Hey, Weepiper and ljc. I've just read your posts about the Hetchins... excuse me while I slip into the vernacular as well.... Goad, bit that takes me back. Ma faither hud yin o' thae frae his racing days, an' it wis the furst full-size bike ah iver rode. A bonnie machine tae. He hud the Magnum Opus model and the frame hud been chrome plaitit when he bocht it new weel afore the war. he wis intae road racing and track events an' ah've still goat his racing medals an' cups an' that.

Thoan Hetchins wi the curved rear sprocket tubes used tae go like a burd. When ah chinged ower tae motor-bikes he hung oan tae the Hetchins and eventually when ah emigrated, he gave it tae a fella that hud been an apprentice o' his and wis intae bike racing.

Ah mind his twa brithers were intae bikes tae, and they had a' sorts o' frames and bits and pieces in their sheds. Ah'd huv gi'en mah eye-teeth fur some o' that stuff. Thur wis a Banes frame (ah think) wi' nae main tube frae the saddle down tae the chain-wheel bracket. Instead o' that yin big tube there wis twa pair o' thin tubes gaun frae a shortened saddle tube tae the back sprocket. Aye, an' a tandem tae, wi' the same kind o' arrangement. Nae idea whit happened tae a' that though...