Wilf Lunn first started writing and making miniature bicycles (out of firewood wire) when he was teaching lip-reading & religious knowledge at ‘Odsal House School For the Deaf’ in Yorkshire.
The parents of James Mason, the film star, lived on the same street as Wilf, in Huddersfield, and Wilf met James when he was visiting them (more about their first meeting here). James Mason advised Wilf only to write about subjects within his experience. Wilf had already written a TV play called ‘Benny Rolly’ which, unusually for the time, was without dialogue.
James Mason introduced Wilf to an agent, Blanche Marvin. She thought that, since Wilf’s play had no dialogue, it would be of interest to the deaf so she arranged an interview with Patrick Dowling the producer of VISION ON and Wilf took along some of his models. He said he couldn’t use Wilf, but suggested he should have an exhibition of his cycles, which Blanche arranged. On the opening night, Joan Bakewell, the TV presenter, visited and asked Wilf if he’d like to be on television. Being slightly the worse for drink Wilf said, “Yes …when?” to which she replied, “Tonight!” and so, Wilf did his first TV show, LATE NIGHT LINE UP.
After that Wilf was invited to appear on MAGPIE, a rival children’s show to BLUE PETER. He was asked if he could do something other than talk about cycles, so he did one show about bottles and one about the history of the domestic smoothing iron. In the meantime, Patrick Dowling approached Wilf about making a ‘doorbell machine’. Wilf had never done anything like that before but said “Yes”. He appeared with the machine on VISION ON, the award-winning programme that Wilf then appeared on for many years.
On his career, Wilf comments: I found that in my life, I set out to do something and put a lot of effort into it but when I show the project to someone they say “That’s very nice but could you do this for us instead”. For example, when I got some publicity for putting a bicycle in a bottle, the only interest that was shown was by a man who telephoned me to ask, “Are you the man that put a bicycle in a bottle?” When I excitedly replied that I was, he said, “You can help me… I reckon that if you can put a bicycle in a bottle you’ll be able to show me how to make a three-piece suit cheaper than anyone else”.
(Photographs of cycles conceived, designed and hand-made by Wilf Lunn)
illustrating 4 different models of Wilf Lunn surreal cycles / bikes
Steampunk Wall Art
Please note: * The high quality of the photographic images on the prints cannot be reproduced on a website.
Please note: * The high quality of the photographic images on the prints cannot be reproduced on a website.
