Luton History: The Days of "Penny Farthings"

Walter Webb's "Bone shaking adventures"

It was April 1936 , Walter Elias Webb and his wife Ellen of 74 Bury Park Road Luton, were celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary, both were natives of Cheshire but had lived in Luton for 40 years

Walter worked in the hat trade, his last position was at Rosson's in Collingdon Street, but has since retired, however he sported a rather dangerous hobby.

His passion was cycling but in an unusual form, he loved to ride his "Penny Farthing" nicknamed the "Bone Shaker", originally a French invention produced in the 1860's, a rather basic wobbly machine with metal wheels.

A British Company called Starley built an improved version in the 1870's , a much stable and safer bicycle than the prevailing rickety machine built in France, hence the nickname "bone shaker".

Walter's was an original Penny, he tells of his adventures, once avoiding an oncoming hay cart, he steered across the road, careered down an embankment and landed head-long in the river, the hay cart oblivious to the incident carried on leaving Walter a 4 mile trek home soaking wet.

Another occasion, he declared he could "master" anything on his beloved Penny, so he was invited to a track riding event held on a skating rink, while challenging the figure 8 he fell breaking the handlebar off the machine and had to pedal 12 miles home without his steering mechanism.

His regular prank was cycling across the river on a narrow plank, he said my success rate was pretty dismal but challenging.

Eventually he gave up riding " Penny" when one day the narrow rim of his wheel caught in a manhole cover, he went over the top and broke his arm.

Walter hung up his "clips" in the 1920's , "Too much traffic now", he says.

Reaching their Golden Wedding unscathed, he said "Fortunately Mrs Webb has never been partial to cycling".

Maybe he should have taken advice from the Brighton Cycle Club, they say the best way to save yourself on a downhill disaster "It is customary to put one's legs over the handlebar, and should you hit a stone (or in Luton's case a pothole) the rider would shoot forward, somersault and land on one's feet." ( please don't try this at home!)

Another fan of the "Penny" was Mr William Phillips, former Manager and Chief Engineer of Luton Gas Company, he purchased his cycle in the 1880's for £4/10 shillings, and travelled around the South of England attracting many crowds.

William Phillips died in 1963, his "Penny Farthing was discovered in the shed, due to it's rarity an auction was arranged at his home in Dunstable Road, and dealers travelled from as far as London and Cambridge to bid, it was finally purchased for £20.

Luton Cycling Club regularly met at Luton Hoo Lodge, the club formed around the 1880's with Archibald Percy Pepper the Chairman and Captain when the photo was taken, however a few years later, businessman Arthur Robert Child, Hat Manufacturer of Collingdon Street and champion cyclist himself, become Captain, whether they were "Bone Shakers" I cannot say, but I doubt they "Lifted their legs over the handlebars".

As for Walter Elias ( Dick) Webb, he sadly passed away in 1938.