Corner of Woodbury and Church Hill, Walthamstow, E17.
John Kemp Starley (24 December 1855 – 29 October 1901 was an English inventor and industrialist who is widely considered the inventor of the modern safety bicycle, and also originator of the tradename Rover.
Born on 24 December 1855 Starley lived on Church Hill, Walthamstow, London E17, England. He was the son of a gardener, John Starley, and Mary Ann (née Coppen). The house they were believed to live in no longer exists and this area was a large garden of a fancy estate, also no longer in existence.
In 1872 he moved to Coventry to work with his uncle James Starley, an inventor. He worked with his uncle and William Hillman for several years building Ariel cycles.
In 1877, he started a new business Starley & Sutton Co with William Sutton, a local cycling enthusiast. They set about developing bicycles that were safer and easier to use than the prevailing penny farthing or “ordinary” bicycles. They started by manufacturing tricycles, and by 1883 their products were being branded as “Rover”
In 1885, Starley made history when he produced the Rover Safety Bicycle. The Rover was a rear-wheel-drive, chain-driven cycle with two similar-sized wheels, making it more stable than the previous high wheeler designs. Cycling magazine said the Rover had “set the pattern to the world” and the phrase was used in their advertising for many years.
The mosaic celebrates Starley and his bicycle, and also the local area – There are tiles by Alice Mara maraceramics , also born and bred in Walthamstow, including the Old Cinema and the now-no-longer-in-existence fountains at Walthamstow Town Hall. The #maud stamp from the old club night at Mirth Marvel and Maud that also no longer exists, kindly given to me by John the awesome doorman on the last night it was open. Rich in history and community involvement, the tiles were made by pupils at Walthamstow School for Girls and other members of the community and assembled in our studio at Trinity Buoy Wharf.
MASSIVE thanks as always to all who worked on it, made tiles, gave permission to Tom and Catherine for the use of their wall, to L &Q Homes and all that helped fund it , to those that helped make it especially Catherine Clark who drew the design to my specs, and to Smiles Glass and @steven.aldred.3 for the mirror, @grinbergslaimons for all the teenie tiny tiles and @reb_arts @tigerseyemosaic @esme_orssich @debhunt76 and everyone else who made a tile or laid a tile.