Horseman?

[Greybeard]

Did one of our number work here?

[KiwiGF]

Nope, but somehow my bike went from BSA, to VH, to New Zealand, my guess is VH did a bit of exporting?

[Topdad]

Hi GB  I'm guilty as charged worked in Victor Horsmans from 1966 til 1970 ,16 when I started as a saturday p/timer til full time salesman early 67 best job I had ! My boss was an absolute gent with a wierd dress sense but the sight of a 50 something white haired old guy giving a Bonnie a fistful on Renshaw st Liverpool brought many a smile . Bought my 3rd A10 from there in tea chests ! some towrag stole the frame many yrs later but the rest is in my present A10 . I sold many bikes during my times there and can say we didn't rip people off and people used to come back yr after yr we had a Yam agency first in the north west  and even took fridges as deposits on some .Crazy time but great time ,thanks for stirring some memories GB.

[Topdad]

KiwiGF ,I can shed a little light on your bikes despatch. Victor Horsman's was one of 2 main BSA/TRi dealers in liverpool ,we were "retail"main dealer the other Cundles were spares and sales main dealers. Whereas Cundles had there heads up there spares operation Horsmans were always willing to think out of the box and so would think nothing of despatching to Aus and NZ after all the docks were only a mile away and full of ships going everywhere!! smaller fry by comparision but every yr I remember getting a thruxton Velo for a guy in the IOM only request from customer was it not to be molested by our mechanics so it came in a crate we checked the crate and of it went to the steamshipferry . I also del bikes up and down the country it was just something we did but boy we sold some bikes ,As your GF still got the VH badge on either front or rear mudguard ,I;ll dig mine out to show it ,a real badge not a transfer.

[KiwiGF]

Thanks Topdad that confirms what I suspected, I googled Cundles and found these grainy pics  , from Byron St (I think).

[Topdad]

They were Neil, i worked for them as well for 8 weeks !they expanded to take over all those shops , hence head up spares op  from me ,they concentrated so much on spares they forgot about sales and so horsmans sold more and didn't have to worry about carrying stock we just asked them and we got the bikes but only for actual sales !
New tunnel forced a move to Copperas Hill  smaller premises and they never cleared the back log of obsolete stoke which would be worth a fortune today ,I personally found a lightning engine hidden under a tarp which the pompous spares manager wouldn't believe until I showed him ,what stock control ? They went bust . Victor Horsmans finally went bust from the old HO building on Pembroke Place due to the collapse of the Car dealership ,I'd left many yrs before was still friends with me old bosses Brod and Keith who was the reason for there demise , Thanks for stirring some good memories GB PS I met Victor horsman once he'd retired yrs before but well respected in the veteran world he developed the ricardo head for Triumphs whilst racing at Brooklands .