Albion LH463

Preserved in the condition in which it spent most of its life as a mobile shop, complete with shop contents.

This is my Gran’s Hercules with frame number HR 3908, which she bought in 1942 when she began teaching. At that time (during World War II) it cost £30 which was two months pay.

Both bikes were well used when Gran and Grandpa were younger, but when they moved house in 1995 the bikes were handed over to Mum and Dad, and haven’t been used as much since. They get an annual dusting and oiling to keep them running and both are still great bikes! Mum still uses this bike occasionally, hence the recently added reflectors and stand.

This is my Grandpa’s Raleigh bicycle apparently with two frame numbers: 2747 and 210295 P. I don’t know the exact age of the bike but Gran remembers Grandpa visiting her in 1946 on it when he left the Army aged 29.

As far as I can tell, the bike is in pretty much original condition, other than the reflectors, which are a recent addition!

After one of the inner tubes broke its valve in 2009, I found that the old one was stamped “Ministry of Supply – War Grade Rubber”, evidently still the original inner tube (With a grand total of 28 patches over repaired punctures).

Both bikes were well used when Gran and Grandpa were younger, but when they moved house in 1995 the bikes were handed over to Mum and Dad, and haven’t been used as much since. They get an annual dusting and oiling to keep them running and both are still great bikes!