Thursday 30 July 2020

Patchquick

If you search online for Tiverton, you will invariably stumble across the name "Patchquick". This was a company based at Blundell's Road in Tiverton from the early 1900s until liquidation in 1963. Collectable items regularly appear in auctions.

The firm manufactured puncture repair kits, primarily for bicycles and motorcycles. The company was originally a partnership in the name of Woodgates Brothers, but later incorporated into Patchquick's Patent Limited. The Woodgates Brothers are listed in the 1895 Tiverton & District Directory as manufacturers of metal and furniture polish, and in the 1914 Kelly's Directory as India Rubber Merchants.

As you can see from the below letterhead, they had the amazingly early telephone number of 3! I wonder who had 1 and 2?

Patchquicks Letterhead - 1920s
Patchquicks Letterhead - 1920s

An extract from the 1908 Stanley Show guide explains their unique selling point:

Patchquick Patent Patches.
Woodgates Bros., Tiverton. Stand No. 150.
There are several novelties on this stand in the way of patches for cycle and motor tyres. As regards the ordinary patches, it is claimed they are the only make which are vulcanized on the outer side and left unvulcanized inside, so that when a special solution, which is also sold by the firm, is applied, it practically dissolves the unvulcanized side, which adheres more firmly than the ordinary solutioned patch vulcanized on both sides equally.
An exhibition display case of Patchquick products
Exhibition display case of Patchquick products

The company advertised heavily, attended a lot of exhibitions and shows, and had a good distribution network. The name lives on today in motocross as the Patchquick Trophy. TMX has some history on the trophy:

The Patchquick Tyre Company of Tiverton donated the trophy to the club in the early 1930s, when it cost 100 guineas, and is now worth many thousands of pounds and is the biggest trophy in British Motocross. It was first won in 1934 by Exeter rider Tommy Whitton when it was raced for in the Dartmoor Scramble. In 1955, the great Jeff Smith won it and this event continued until 1957. It then ran as a centre event until 1966 when the club decided to run the first three-leg Patchquick Motocross on a Wednesday evening. On that occasion the winner was Dave Bickers. In 1973, the event was upgraded to national status and was won by Badger Goss. It ran at the beginning of March each year until the year 2000, with such riders as world champions Neil Hudson, Graham Noyce and Dave Thorpe taking the trophy.

You can see a photo of the trophy on the Auto Cycle Union website.

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