Frettons, Clemons Street, Leamington Spa. CV312DW

Now, how many pushbikes I purchased from the showroom at Frettons I can’t quite remember, but in June 1968 I made my first motorized purchase of a new “F” registration Honda C50 from Mr Cox the owner of Frettons of Leamington.
I can always remember the feeling that first time I rode it at speed, of how fast 40mph felt at that time.

In the early days, I had most of the bikes serviced at the workshops over the road from the main shop and down the alley by Bob? who I think had polio as a child and would work on the bikes from his wheelchair. (Lovely chap)

This was the first of many motorbikes that I purchased from here, a Honda CB750KZ a Suzuki XN85 Turbo, a Honda 250 G5, a Suzuki GSX1100 FJ and then a GSX1100FK most being purchased from his daughter Linda Cox.

When the GSX750R came out they had a “promotion day” and I met Mick Grant and had quite a long chat with him about bike racing, and I still have the Skoal Bandit Suzuki GP500 VHS tape of the 1986 series that he gave me, I must get that transferred to DVD someday.

In 1988 I part exchanged the Suzuki XN85 (wish I’d kept this one) and a Suzuki GS850 Shaft drive for the GSX1100FJ, unfortunately, some 6 months later it seems that the XN85 had lost a piston circlip which scored the bore, shown to me by Malcolm who ran the workshop at the back of Frettons then. I genuinely wasn’t aware of any problem with the engine when I sold it. Anyway, Linda must have thought I must have known about it, so then she wouldn’t take the GSX1100FJ bike in part exchange from me, against a new 1989 GSX1100FK so I had to go elsewhere.

Frettons of Coventry started in 1941 in temporary buildings, originally named after Fretton Street in Coventry, which ran from Corporation Street north towards the remains of the City Wall now called Upper Wells Street, repairing war worker’s bicycles. In 1950, Reginald Donald Reid purchased the company, leaving his wife to run the business for approximately three years while he stayed in his current job as an aircraft engineer in Ireland and the Sudan.
Three years later the premises came under a compulsory purchase order as the area was to be redeveloped, moving to newly built premises in Smithford Way, opening on 1st August 1956. and becoming a limited company opening more bicycle shops with two branches, leasing one in 1954, Frettons Cycle Co at 15 Clemens Street from Cecil Cox, Leamington Spa and the other in Smith Street in Warwick.
Three years later, Smithfield Way was redeveloped and became pedestrianised and part of the Lower Precinct.
In 1959, Frettons opened their second shop, Frettons Scooter Centre, on the corner of Stony Stanton Road and Eagle Street, now a Supermarket (Choice 4U in 2019), concentrating on Motorcycles and Scooters.
Needing more space for the NSU and Honda Agency, in 1963, Frettons acquired land in Bishops Street, and erected a new building opened in 1966, with Workshops and a Showroom for Motorcycles and Scooters, with a Spare Parts Department upstairs.

Around June 1961 – 1965, Frettons of Coventry also opened Frettons of Warwick, at 47-49 Smith Street, selling Motorcycles and Scooters, Pushbikes and Tricycles; the manager in 1963 was Mr Lawrence Brookes.
An advert in the Courier on 16 June 1961 also advertises the Stoney Stanton Road and Smithford Way branches.

On 16th March 1955, Ivor Roy Cox, previously an International Racing Cyclist, became joint director of Frettons of Leamington with Reginald Donald Reid, the owner of Frettons of Coventry, taking over the previous business from Cecil Cox, selling bicycles, Mopeds and Scooters.
Barbara Cox became a director later.
In 1957, he acquired 28-32 Clements Street across the road from the main shop and opened a Showroom and Workshop.
When Ivor Cox retired, it was taken over by his daughter, Linda Cox and Michael Mahone.
On the 28th of February 1998, they opened a new shop at 9 Regent Grove, specialising in Motor Cycle Clothing and Accessories.

Frettons of Coventry new Premisses – Coventry Standard January 6 1966

Cecil Cox – Courier Friday July 3rd 1953

Frettons of Leamington – Courier April 8th 1960

Linda Cox-Mahon & Micheal Mahon – Warwickshire Choices – 31 January 2003

On the 8th of March 2016, the company was officially dissolved.

Although long closed, Frettons was still hitting the headlines in the local papers as on the 11 May 2021 it was raided by the police and had now found a new use a cannabis factory.