I remember
my first bicycle
Got my first bike from Tom Hughes Wigan bought by my father it was a Raleigh had a dynamo light on front, around 1965/66
i got my first bike from a shop in miry lane wigan make was northern star i rode it from the shop to roby mill the year would be around 1949 go to work on it down bank brow to witters in appley bridgeleave it in bike shed no chain needed
I remember my first bicycle bought by my dad from Rogersons. It was a Moulton Midi. Years later we were told that there were not that many made and maybe it was worth something.Sadly by this time my dad had recently passed away, and we needed some money for his funeral so we took it back to where it was bought hoping to get something for it. Unfortunately, we were told by one of the sons-Stephen that it was worth nothing more that £10. So we let it go, only to find out later that it was worth over £100, and that he had sold it on for well over 100% profit That was a dear lesson learned, no wonder he has been named as the demise of the Rogerson's of Orrell Post name.
When I was 12 in the village of Maddiston my older sister got a pink witch bicycle for xmas. But my parents were too poor to get me a bike. thankfully my sister never used her bicycle and I travelled all over scotland on her bike. Sadly my mum sold it when i was at university and I hanker after another one. I managed to buy one from an older couple in Markinch, but it's a bit rusty. Marigold if you are looking for a buyer - please contact me!
It wasn't my first actually but is embedded in my memory. A Raleigh Pink Witch. My parents saved all one year at a local bike shop in Dartford to get it for me when I was 12/13. Why oh why did I sell it for £8.00 when I was eighten
I still have my Pink Witch bicycle
I remember wanting a Pink Witch when it came out, it was the most beautiful bike I had ever seen, but my parents couldn't afford it. I talk about it to this day and I'm 65 now, has anybody got a picture of it, I would love to see it again!?
I never had a pink witch - I had my cousin's old black bike. My best friend, Pam Taylor, was an only one and she got one - was I jealous!!!! This would be around 1954 in Withington, Manchester.
i was given an old order by the manager of the maypole grocery shop in scholes,this was my first ever bike.i took the carries off and stripped it down,and painted it pillar box red put a new seat on it and straight handlebars.i used it to go to st john fisher school in beech hill.i went to southport on it ,with bernard darbishire.on our way back we went up parbold hill,without stopping.it only had one gear.i was totaly knackered when i got to the top.this is absolutely true,still out of breath.whoo
tommy my mum and grandma was mrs crompton of longfield street wigan how far are you going back what year?
my first bike i had used to help me bring two sacks of coke from wigan gas works to new springs pushing all the way to plantation gates where i would then just manage a ride down hill [very short ride]then push /push push ..two sack s where [1.cwt]i once made 6 punce profit one day [of mrs crompton of longfield st..]
My first "big bike" was pink witch and I loved it.it made me feel really grown up.I still have it as it was stored in my parents outhouse once I had found other things to do.I think I was around 9-10years old when it was bought for me and I am now 57.Is this a record.haha
My first "new" bike was a Pink Witch and I loved it very much, always looking after it and taking great pride in it. I used to ride everywhere I could on it and people used to wave to me because it was such a pretty bike and it drew lots of attention. I was a very lucky girl because it cost my mum and dad quite a bit more than a standard bike. I had a second hand one before. I had it until i was 24yrs old and rode it now and then. It was stored in my mum & dads shed and sadly someone broke in and took it. My dad and I walked through the streets to see if we could find it and we found it dumped without its wheels. I cried quite a few tears, but oh how I loved my Pink Witch. The photo on Flickr brought more tears to my eyes, but not sad, just happy memories of days gone by. Needless to say my favourite colour has always been Pink!
my first bike was from john englands,my aun ty brenda took me for it. it was called a panther, i had it for about 2 week and all the welds started snapping on it when i pulled a wheely. when i went out on it everybody would say steys coming on his bone shaker. must say though it did great wheelys.
My first bike was bought from a jumble sale, it cost 10shillings, I had to share it with my three sisters, my day was on Tuesday, I loved that bike, it took me all over Lower Ince in the 50is. Happy Days !!
I had my first new bike when i started Thomas More senior school. I was so thrilled because our uniform was maroon and blue and guess what? so was my bike. Sooooooooo proud.
my first bike was a big three wheeler with a metal box on the back plenty room for dolls and teddy bears and of course it was from my grandads shop jack watsons chapel lane wigan
My first bike was a Pink Witch. I have just seen a picture of it on Fliker. It was sea green and shocking pink, with a lipstick holder, mirror, bell a rack at the front plus bag at the back. It also had a pump, reflectors in the pedals and a plastic cover on the back wheel, I think it had two speeds.
just like to give bill hurst bike shop a mention on market st hindley got my first bike from there happy days.
I remember my first bike it was a light blue one with what seemed like huge wheels, I used to ride up from Ashton to Downall Green to my Grans on it. My dad put a lolly stick in the wheels so it made a LOUD clicking noise. Loved it.
I can remember buying my first bike from Rogersons about 1981. I can remember being so proud of it and riding home and seeing my old maths teacher Mr Hurst on my way home on it
Thank you Ann Jones for your memories of your Pink Witch. Can you tell me what year this was? How old were you? And if you remember how much it cost? You were a lucky little girl. I was very lucky in many different ways. I was the 5th of 6 children. I wanted somethiing NEW and SHINY.
My First Bicycle was a Raleigh Pink Witch. I remember that bike like it was yesterday, when my dad took me to the next village to ours called Askern which is north of Doncaster. We went into Claybournes bike shop,in the market place in Askern and I thought I was going to nget an ordinary black bike, when Mr Claybourne brought the bike from the back of the shop and said it was for me. I remember riding it home with my dad running on the footpath at the side of me. I had that bike for approx 5 years and loved it. I would never let it get dirty, always keeping it shiny and new. (Happy Days) I would love to know what happened to my bike.
I am trying to write about my first bike which was NOT my MUCH WANTED PINK WITCH, but a secondhand anymous blue something. My thoughts have changed enormously since then, but who did have an ostentatious shiny brabd new PINK WITCH. When? and how much did it cost? valwgc@hotmail.com
My grandad used to work in Rogersons fixing bikes. His name was Harry Myers.
I am responding to the letter in reference to Rogersons Motorcycles.I remember it very well, however I must amend the remark about it being started just by William. It was in fact first started by my Grandfather Joe Rogerson and his brother William.My grandfather then later left the business.I remember the old photo of them both outside the shop both wearing flat caps and Rogersons Motorcycles painted in white.
My first two wheel adult bike came from Gathurst Road in Orrell. It waas too big at the time but with blocks on the pedal I managed. I lived in Orrell gardens as did the Rogersons.
This was not my first bike but about 25 years ago I was going to a scrap yard at the tamer in leigh for a part for my car, you had to walk down a dirt track to get there.At the side of the track was a ditch and in the ditch was a rusty old bike I pulled it out to have a look at it and on the frame was a back light.when I switched it on the light came on it was as if it was telling me that it was not ready to rust away so I took it home and fully restored it and gave it to a nabours lad
My first 2 wheeler was rescued from the river Dougie in Poolstock where my gran lived circa 1970, all it needed was a new saddle and chain plus a second pedal lots of oil 2 new tyres a missing handle grip, bell, front and back reflectors plus lights. It would have been cheaper to buy a new bike. However Dad and youg uncle Bri resoured it and even painted it in pale blue matt house paint I was the unproud owner of a two wheeler 3 sizes too big with a boys seat ( They didnt know the difference )and a cross bar. They had put so much love into that bike I had to use it and had many an accident which put me off cyclyng for life , not because of the down the noses looks from my peers with lovely new bikes cos that wasnt done in those days but for the sheer pain I endured trying to ride the damn thing.
Me and Maurice Glover remember Bill Rogersons garage with the petrol pump he had to wind and my Uncle Dick Barton clomping up Gathurst Road in his clogs taking his batteries to be charged up for his wireless. We bought one or two,maybe three or four motorbikes off Don,knew them all. xkty4 izbnw 1lh60cth4e yk8h2
Pride and joy "a pink witch" Happy memories of school holidays riding to Southport
THE SHOP "ROGERSONS" STARTED WITH "WILLIAM ROGERSON" IN THE EARLY YEARS THEN IT WAS PASSED DOWN TO THE 4 BROTHERS "IAN, CLIVE, ALAN & DON ROGERSON ...........IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS PHOTOS OF THE OLD SHOP PLEASE CONTACT ME .... 07502012898 .. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY "THANKS" TO EVERYONE WHO SHOPPED AT "ROGERSONS" PLEASE KEEP THE MEMORYS GOING !!!!
Hey Jimmy Lomax Are you the JL I used to pal around with? If so I remeber Walking The Dog (Stones) being played over and over at your house during a party, and you comming home on leave (navy, HMS Hampshire) if memory serves. I dont remember you having a sister though, hence hesitation. If its you give me a call at work 01270-625294....keep well / Joe bell
My first bike was in 1952, a delayed prize for passing the 11+ ("t'scholarship") It was delayed because of late delivery and eventually the shop owner (Lanes(?) bottom of Ladies Lane Hindley) made one up for me. So instead of a black sit-up-and-beg I got a racy metallic blue number with cable brakes instead of rods and straight handlebars! I think it cost nearly £20, but that seems an unreasonably large amount for the time.
a red raleigh racer 1959 christmas went out on it christmas day snow frozen to the ground rode roud the block in honister rd norly my sister jumpt out in front of me shouting give us a go i couldent stop collided with her {crash} i cut my had to have stitches what achristmas day still we laugh about it to this day i:m 60 my sister is 68
It was 1977-8 i had saved up all my pocket money and my 'wages'(i was 9) from delivering the wigan reporter with my mate we got a penny a paper...slavery.and going down to rogersons and gettin a blue raleigh burner bmx,my brother gary got a red one then going home and making ramps out of old bits of wood and jumping off them.
Secondhand and black - the bike was too big so blocks were attached to the pedals. My bike was then painted blue, this included handlebars and wheel rims - no chrome for me!!!!! But how I loved my bike.
I remember my first bike, I made it up myself.I found an old frame on the cattle market in Frog lane and aquired some spares from the scrap yard at the back of Kendal St. I rubbed it down and painted it black with some paint from Woolies, bought some parts from R Martins in Frog lane with my paper round money and it took me about 14 weeks to get it on the road, but when I did I was as proud as Punch. It was mine and I made it.Not like the other kids who's parents had bought their's from the shop.
My grandad used to work at the coop which used to be on moor road orrell post.He gave us a black three wheel bicycle between myself and two of my brothers.Iwas about six years old,my face must have been a picture as he lifted the bike over the garden fence from where he was working.thanks grandad you made my day(says me with a tear in my eye)
A Raleigh Chopper! In bright red! Okay, I had had bikes before, but this was the first new one... all shiney and gleaming. All my previous ones had been built from other bikes. It is the one I remember best, I went all over the place on it.
A second -hand black bike bought for £2 10s. I cleaned a polished it lovingly and it was kept in the entry next to our house (wouldn't be able to do that now!) I rode over the cobbles on it and even went as far as the "fields" across Darlington St. I remember well the day I rode at the side of the canal and went "ar-- over t--" over the handle-bars and just missed the dirty canal water! To this day I have a blue scar on my knee cap after being stitched up at the Infirmary. The only good thing to come out of this sorry escapade was about 6 weeks off school.