hi peter i will go down to witcombs and speak to barry, if he is still hanging about there, and see if he can help.
the story at witcombs is a little sad. i haven't been in for a while, last time i did it was all newly cleaned and painted with a definite hip-design edge, trading on its heritage and offering handbuilt frames at almost twice the price of the year before! the new partners/employees were sitting on a sofa with a 'client' designing fixies on a lap top, barry looked a little ill at ease.
a friend of mine was there recently and this is what he told me; indeed the shop is now closing up, barry was still hanging out there pottering around. it seems the name/business was purchased by some people (them with the lap top) who wanted to move the business to south wales and build a 'state of the art factory' their website mentions carbon fibre. barry sold up, he still has a few years left to ride and maybe build a few bikes. i think he was hoping to keep the deptford shop going, this didn't mesh with the new owners' plans and barry was pretty p****d off.
the last real london bike shop dies. i have to go to roberts in croydon now for frame repairs. barry brazes on an open hearth and learned from bill philbrook.
the plans for the factory in wales have probably stalled out due to the economy.
another one bites the dust.
i'm not saying witcombs was a great marque or even a great bike shop but they were my lbs. they survived for years through times when no-one gave a tinker's cuss for bikes or bike shops by selling kid's bikes and repairing anything that came along.
they also had a few americans come to work there....
simon bird
london
england