Comments on: The Metropolitan Machinists’ Co https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Thu, 19 Feb 2015 13:27:42 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: paulDay https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-854094 Thu, 19 Feb 2015 13:27:42 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-854094 I think youll find the lamps are oil, with a wind up wick. even earlier than carbide.
would love any of the stuff in that catalogue

]]> By: Simon Cross https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853768 Wed, 18 Feb 2015 09:55:13 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853768 I would be very happy with a tweed cape for 28p!

]]> By: Gary Arber https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853514 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 17:56:51 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853514 As a child I used to play with one of those old cycle lamps. They were deadly.
You had a tank in which you put some calcium carbide you added some water and closed it quickly. The carbide reacted with the water and produced acetylene gas which burned with a bright light. My lamp finally exploded breaking two windows and burning my hands.
Gary

]]> By: Bob D https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853490 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 17:08:03 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853490 A fortune surely awaits whoever adapts the diamond frame luggage carrier to transporting a ukulele.

]]> By: Pauline Taylor https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853423 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 15:11:07 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853423 I have just remembered, the lamps were called carbide cycle lamps I believe.

Pauline.

]]> By: Achim https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853383 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 13:30:46 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853383 Fantastic! If only one could receive some of these old accessories! — The advertising is from 1896, the year my Grandfather was born …

Love & Peace
ACHIM

]]> By: annie s https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853364 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:21:15 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853364 I love the address of the company – George and Catherine Wheel Alley!
I don’t think it exists any more?

]]> By: Pauline Taylor https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853352 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:47:42 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853352 I can remember many of these things being in my father’s workshop, happy memories as we all had bicycles then, and my first ones even had those strange lamps, but cycling was quite hard work as we had no gears which meant that we dreaded steep hills. The advice to cyclists brings back memories as well as my father taught me never to cycle in the gutter, one of those wise things which is completely forgotten by most cyclists now. Overtaking vehicles on the inside by cycling between them and the kerb seems to be the norm, and is extremely dangerous.

]]> By: R https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853348 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:21:26 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853348 Oh my; the Tweed Runners would most likely kill for a selection from that catalogue!

]]> By: Richard https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/17/the-metropolitan-machinists-co/#comment-853333 Tue, 17 Feb 2015 10:31:48 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=130341#comment-853333 Glory days of cycling. Such fantastic invention. Love the rifle clips and the bugle.

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