GIBBONS Cycles has now been trading in Spalding for more than 90 years, during which time it has seen a number of generations of the Gibbons family at the helm.
In 1916 John William Gibbons was invalided out of the war and used his pension to start a cycle shop with his wile Kate in Winsover Road.
Despite lean times during the 1920s and 30s, the shop slowly expanded, growing in stature. The founder’s son, also John William, joined him in the trade before World War Two, only to be enlisted, leaving his wife Nancy to help his father run the business during the hostilities.
Through the 1950s the shop involved to keep pace with the increase in trade and was totally rebuilt in he 1960’s.
2 Responses
John William Gibbons, son of the founder, was known to everyone as Bill. Bill’s son, Gerry, passed away a few years ago. Both Bill and Gerry were great friends of mine, and in the 1970s and 1980s I spent many happy hours chatting with them in the workshop behind the shop, and slurping tea provided by Bill’s wife, Nan.. In the post-war period they sold radios as well as bikes, and I can remember a rig they had for charging customers’ lead-acid radio batteries, generally called “accumulators.” They also, at one time, sold wind-up gramophones and I recall Gerry telling me that, when the shop was rebuilt, their stock of spare gramophone springs was buried as steel reinforcement in the concrete foundations.
Mick thank you so much for your comment, such great memories. I’m trying to find out a bit more about Dad so would love to get in touch.
Adam. (Gerry’s son).