Co-founder Celebrates his Ninetieth Birthday

Ernie Witcomb who co-founded Witcomb Trading ltd in 1949 celebrated his ninetieth anniversary earlier this week. Today, he was at the shop as usual but to enjoy a rather unusual day.

Most of the morning was spent talking to a camera crew from the fashion company Carhartt, reminiscing about his life-long involvement with the Cycling industry. The afternoon took a more festive tone, with nibbles and drinks being shared with the team and a journalist from the South London Press.

Tomorrow will gather Ernie's friends and family in a celebratory meal.

Undaunted, he plunged his savings, now obtains top orders

Reprinted from the South London Press, Friday, September 25, 1959.

In a small workshop tucked away in a Deptford side street six men are working on special lightweight cycles soon to be shipped to top road race cyclists in America.

Identical models are being shipped to New Zealand and enquiries are coming from other parts of the world.

The American deal marks another stop in the struggle of Ernest Witcomb (44), who three years ago plunged his life savings into making these machines. It has been a struggle.

Now he has a turnover nearing £30,000 a year at Tanners Hill, Deptford.

His father was a keen road racing cyclist and Ernie took over where he left off. His racing days are over now but he is road secretary of the South East London division of the British Cycling Federation.

In 1948 he was one of the officials at the Olympic Games. The following year he took a team of riders to Belgium to represent England.

"Cycling has been my whole life and I've no complaints. I even met my wife at a cycling club dance 22 years ago," he said.

To keep up with everyday events he sponsors his own semi-professional team using Witcomb cycles. One of the team is Bernard Pusey, well known British rider, who works for him.

"Last year I had Stan Brittain in the Tour de France under contract, using my cycles. It was one of the two British cycles to complete the race," he said.

"The official Army team also use my machines and with the markets opening up in America business should be even better next year."

When he first started he was supplying frames and accessories to Claude Butler. Then the Claude Butler firm went broke and Witcomb lost a third of his capital overnight. Undaunted, he carried on.

His wife, Lily, works as secretary of the firm and his son, Barry, aged 16 an up and coming youngster in the road racing has started to learn the trade.

Text from a promotional flyer,
Picture from the archives: the store room at No 32 Tanners Hill, circa 1958.

Company Founders Celebrate Wedding Anniversary

"December,31 1937 was the night that changed my life forever. Together with five fellows, we went to a New Year's Eve dance in London. During the evening for a dare, I danced with a very attractive young lady. That dance lasted all evening.

We became great friends and in December 1938 we became engaged. The war started in 1939 and we decided to get married in January 1940. That, however, was short-lived as I got my call-up papers in February.

I was lucky to be posted to a staff HQ in England so got home most week-ends. These passes were the envy of many. Our son Barry was born in 1943 and was just four when I was demobbed.

Our key to success is always give and take, never go to bed on an argument, trust and confide in each other and always see the other person's point of view. If you do this, you will succeed in life's greatest gift: love."

This is how Ernie tells the story of his love and life with Lily. Both co-founded Witcomb Cycles in 1949 and yesterday were celebrating their 68th anniversary. Lily is 94 and Ernie will be celebrating his 90th birthday later this year.

Everyone at Witcomb Cycles would like to offer them both their best wishes for the happy occasion.

This Week in Britain: The Bespoke Bicycle

"I've never my inside leg measurement done before."

This is how Michele Brown starts her 5 minute report on bespoke bicycles and Witcomb Cycles, the "mecca of the pedal-pushing world". This film, the footage of which were recently rediscovered by chance in our workshop, is part of the This Week in Britain series produced by the Central Office of Information for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Thanks to Jonnie Scarlet, a new Witcomb owner, and his film editing company The Quarry, the 1974 short film has been digitalised and is now available for the world to see once again.

In addition to interviews of Ernie and Barry Witcomb, the film shows glimpses of the shop and workshop as they were in the 1970's. Lily, Ernie's wife and co-founder of the company, can also be seen in her office while frame-builders are busying themselves in the workshop.

This Week In Britain was the longest running magazine series or "cinemagazines" produced by the Central Office of Information (COI) for consumption abroad to promote Britain and the Commonwealth. It was a weekly five-minute film on a single topic, shown in cinemas as well as on television across the world. Started in 1959, the series was cut in 1980, by which time over 1100 stories had been produced.

A few years earlier, in 1971, Witcomb Cycles had been chosen to represent the British cycling industry at the British Fair in New York. The same year, Witcomb Cycles also attended the San Francisco Fair, where the stand was visited by Princess Alexandra, cousin to the Queen, and her husband, the late, Sir Angus Ogilvy. This marked the start of Witcomb USA in 1972, with Richard Sachs and Peter Weigle.

View the British Universities Newsreel Database entry for the film here.

This Week in Britain - No 795
The Bespoke Bicycle
Directed by Charles Leigh-Bennett
Presented by Michele Brown
Production: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Camera: AI Films
Producer: Tony Hinton

1971 Brochure, page 12

Here is another page from our 1971, San Francisco brochure. This page has a feature on a Witcomb 'Giro-Italia' bicycle which was made for a Mr Ken Webb's World endurance attempt, 80,000 miles in 366 days. We understand from Ernie Witcomb, that he succeeded in his attempt.

A previous image from this brochure was published here.

October 1971 Souvenir Brochure from San Francisco

One from the archives: In the build up to our attendance at London's Earls Court, we thought we'd publish a few pages from our 1971 San Francisco exhibition brochure.