Have you tried messaging them via their Facebook page?
Nottingham Clarion Cycling Club. 713 likes · 19 talking about this. Nottingham Clarion is a friendly club, open to all ages and all types of cyclist. It is an organisat
www.facebook.com
This website is about as close I get to interacting online relating to "social" media. I will try kicking the cobwebs off my f-book account and see if I can remain calm and collected while dealing with the f-book foolishness.
In the meantime I received a response from another local and his friend who worked at Lloyd's shop:
(djnotts) "Mick’s surname was Polish, something like Cziorka, not White, hence the nickname “Chalky”. I met Mick when he worked at Freewheel and he lived somewhere near me (Carlton Hill). He had built a few frames, I think when between Lloyd's and Freewheel. I sometimes saw him on a tandem with his wife.
A good mate of mine worked at Lloyd's as Saturday lad in '70s and was a Clarion member. All before my time in Nottingham. I'll try and forward some of this discussion to my mate Gary C."
(Gary C.; I assume) "In my years of helping in my early days Henry sold mainly Holdsworth, Knight and the odd Paragon from Andy Bone.
I was never aware he put his own name to any custom build in my junior membership days with Notts and Derby Clarion. As He turned 70 we still carried on with the Sunday easy rides often and in all weathers.
The business closed in 1986 , Chalky didn't last 5 mins in his ownership and was very unhelpful as I remember.
Henry became very weak
And if I remember it changed hands early 82.
So dating that frame I would guess 82-86?
Looks to have Pongo Braithwaite influence in lugs (Aende)"
Note: Alan "Pongo" Braithwaite generally had holes and slots cut into lugs/tubes. Although the framebuilder may have been influenced by Pongo and similar builders, I certainly do not think it is a Pongo built frame.
So now I am leaning towards it being made in '86 only due to the frame stamp, but it is getting very conclusive through anecdotal evidence that:
1) Henry Lloyd evidently did not build frames, and certainly not this one if he ever did build frames (due to his age at the time). There is still a possibility that Lloyd himself had frames made to order which he badged; and which may have occurred prior to "Chalky", et al. taking over the business circa '82.
2) The frame was probably made circa '82-'86 while the shop was still in operation, but frame still may have been made out of house and badged by the shop, or have been made in the late 70s. It may have been that they were trying to incorporate their "own" brand into the business to help waning sales and/or had a small number of frames built as a marketing ploy to have their shop name out riding the roads and tracks. I find it odd that if the shop had frames badged as Lloyd bikes why they are not being found for sale. It is either an indicator that people are holding onto them with their dying hands, or that they are a rara avis and not to be readily found due to very low numbers being built/badged.
3) "Chalky" did build some frames, but it is unknown when he did it (while at Lloyd's shop, after closing the shop, and/or during his time at Freewheel. When he was building frames, did he ever badge a frame under his own name?
