OK - I know a few people have asked for pictures, and in typical me fashion (very slow), here they are, along with the story.

How I fell into the Hetchins.

The story started here about 5 years ago. One of the relatively active members of C&V at the time was Sammyboy. Many of us watched him post a whole series of very interesting catches from his neck of the woods (in England). What he came across seemed quite magical, and I got the wild idea to ask if he might be able to find a British bike that might have been like one a club rider would have ridden in the 50's. He agreed to keep an eye open for me, and within a couple weeks, he found a few possibilities. They were kind of interesting, but frankly, I was a bit lukewarm about the possibilities. Despite a teeny bit of reluctance, we agreed on a deal for a fairly ordinary bike from a larger maker (I think it was an entry level Claud Butler). I was about ready to pull the trigger on it, when he posted a picture of a small, black bicycle of a make I'd never heard of before - a J.A. Holland. I sent him a PM, asked him "how much?" and about 4 days later, it arrived.

Here's a picture of the frame:



The bike was complete, and I built it up, and took it to Cirque, where despite it being a bit tatty, I put it on display. A handful of people took some notice of it, including a fellow who had driven to the event from Colorado who noted that in his youth, he rode in the same club as the builder of the frame.

Fast forward a couple years. I had made reservations for a Room at Cirque, and I saw a note from him on the Classic Rendezvous list. I asked him if he would be coming to Cirque, and offered to bring the Holland for him to ride if he was planning on coming (the Holland is the perfect size for him, and I heard him vow that he would never be driving to Cirque again). He responded, telling me his daughter was due with his first Grandchild at about the time of Cirque, and that he wouldn't be able to attend that year. I sent him my congratulations and regret (he's a really nice fellow, and I'd be quite glad to see him again), and thought that the end of things.

A couple days later, I received an e-mail from him requesting pictures and information about the Holland. I answered him and sent him pictures, a bit puzzled by the request. The next day, I received another e-mail from him. He told me that he had a Hetchins that was a little bit too large for him (and perfect for me), and asked if I would be interested in a trade. My mind set to racing, but I was a little bit hesitant, because I felt I would be on the advantageous side of a rather lopsided trade. I told him of my concern, and we agreed on me throwing in a rather modest sum of money to help compensate for the disparity. I could tell he was excited at the prospect of receiving the Holland, and he told me he had been looking for one off and on for several years without success. We packed the frames, shipped them, and received them on the exact same day.

The day after receiving it, he sent me pictures of the Holland, fully assembled, and he said taken right after a 50 mile ride. It was taken with red fenders, which looked rather out of place on the bike. After another couple days, he sent me another e-mail, and told me to be on the lookout for another box. It arrived a few days later, and it contained a set of red, Bluemels fenders, a Hetchins jersey, and a wool Hetchins cap. He also included a print of an eBay auction he won showing the yellow fenders he purchased for the Holland, and a short note. I couldn't help but shed a few tears - both of thanks for his generosity, and of joy, knowing that he was obviously very, very happy with the Holland.

I built the Hetchins up with the fenders, and have taken it out a few times on nice days. The gearing is rather high, but the ride is wonderful. I have made a point to ensure I will be taking it out a few more times this year than I did the last two.

Here are a few pictures that someone else took of it: