A blue plaque ….. that historic cycle shop …… and a special thank you

It is fitting that the next Chorlton blue plaque should soon be going up on the wall of what is our oldest cycle shop still doing the business of selling bikes on Barlow Moor Road.

Ken with his dad, circa 1950s

Foster’s Cycles opened in 1954 in a shop which had already been a bike shop during the war, and by the late 1950s expanded into selling scooters, and running the successful Team Fosters racing team.

"Over the years the business has supported schools, individuals, and charities, working towards raising funds for good causes. 

Two which stand out are Mark Carroll’s TransAmerica cycle ride for which Foster’s built two custom built Raleigh Dynatech Road bikes, which were used to raise funds for Frances House and the Pendle Witches Vintage Velo raising £30,000 towards the Petal Children Cancer Research and Stepping Sones Haslingden and Rossendale Hospice.

It also runs Cycle Logic Community, a not for profit organizations supporting cycle related initiatives and more recently opened the back showroom for community groups, hosting everything from exhibitions to history talks and demonstrations of defibrillating equipment.”*

And in line with this community ethos the shop repaired the bike of a serving soldier with no charge which led to a letter of appreciation from the commanding officer of the unit and a wall plaque commemorating the act.

All of which is a nice way back to the blue plaque trail of which Ken Foster’s plaque is the second to be commissioned.

The idea of a blue plaque trail has been floating around for a while, but the impetus came from Stephen Smith who wanted to record those people in Chorlton who in some way have made a contribution to where we live, coupled with buildings or events that are part of our history.

To that end there will be a special event at the Bowling Green Hotel on Sunday October 15th at 12.00pm to both explain the project and to unveil the first plaque which records that the pub, having opened in the 1780s, is one of our oldest drinking establishments.

The event will also launch the Friends of Chorlton Graveyard which is a community based initiative to revamp the graveyard and preserve a vital part of Chorlton’s past.

Andrew Simpson will talk briefly about the history of the graveyard and Peter will outline some of the ways a Friend's group could enhance and take forward this very special part of Chorlton.

Location; Barlow Moor Road

Pictures; courtesy of Peter Topping, 2023

*The Story of Ken Foster’s Cycles, Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping, 2018