An exterior and interior view of Jack Taylor Cycle Works. The business was run in Church Road, Stockton until 1990 when they ceased to trade. Jack Taylor Cycles were well known for the cycles they made. The business was run by three brothers Jack, Norman and Ken.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
A friend of mine, David Roberts, whom I had met whilst we were working Iraq, some years earlier, came to stay with me, for a weekend in 1990.
Driving back towards the town, from Asda, I pointed out Jack Taylor’s works, to which he responded, “can we have a look”, as he was a cyclist and familiar with the Jack Taylor brand. I had already been there when i was 12 or so
I can’t remember which one of the brothers ( i think it must have been Norman ) showed us around the almost empty workshop, which was still in use to build the very last “Jack Taylor”, in construction.
David didn’t go back to Chandlers Ford on the Sunday, as planned, but went to the “works” on Monday morning to buy the bike.
He returned the following weekend, to collect the finished product, to be hung on his living room wall, for posterity.
There was an article written in the Gazette about it, but I can’t find it.
Tony Lyons
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In the 60’s I was friendly with Norman Taylor with our joint ownership of the American ‘Willy’s’ jeeps.
Even then their reputation had them building tandems for export to America.
J.
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I have enjoyed reading all the stories and my brothers would have also. Ken Taylor. BLRC.
Export sales Director. Jack Taylor Cycles.
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My mam dad brought all our family up in Greta Road, Norton lived next door to your family I’ve great memories of your mam giving us fried fritters and I called in some days and had toast I’ve even got vivid memories of your dad sitting in back room with his pipe, I must have only been 3-5 years old Norman took us for a ride in his jeep to Seaton with Mrs Taylor singing with us, Mr and Mrs Dixon daughter, Angela that’s me 😊
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I enjoyed my association with the boys, both on my visits to the UK and riding with Norm, as well as selling their bikes in the states. It is from them that I learned the British meaning of the word proper, as in the Taylors were the people to see about a “proper” tandem.
Chip Wamsley, Wamlsey Cycles, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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Just reading through these comments took be back to my own youth in Sunderland where, as an aspiring Tom Simpson, I built my own bike on a Jack Taylor frame that I had ‘acquired’ (531 double butted tubing as I remember) – I begged, borrowed and (possibly) stole all of the bits – Weinmann bars, headset and centre pulls, chainset , Mavic wheels, Benelux gears ( I wanted campags!) – complete with a Unica plastic saddle donated by a friend who couldn’t get used to it (neither did I!)… I loved that bike….I often wonder what happened to it after I discovered other ways of filling my time (its okay – I’m back to cycling now….)
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Whilst on a YHA cycling holiday in 1966 on the Rhine and in the Ardennes I met an American forces Surgeon and his daughter at Koblenz Youth Hostel. When I mentioned that I lived in Stockton-on-Tees he asked me whether I knew of a small cycle manufacturer called ‘Jack Taylor’ as he had just ordered a tandem from them and was expecting delivery in the US when he returned home. Not only was I able to extol the quality of Jack Taylor Cycles but was also able to show him the rear pannier rack on my Merlin San Remo (Bob Jackson build)that I had had made by Jack Taylor. The design, welding and finish were perfect as all goods that left Taylors were. The American surgeon was impressed and reassured by the work. I now ride a carbon frame road bike, however if a Jack Taylor track frame became available I would jump at the chance of obtaining and riding it.
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Hello Alastair – are you the guy who rode around Teesside with Eric Short (a local champion) and me – Colin Thompson – in the mid-1960s???
Schoolmate Eric did not favour Jack Taylor’s bikes (“too touristy..”) and so we rode some 70 miles across to Bradford to order our “track” frames with extremely tight clearances from Whitaker & Mapplebeck in Bradford. Neither you or myself wished to ride back and so I think we let the determined Eric ride back on his own. (Maybe your very kind dad drove over to collect us???) I also recall a very lovely daughter – about our age – in the Bradford bike shop – herself a cycling champ.
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Bob Irwin; My late uncle, John Doughty, was I believe, a member of Stockton Wheelers and a customer of Billy Tilson. About the time that you had your bike built at Tilson’s, I was sent there by my uncle for parts to build on to a pre-war Higgins frame for my use (I was 12 then). In later years I also had a Jack Taylor racing bike. My uncle bought a Higgins ‘Plus Parfait’ in 1954 which later came to me and is still in my posession today, although it has not been ridden for a while.
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I remember in the late sixties when me and my friends who were in our teens all joined Stockton Wheelers. We used to go to Jack Taylors factory quite often to watch them at work and generally have a chat about the bikes etc. I seem to remember that Jack was actually president of Stockton Wheelers at one time as we used to attend the club meetings regularly then. I think the Taylor brothers were actually very famous for their tandems as well as their usual bikes, and I know they used to export a lot of their produce to the U.S.I still see Ken Irwins brother in law, Horace, going out on his bike, which I think is a ‘Jack Taylor’. Great to see him still out on the bike when he must be nearing 90 years old now.
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I had a cycle made by Bill Tilson in 1954. My brother-in-law had cycles made by Jack Tayor long before then. He used to cycle and race with Jack Taylor and both were members of Stockton Wheelers. I fact my sister was treasurer for the club at one time.
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As a young man in approximately 1962 I remember Jack Taylor or Norman used to visit my father Reg Stainthorpe after he had retired from Parkfield founderies. This was partly in recognition of him turning a blind eye to the Taylors brothers building bikes on the firms time and trying to build their business before opening their own premises when he was the Foreman and they were on the tools. I also remember I think it was Norman telling my father how he had been to America to endorse a special bike which had been purchased and how he could not understand the rationale of everyone he met wanting to get showers even when they were not dirty.
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In the mid to lates sixties, me and my mates were always doing motorbikes up, we often took bike frames and petrol tanks to be stove enamelled. They once sprayed me a frame for a Norton 650SS I was doing up and it was what they called ‘Flamboyant Blue. ‘It was the dogs do-dah’s, basically painted silver with a navy blue overcoat. Its colour looked different from different angles. They painted these items as and when to fit in with their bike building business for a song. They started to put the prices up because we were coming too often.
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Great pics – I was lucky to own one of the very first mountain bikes in the area in 1980. I imported it from America but I needed it rebuilding many many times with different configurations and Jack, Norman and Ken were very happy to oblige! I loved going there – every time I went they stopped work, came into the front office and got the kettle on. Toast (more like door steps) toasted on a gas heater on the floor near the table. I was so sad when they retired. I still have the bike today as he modified it although sadly I cant ride anymore due to injury. The last time I took the frame there Norman wanted to ‘borrow’ the measurements – never did see what he made from it. Jack painted it stars and stripes – thanks jack – loved every minute of it.
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The photos of the interior of Jack Taylor Cycles brings back many memories. In 1960 I decided to build a frame for a racing motorbike and went to them for a supply of Reynold tubing. After a lot of discussion, Norman agreed to bend the tubes to my requirement, and after I had taken them home and laboriously filed the joints, to do the welding (strictly, brazing). Completing all of the frame took numerous visits – I seem to remember that Norman charged me about 5 bob for each visit.
When the frame was finished, I asked if they could stove enamel it for me – Jack said he was busy, but if I was happy to sandblast the frame myself, he would find the time to paint it so, I was introduced to the art of sand blasting. Jack was very insistent that I made certain that I cleaned every bit of that frame – as he put it ‘;there are a lot of sides on a tube’.
I believe that the frame was still around in the Teesside area long after I sold the completed bike on in early 1962 – probably the only motor bike farme Taylors ever had a hand in.
I never actually met Ken, but Jack and Norman were wonderful people – so helpful to a hard up student, and really interested in the project. The other thing I remember about Norman was the "surplus" Willys Jeep that he used as personal transport. When I knew it, it was painted white and was pretty distinctive.
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