I'm not sure if someone has already posted something this week on this subject but, if so, apologies for repeating the story.
It was a very sad sight today on Stratford Road in Birmingham to see Vale Onslows being partly demolished after a devastating fire tore through the building on Sunday. For those who may never have heard of Vale Onslows, it was one of the premier motorcycle dealers in Birmingham post-war and continued to trade until relatively recently, mainly in classic British bike spares (BSA, Triumph, etc). I always took great pleasure in visiting there, partly because it was like stepping back in time as the spares department had changed very little since my youth, and partly because you never quite knew what rare part you might find hidden away on one of their shelves.
Last year the original shop closed (the building was in the process of falling down) but, hopefully, all the old stock was transferred to the new premises a few miles away. They never quite embraced the internet but for those of us who can remember buying classic British bike spares over the counter, Vale Onslows was one of the few remaining places where you could still do this. Hopefully, they will continue to provide this service from their new premises.