A look back at cycling from years gone by to get you in the mood for Pedal Norfolk festival
Cyclists in Norfolk. Picture: Bishop Bonners Cottage Museum - Credit: Archant
These stunning archive pictures showcase Norfolk's love of cycling from years gone by.
A young man believed to be the 5th Earl of Leicester sits in the grounds of Holkham Hall on a tricycle. Picture: Holkham Archives - Credit: Archant
With the popular three-day Pedal Norfolk festival starting at the Holkham Estate on Saturday, we hope these images get people on the mood.
One photo, from Holkham Hall, shows a young man sitting in the grounds on a vintage tricycle.
The estate says that while they cannot confirm it, they believe this may have been the 5th Earl of Leicester, Thomas Coke.
Another photograph shows a group of patriotic Brits setting off on a jubilee bike ride event in Holkham village with Union Jacks flying with them.
A group of cyclists set off for a jubilee event in Holkham. Picture: Holkham Archives - Credit: Archant
You may also want to watch:
We also bring a fantastic painting of Holkham village and highlights the local fondness for two wheels.
Also captured is scenes of cycling from years gone by in Dereham.
Most Read
- 1 Londoners fined for travelling to stay at second home in Norfolk
- 2 Norfolk wakes up to snow with more expected to fall
- 3 Drivers face non-essential travel fines after spate of snow crashes
- 4 Covid case rates continue to fall across Norfolk and Waveney
- 5 Voyeur watched people after setting up secret cameras in bathroom
- 6 Are you in our Norfolk school photos from the 1970s?
- 7 Government must step in to help 'desperate' Norwich hospital, says MP
- 8 Woman in 60s suffers serious injuries after car crashes into ditch
- 9 Photo gallery: Snow turns region into winter wonderland
- 10 Several burst mains in town leave homes without water
Sue Walker White, curator of the town's Bishop Bonner's Cottage museum, has pulled some fantastic vintage photographs from the museum's archive.
In this first selection of pictures it is clear that bicycle manufacturing was a popular industry, with various small businesses competing against one another.
A painting of cyclists in Holkham village. Picture: Holkham Archives - Credit: Archant
Perhaps the most notable of these companies is the Humber cycles store.
Humber was a company that was famous for the manufacture of bikes that were so well made that they were known as 'the aristocrat among bicycles.'
The company was founded in 1841 but thanks to the depression in the early 20th century the business suffered significant financial difficulties.
It closed in 1932 but for a brief time it was resurrected by Raleigh, who launched Humber Cycles as a premium brand in the 1960s.
Cyclists stand outside a Humber Cycles shop. Picture: Bishop Bonners Cottage Museum - Credit: Archant
The final picture is the town's team of postmen standing with their bicycles. Postmen on bikes were synonymous with the Royal Mail and British life for more than 120 years until all 25,000 British-made bikes were removed from service in 2014 because they couldn't carry enough mail.
For more about the festival, go to www.pedalnorfolk.co.uk.
Lookout for our coverage online at the weekend and in print next week.
And tune in to the Mustard Show at 6.30pm on Tuesday, May 30 for more coverage from the festival.
One of Dereham's cycle stores. Picture: Bishop Bonners Cottage Museum - Credit: Archant
One of Dereham's cycle stores. Picture: Bishop Bonners Cottage Museum - Credit: Archant
Dereham's team of postmen stand ready to deliver. Picture: Bishop Bonners Cottage Museum - Credit: Archant
