Paul Wonnacott has been buying, repairing and selling on used bicycles in the English countryside for almost thirty years. In an extended interview he looks back at the changes he’s observed in the bicycle manufacturing industry (most of them bad) and grapples with a hoarder’s inner demon as he watches his huge stock literally pile up and up. Also mentioned in the show is the Waterfront London exhibition and series of breakfast talks at New London Architecture on Store Street, the Italian writer Ugo Riccarelli in conversation with journalist Richard Williams on the occasion of the publication of the English edition of Coppi’s Angel on 30 January at the Italian Cultural Institute. And the deadline for submissions to the 2008 Bicycle Film Festival is looming: 19 February.
MP3 | Other file formats (e.g. Ogg Vorbis)
21 January 2008: Hidden Treasure [30:21m]: 
6 responses so far ↓
1 Bill // Jan 22, 2008 at 11:44 am
Fantastic! Simply fantastic.
2 NeilI // Jan 23, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Great reggae music - I’ve only got 4 bikes
3 Curtis // Jan 24, 2008 at 9:30 am
Reports like this are the reason I listen. A look into “Use it up, wear it out. Make do, or do without”. I loved this story. I hope he continues to rebuild bikes. He has a grand passion for it.
4 Dave // Jan 25, 2008 at 12:02 am
Interesting podcast. This guy has a lot of stuff that needs to be organized, so there has to be some bikers there that would volunteer to help him out and sort through his things, sounds like he’s all by himself. He probably needs some shelving and re-organization. He’s done such a nice service to the biking community by recycling and fixing old bikes (even though he’s running a buisness) that I feel like he needs some volunteers and not shut down for 3 months. I’d help him out.
5 caz // Feb 7, 2008 at 1:34 pm
some ideas for Paul Woolcott:
1.photograph all bikes for selling, with dimensions, history, specs
2. open a web page
3. get in contact with Sustrans/LCC (is there a bike project/new bike route/train station that would be interested in having the bikes?)
4. sell stuff on ebay, even with p&p most people will pay for what they are looking for
5. build some bike racks with roof so that they have some level of protection
6. design your workshop so customers (buyers) can see their bikes being worked on and have someone lovely to talk to etc while ‘real’ work is being done in the back
basically he needs some help organising his business/business plan…
i’m in Cornwall and visited seaton on hols - so if he wants some graphic design help - i’m offering, but what he really needs is a team of young and enthusiastic people to help lunging stuff around!
webmaster: pass on my email, if you think i can help!
6 Salim Fadhley // Feb 14, 2008 at 11:24 am
What an awesome photo!
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