HARRY, JACK, & ALF

Above: Hetchin's shop in Seven Sisters Rd., Tottenham. That's Alf in the doorway and Alf's Hillman Super Minx (first introduced in 1961) at the curb.

Above: Hyman Hetchin purchased a cycleworks in Lea Bridge Rd., not far from the main shop in Seven Sisters Rd. There, from 1934 to May 1937, Hetchin set up Jack Denny as manager and frame builder. The photo above shows the Lea Bridge Rd. cycleworks as it was around the turn of the century, before Hetchin acquired it.

Above: Hetchin's shop in Southend-On-Sea, 1982.

Hyman ('Harry') Hetchin, 1939.

Hyman Hetchin, date uncertain.

Above: Hyman Hetchin (behind rear saddle), with Hetchins tandem, date uncertain.

Above: Hyman Hetchin with Bill Bellamy, in front of the Tottehnahm shop, 1952.
Click here to read about some of Bellamy's exploits.

Hyman, probably 1950s.

Above: Alf, 1940s.

Alf with Hellenic frame,
probably late 1960s.

Alf with a frame made for his father in 1948
(Southend, 1982).
Link to frame.

Above: Customers often liked to be photographed with Alf, here in Southend, 1980s.

Above 2 fotos: Alf inside the Southend shop, 1980s, with an employee (Ray).
Below: Southend shop front window, 1976.

We'll zoom in on some of the details.
Above: The green and chrome frame in the foreground is a Spyder with Italianate seat cluster, typical of Hetchin's frames in the 1970s. Note the nearly straight fork blades, and the unusual coloring on the dt transfer: white and gold, rather than the usual red/gold. The American flag is upside-down and should go on the right (not to the left) of all the other flags.

Above: The orange and blue frame above it is a Keyhole, again with Italianate seat cluster and a very simple fork crown. The price tag of 155 GBP might have applied to the Galli groupset in the background, not the frame.

Above: The red and chrome frame above that is a Keyhole Spade, also with Italianate seat cluster and a plain fork crown.

Above: The Oxford and Cambridge blue frame above that is another Keyhole Spade, with a plain fork crown. Despite the reflections in the glass, the engraved topeye can just be made out; this suggests that that frame might have been a Jackson build, whereas the Itanianate style was more typical of Jack Denny's late work. Note that all bear the laurel wreath st and ht tranfer, and that all lack dt shifter bosses.

Over on the right hand side is a cream-colored Holdsworth; offerd for 105 GBP if the price tag is to be believed.

Below the Holdsworth are two other frames, only one of which is identifiable.
Bricabrac in miniture clutters the display.

Above the Holdsworth, an mkm is dimly recognizable; the wall is covered with cranksets, seat pins, pedals, and stems.
TA and Campag are recognizable.

The bottom left of the display harbors more parts -- Regina, Galli etc. -- and more bricabrac.
Many of the same national flags are still there, as in the top photo, but re-arranged.
At least the Stars & Stripes is right side up now.

Flash brakes. 19 pounds 95.

David Miller described the shop as being "in time warp condition," with clothing and accessories still in original boxes, when he took it over a few years after these photos were taken.

Above: Alf with a customer's renovated frame, Southend shop front, 1990.

Above: A customer with a new frame, Southend shop front, 1990.

Above: Jack Denny, Dick Swann, Tottenham, probably 1960s.

Above: Alf and Jack Denny,
trade show, ca. 1985-6.

Above: Alf at a trade show, ca. 1985-6.

Above: Alf at a trade show, Long Beach Calif. 1985-6.

Above: Alf with a customer's renovated 1939 tandem, Southend shop, 1992.

Paul Hetchin kindly supplied the following two anecdotes:

Above: This advertising slogan was born when a bus broke down outside the Tottenham shop
and Dick Swann, a shop employee, ran out and scrawled that on the front of the bus.

"Playboy once used a Hetchins cycle with a nude woman on it to suggest special gifts for Christmas; it was one of my dad's favorite moments as it gave him a good excuse to go out and buy Playboy magazine!"

Additional pictures and anecdotes are welcome.

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