Hello Steve.
Thank you for your request and sorry for the delay. Sorry to advise you that this is definitely not an Eddie Soens and there is a conflict with the two names/transfers but I note that you say that someone has fitted their own vinyl lettering on the down tube.
Both the head tube and seat tube indicate that this was built by Jim Soens of Lower Breck Rd, Liverpool 6. These are original transfers without doubt and it is not unreasonable to assume that it is an authentic "Soens" -( i.e. Jim Soens, not Eddie Soens) with certain reservations. Also I never, ever, put pump pegs under the top tube - just about the worst place you can put them.
The lugs are Nervex but not filed down that much which would have been a little unusual for Jim Soens - he did taper them in a bit more than that. Tacking the seat stays on to the seat lug without curving the top eyes is not Jim Soens style either - so it is not impossible that we have a bought-in frame in the rough and then having it badged, but this doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with it in any way. There is no proof of anything now of course. The only 100% guarantee is that it is not an Eddie Soens. I certainly didn't build this frame. Cheers. Bill Soens
Hi Billy,
I have only just spotted the above and thought you might be interested in somehistory.... perhaps your goodself Billy, whom I also knew, see below, might be amused.
I grew up (yrs 2-12) living at church house in the extensive grounds of Walton Hospital, Rice Lane, Liverpool, in the 1950's. Dad was the Hospital Secretary there at that time. Only a short distance from my home (100yds) were the carpenters/polishers/upholsterers workshops for the hospital.as well as patient's property stores etc. Eddie was the expert french polisher who worked there....a wonderful , but hard, guy whom I visited and pestered frequently, particularly during school holidays. Eddie was always a joy and interesting to be around and though not very tall he was mightily strong, I now understand that he was an ex boxer, and ex military, though I didn't know at the time. How to go from Sgt Major to racing bikes and french polishing I'll never know?
I learnt a lot about racing bikes from Eddie ( I remember the French polishing shop was also full of the old type sew together racing tyres which he would fix during his work breaks). I learnt that he and his family lived in Boaler St. Liverpool and that his son Billy built racing bikes....frames etc etc. So, cutting to the chase, I managed to persuade my Dad to take me to the shop and, after a 2-3wk wait, acquired a brand new small Soens racing bike specially built (gas welded frame and all) by Billy for me. It was my pride and joy. For many years it carred me the 8miles there and 8miles back to and from school in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool.
Sadly my father died in 1959 (only 49yrs) and my mother (an assistant matron) and elder brother and I left Walton shortly after. Though I did see Eddie (& Billy) a couple of times after that, I went off to uni in the mid 60's, and lost track of them. Though I seem to recall that Eddie moved home to the Old Swan area of Liverpool around then.
Some years later, probably the very late 60's, my super Soens bike passed to another of the Soens brothers at their shop just outside Newsham General Hospital where my mother then worked.
Eddie was a wonderful and a quite remarkable guy!!!!!!
Philip Watkins (now only 67yrs), Saffron Walden, Essex.