A Durban tagged image from Flickr – click on the name of the photographer below the image to see more Durban goodness.
Major Nichols cycle shop,48 Durban Road Smethwick. Autumn 1983
Image by sludgegulper
The hallowed bicycle shop. A fuzzy photo unfortunately, but one can get a flavour of what it was like, with newly finished frames in the window, or hanging up. Major Nichols was nearly 70 at this time and still building very well. I spy about 5 new frames, including two with the then fashionable faded paint finish, plus a real stunner in black with red panels. I wonder who bought that. More than 25 years later, the scene is rather different. The block of flats has also disappeared from the horizon. There was never any signwriting above the window, just a small white plastic or glass sign (visible) suspended with MAJOR NICHOLS LIGHT WEIGHT CYCLES written on it. Major Nichols died in 2005 but a moving and fitting tribute may be viewed here
