Flower covered bikes?

[AngelFish]

I have posted a few old photos on the Photograph Restoration and Dating Board, of young people with flowers decorating their bikes. 

Has anyone seen this before, or know what it was for?  I believe they lived in the Gosberton area, so could it have had something to do with the Tulip Parade in Spalding, or did they have local flower festivals, or could it have even been something to do the with Methodist Church?

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=583574.new#new

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,583578.0.html

Thanks
Angelfish

[Geoff-E]

First flower parade in Spalding was apparently in 1958. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding,_Lincolnshire#World_Tulip_Summit

[dcbnwh]

I found a few examples of this on the web but in various parts of the country, including Bolton Lancs., Wetherby Yorks. and Narberth in Wales. The date c1890-c1910 and I noticed that one of your pictures was from St Ives in Huntingdonshire.

It seems to have been the fashion for festivals at that time.

Regards,
David

P.S. I have found references to bicycles being decorated for the Diamond Jubilee in 1897, Relief of Mafeking in 1900 and the Coronation of 1911. Also some abroad, including USA (I think), a Rembrandt party in Holland in 1906 and one in New Zealand.

see - http://edwardianera.tumblr.com/post/16682866494/a-very-elaborately-decorated-bicycle

[AngelFish]

Thank you

[lulis]

Hello AngelFish

I have two or three postcards with flower decorated bicycles.  One is of my grandmother.  My father said she won the first prize with her bicycle.

She was a Methodist and I think these were sometimes done at the Temperance rallies, around 1908.  She was at either Woodhall Spa or Billinghay Lincolnshire.

Loved the postcard of the children, the date is 1914 and it looks like the postmark is Bourne in Lincolnshire.

The postcard of the older couple, on the back in pencil it could be an abbreviation for Sheffield, along with the numbers.

Regards
Lulis