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'Douglas K Hartley was born in 1921 in Manchester of parents who were shopkeepers. He joined the West Manchester Cyclists Touring Club in the late 1930s and then the Dukinfield Cycling Club and took part in time trials. During the war he joined the RAF and later the Police and at that time a Doctor Abraham who examined Doug commented especially on his extraordinary physique. In 1942 he was declared the best all-round racing cyclist in Britain based on timed distance and endurance trials. After the war he worked for Raleigh in Manchester and married Margaret in 1948. In 1949 he took over a cycle shop at 100 Ashley Road, Hale that had been opened in about 1897 by Frank Jackson and later run by Herbert Jackson. Herbert later sold the business to Victor Bailes who sold out to Doug in 1949. Doug and Margaret lived over the shop initially, later at 79 Ashley Road and finally at Mere where the house backed on to the golf club, golf being Doug’s favourite hobby. Roy Goodwin joined him in 1950 and became his manager until the shop was sold in 1996 after Doug’s death. Doug was a friend of Reg Harris who built bikes after he retired from racing and Doug bought many from him in the 50s and 60s as well as building his own. Doug expanded the shop by buying 104 Ashley Road and later 102 and replaced the 40 by 15 foot wooden workshop at the back of number 100 by a brick one. Local builder Kennedy rebuilt numbers 100 to 104 as flats in 2000. Seamons Cycling Club, Altrincham have a Doug Hartley trophy.'