EPHGRAVE SAVED FROM THE TIP

THE GOOD NEWS

This very early Ephgrave was spotted at 

a local rubbish dump a few years back, by my mate Dennis.

He actually left the bike where it lay, but thinking it

over went back the next day and recovered it.

It was a frame only, with no forks or fittings.

He found some forks that fitted, and assembled the bike

out of his spare parts bin.
He used the bike like this for a while, before moving onto
 something else, so letting it 
languish in the corner of his garage, until I spotted it.

I had seen this frame set sitting forlornly in the corner
of Dennis's garage over the last couple of years, and would often wander
over and inspect it, wondering what make it was.
I always had a strong suspicion that it was something
interesting and worth looking into.
I eventually asked Dennis if he was going to restore
or rebuild the frame, at which point he said I should
take the frame and do with it what I will, 
as he had no further interest in it.

It didn't take me long to realize, once I had the frame at home, and got 
into some research, that my initial interest was well founded.
The frame turns out to be a very early, possibly
mid/late forties Ephgrave, built by non other than
the legendary Les Ephgrave himself. 

THE BAD NEWS
So that is all the good news, the bad news
is that the frame had been left sitting on
the floor of the tip, and people had been walking
on it.
With the result that the down tube is badly bent, 
and the top tube is a bit bent, and the seat cluster seems to have
taken some serious punishment at some time during it's life.

THE GOOD NEWS
But the good news, is that, while I have my hands full
of bike work and projects at the moment, and for the next little while,
I intend to fully restore this beautiful machine back to it's
former glory when time allows.