The Dickenson Morette
Editorial by Elvis Payne
elvis@3-wheelers.com and Photgraphs Courtesy of Richard Friedman
The Dickinson Morette was first manufactured in 1903 in Aston Brook, Birmingham,
(UK) by B.E. Dickinson Toledo Engineering Works. The single seater machine was
powered by a 1.5 hp engine whilst the "sociable" two seater was powered by
either a 2.5 hp or a 4 hp 2-cylinder engine. Both variations provided power to
the front wheel by chain. Despite being very high the car was unique for its day
in that it could be started from the drivers seat by means of a flexible chord
that fitted into a groove in the flywheel. When pulled this would then fire up
the engine. A pulley on the crank shaft was then brought into frictional driving
contact with a rubber covered wheel on a lay shaft by lowering the steering
tiller. This gave the Morette a top speed of around 12 - 15 mph. Lifting the
tiller would lift the engine out of action whilst braking applied a double brake
and cut off the fuel supply to the engine
The body and seat of the Morette are constructed from steel tubing whilst the
floor of the vehicle was made from wood carried across the steel tubes. The
wheels are all the same size and so are completely intechangable and they
featured "specially thickened driver tyres" that helped prevent the risk of
punctures and prolong the life of the tyre. The Morette was 3ft 9" wide with a
wheel base of 5ft 6".
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Norton Motorcycles - 1920s
The bikes have been brought out of the factory for a "photo-call"
Notice the motorcycles are all propped up on bricks
This photograph kindly loaned from Albert Turner the son of one of the pictured
riders
George Formby visits the Norton Works
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Sun Cycles - Phoenix Works, Aston Brook Street, Aston, Birmingham 6
by Jenny Nicol
My mother, Hilda Venville worked for Peter Parkes at Sun Cycles for several years
probably starting around l950. She was his secretary and worked part time for
the company and then eventually full time. I believe before the war she had
worked for a while at Hercules.
The Parkes were excellent to work for and they were very up-to-date in their
office equipment and stationery. The letters and invoices were typed on yellow
paper using green typewriter ribbons and the stationery was also nicely embossed
and on very high grade paper. Most unusual in those days. My Mother always hated
to make mistakes with her typing since she wanted to preserve as much of this
expensive stationery as possible. My first bicycle was made especially for me at
Sun Cycle and it was a wonderful two wheeler, full size and painted a very
special blue. I rode it for many years. I seem to remember my two brothers also
having bikes custom made at Sun Cycles. I remember going to a wedding somewhere
in Edgbaston when one of the Parkes family was married. It was a very close knit
company and they were very good to their employees
When I went to Pitman's College to learn secretarial skills in l953 I remember
Peter Parkes lending my mother a typewriter to bring home so that I could
practice my typing before going to my first job at British Railways, New Street
Station.
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