to get bits for my dads bike.and I can tell you it was a nerve racking exsperence.hated going their, all the kids from around Brixton new of Don Louis.