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Photo Gallery:

church st-joyce-01
church st-joyce-01

Rear wall of 20 Church Street, 2009

church st-joyce-02
church st-joyce-02

Remains of painted advertisement on the rear wall of 20 Church Street, 2009

106-pratt funeral 1910
106-pratt funeral 1910

Mr Pratt's funeral, 9th June 1910, showing Stradling's Cycle shop on extreme right.

171-charnham_20
171-charnham_20

Charlie May's Cycle Shop, Charnham Street, c1935

bridge_st_15
bridge_st_15

H.W. Chivers, 4 Bridge Street, c1950

- Remains of painted advertisement on the rear wall of 20 Church Street.

- Mr Pratt's funeral, 9th June 1910, showing Stradling's Cycle shop on extreme right.

- Charlie May's Cycle Shop, Charnham Street, c.1935.

- H.W. Chivers, 4 Bridge Street, c.1950.

H J Bell, bicycle shop, c.1898:

It seems that at the rear of 31 Charnham Street was H. J. Bell and Co, coach builders.

c.1899 A photograph by W S Parry (see Photo Gallery of 31 Charnham Street) shows an archway to the east of The Stag Inn on which is painted "BELL"

An advert for H J Bell, Bicycles appeared in the Marlborough Times, 11th June 1898.

1920 Kelly's Dir: H J Bell and Co, coach builders, Charnham Street.

William Joyce, 20 Church Street, c.1891-1899:

The earliest cycle shop was William Joyce of Church Street (now No. 20). In the 1877 Kelly's Directory he is listed as a smith, but by 1891 he is "smith and machinist; sole agent for Rover cycles and others; to let or hire; official repairer to the CTC, Church Street".

An advert for Joyce & Co, Cycle shop appeared in the Marlborough Times, 11 June 1898.

By 1899 he is listed in Kelly's Directory as "smith and machinist" in Bridge Street. It seems likely that he was at 4 Bridge Street, which was, by the 1903 Kelly's Directory, where A. New & Co. were "cycle makers" (see below).

William Bally, 14 Charnham Street, c.1898-1901:

This cycle manufacturer and agent was at 14 Charnham Street. 

See advert for William Bally, Cycles, Marlborough Times, 11th June 1898.

The 1901 census recorded: William Balley (32), Cycle maker, with wife Emily, 2 sons and 3 daughters.

Stradling's, 14 Charnham Street, 1901-c.1910:

James Stradling started his cycle business in Newbury in 1877. In 1901 he took over William Bally's business at 14 Charnham Street, Hungerford.

The shop can be seen at the extreme right of the photograph taken on 9th June 1910 at the funeral of Mr F R Pratt, Landlord of The Bear Hotel, who was killed in a road traffic accident. Mr Pratt was a member of the fire brigade, and his colleagues pulled the funeral carriage from The Bear to St Saviour's, Eddington.

William Charles Dunn, Charnham Street, c.1911-1935:

Ken Giggs contacted the HHA in Jan 2004 to say that he was born 1932 in Charnham Street where his parents had rooms in a house owned by Mr & Mrs Gibbons - probably 9 Charnham Street. His grandfather was William Charles Dunn, and Ken thinks he owned a cycle repair shop in Charnham Street before and/or during the war. Ken thought it was on the north side of the road, a short distance east of the Bear Corner.  This would fit with William Dunn owning 14 Charnham Street between Stradlings and Charlie May.

In the 1911 Census of Charnham Street, #108 lists William Charles Dunn (29), formerly gardener domestic and chimney sweep but at present doing nothing as unable, wife Kate (30), 2 sons, 2 daughters,, 6 rooms. [I believe this is Kennet Cottages, near the river on the south side of the road - HLP]

We do not yet have further supporting evidence for exactly where William Dunn's cycle shop was. 

Charlie May, 14 Charnham Street, c.1930-19??:

By the 1930s Stradling's premises at 14 Charnham Street had been taken over by Charlie and Eddie May, shown in the adjacent photograph outside their shop (now Sapphire Furnishings).

A. New & Co, 4 Bridge Street, c.1903-c.1920:

The 1903 Kelly Directory shows New's cycle makers at 4 Bridge Street.

Ernest Charles Brown, c.1920-c.1940:

By the 1920s the business at 4 Bridge Street was run by Ernest Brown.

H.W. Chivers, c.1940-c.1956:

H W Chivers was Ernest Brown's nephew, who was recorded as "cycle agent".

Arthur Chivers: Took over the business from his father, and continues to run the business until 1956.

See also:

- Cycle Speedway Club

- Bicycle Club

- Advert for Joyce & Co, Cycle shop, Marlborough Times, 11 June 1898.