The title of A Lilac Harry Quinn defeats me, I have to say, although apparently Harry Quinn had a cycle shop in Liverpool, so maybe he sold “Harry Quinns” and maybe you could get lilac ones. Or something. Anyway, a few cycling references in this one, as well as an obscure athletics one. This must be a popular song, as five people have sent in the lyrics to it – and no two sets were the same (and my final compromise takes bits from all of them). Thanks to gNick, Jon F, Nigel, Sarah and EskimoEric
See lyrics to A Lilac Harry Quinn
Mr Larrington
Harry Quinn built many custom bikes, so I imagine one could have one in any colour one wanted.
8 January 2009
Ray Gee
the ‘Lilac’ in the title comes from the fact that the sign outside the shop, which has long since been closed, is actually painted in lilac coloured paint, and as you say they were a cycle shop in Liverpool.
The business was taken over by another cycle supplier in Liverpool and they trade under the name still, so it must have had a good name.
This has always been one of my all time Half Man favourites, my son, also a Half Man avid fan, knowing this, took me to Liverpool one day, we were driving round, after a while he told me to look up when we got round the next corner, and there it was, in all it’s glory……..Harry Quinn, resplendant in LILAC!
Beautiful, and it could only be Half Man Half Biscuit.
Do you know, in the song they go into a rant of….’sturmey archer, campagnolo, sturmey archer, campagnolo…………’, well this is a continuation of the cycling theme as these were two different gear systems used on cycles.
An absolutely fascinating song………but………it’s only one of many fascinating songs from arguably the most imaginative band ever.
8 January 2009
nigel (not that one)
“….’sturmey archer, campagnolo, sturmey archer, campagnolo…………’, well this is a continuation of the cycling theme as these were two different gear systems used on cycles.”
Still are, although sturmey archer are not so common. Shimano doesn’t quite scan, unfortunately
9 January 2009
Daryl
An all time classic. Perhaps ‘Baby I’m from the Wirral peninsula’ needs to be in speech marks?
9 January 2009
Chris The Siteowner
It’s a fair suggestion Daryl, but I’m shying away from speech marks, because it’s often difficult to know where to stop (in this case, maybe the next two lines should be included too).
9 January 2009
nigel (no, not that one)
Sadly, Harry Quinn died on 1st October
5 October 2009
Daryl
Am I the only one who’s impressed that Nigel made the ‘Dick Quax running shoes’ scan? What a guy.
7 October 2009
dagenham dave
This one popped up on the iPod today which reminded me to check what the ‘running shoes’ line was. I won’t embarrass myself by revealing what I thought it was but ‘Dick Quax’ didn’t feature in it.
Once again this site has made me feel that little bit more content. Cheers Chris.
28 March 2010
Ray Gee
Dick Quax was a New Zealand middle distance runner from the 70′s
1 April 2010
a_p
The great Harry Quinn lives on…
http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?id=16928
Nigel would be proud “…He won’t take Harry anywhere he has to lock him up, just in case he gets stolen…”
30 April 2010
Matt Lee
I thought it was “Merseyless” rather than merciless, but I’m likely wrong.
23 July 2010
Steveo
Saw a Harry Quinn in Kettering town centre a couple of weeks ago, unfortunately it was black.
24 September 2010
Colin (Timex) Smith
As I recall, the reason so many of the Liverpool Mercury riders had lilac painted frames was because one of the riders worked at the Ford factory. Work the rest out yourself.
14 November 2010
BrumBiscuit
The Sturmey Archer/Campagnolo refrain at the end is a little strange, as I doubt that many later Harry Quinns were equipped with SA stuff. That was mainly for your commuter, workaday bike in those days.
A lilac Harry Quinn would be blessed with Campagnolo gear, for sure.
Sturmey Archer gear is now churned out in Taiwan, FWIW.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lilac Ford Fiesta, but I can’t say I’ve had my eyes peeled.
25 July 2011
John Burscough
Here’s one.
http://imganuncios.mitula.net/ford_fiesta_92919400123394802.jpg
26 July 2011
Bobby String
Sorry John, I would call that purple rather than lilac.
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26 July 2011
John Burscough
Fair enough. I don’t know what you’d call the colour of my true love’s hairdressers here http://lds.localdataimages.com/large/1215/12153098.jpg , but it’s on the site previously occupied by Harry Quinn’s factory/shop.
17 August 2011
BrumBiscuit
Almost lilac: http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=59224
14 January 2012
John Burscough
Over to you, Bobby.
14 January 2012
Brumbiscuit
Research has just revealed to me that Dick Quax’s running shoes were Adidas…
19 January 2012
John Burscough
…as you can see here (coming in second to Lasse Virén).
19 January 2012
I’m a mate of pat o
As a Postie who picks up his lazzy bands, as well as those dropped by other posties, I was amused to deliver a letter today to the rev. James Jones. Made me smile. Especially as I was listening to John Peel mocking Dave Stewart. Thank you Mr. Blackwell.
1 February 2012
Gregg Z
I woke up and couldn’t dislodge this tune from beneath the Friday morning fog, so I hazily decided to do some research. Astonishing. Is this progress?
3 February 2012
Brumbiscuit
Sorry, there just isn’t the demand…
9 May 2012
Tangerine Wizard.
Dick Quax was the second most famous New Zealand middle distance runner after John Walker.Which is better than being in Journey!
10 June 2012
Third Rate Les
Fourth really, after John Walker, Peter Snell and Jack Lovelock.
Snell’s winning the 800 and 1500 in Tokyo is a feat that has never been matched and he’s one of the all-time greats. Jack Lovelock also won an Olympic gold in one of the middle-distance events, can’t remember which.
Quax was a fine runner but has just one silver to his name (in the 5,000m in Montreal)- there’s a brilliant you tube thing here – and that’s not technically “middle distance”, even if personally I count anything up to 10 miles as a sprint. It was a brilliant race though, won by Lassie Viren and with a very close finish, and Rod Dixon, also of New Zealand, came 4th and under-achieving TV commentator and shameless race promoter Brendan Foster was 5th. Remember that one quite well.
10 June 2012
Rubber Faced Irritant
Listening to Gentle on my Mind by Glen Campbell. Can’t help substituting Sturmey-Archer Campagnolo on my mind. It scans beautifully.
23 July 2012
ACIDIC REGULATOR
Another selection of tasteless gifts. No bedspreads, unfortunately. I liked the reference to teabagging (if you don’t know, look it up).
@John, why shouldn’t we be pedantic about North American clothing manufacturers here? We’re pedantic about everything else.
2 August 2012
Gregg Z
Christ! I just wrote a long, rambling post taking in “teabagging”, “This Sceptred Isle”, Michael Phelps (something about “the jawbone of an ass”), my week in California, and reflections on my one and only trip to see HMHB in Oxford two months ago. But then, I forgot to enter my name and email address, and all was lost.
Anyway, it were a corker, but y’all missed it. Just checking in, since I haven’t posted in a while. Still getting my head round getting namechecked from the stage by Nigel. That little 16-hour visit to the UK was, aside from being criminally truncated, the most frivolous and indispensible thing I’ve done in my life.
4 August 2012
Chris The Siteowner
I’d love to have read that, Gregg!
Note to all: never complete long entries directly into web forms. Always write them in a text editor/word processor then copy and paste when finished. Lesson learned the hard way here long ago.
4 August 2012
Exxo
Yes, me too. think I’ve learned me lesson by now after it happened to me several times, totalling hours worth of stuff, especially gig reviews which I’ve usually re-done – but not always. Can sometimes be recovered with ‘back’ on the browser, sometimes not.
So Gregg, would be great to hear the full story of how you came to the brink of not turning up & clocking on, and so almost being laid off.
Was great to meet you in Oxford but we miss you on here!
4 August 2012
Up The Gas 70
Here is a vid of A Lilac Harry Quinn ive recently put up on youtube ….enjoy
2 October 2012
Up The Gas 70
Here is a vid of A Lilac Harry Quinn ive recently put up on youtube ….enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Gx0MEEIYo
2 October 2012
BrumBiscuit
Bugger me, I’vevfound one at last: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9157103@N05/6606816387/
6 October 2012
BrumBiscuit
Plenty of Campagnalo, not a hint of Sturmey Archer…
6 October 2012
vendor of quack nostrums
I could be really, really pedantic Brum and point out that the repaint is in grape, but I wouldn’t do that to you.
6 October 2012
BrumBiscuit
One bunch’s grape is another’s lilac, Vendor. Besides, I’d like to know where he got his grapes from. Been sniffing the thinners, I think.
6 October 2012