A nice pair

 With the rarity of Bickers its nice to get a pair together at last. They were made around the same time, late season '65 or early summer '66 . Bickers went back to cabinet making over winter so were only really producing boards in the run up to and during summer 1965 - '67. Thats how only a couple of hundred were made , and a fraction of that still exist in decent condition.
The one on the right is 9'8 x 22 x 3, a big board with volume out to the rails and a rare noseriding concave , which was inspired by David Nuuhiwa's Bings. On the left is a smaller board with thinner rails, 9'1 x 22 x 3 , a more radical performance model (in those days anyway). Most boards were shaped by Fred Bickers , with help and advice coming in from Dave Friar, Brian Schofield and Mick Jackman , and with John Conway as apprentice .

 The 9'8 has just come back from a restoration and fin rebuild . The original d-fin was badly cut down so a new one has been made using the 9'1 's d fin as a template. A difficult decision to do this but the board was crying out for its original fin shape.

John Conway with similar models 1965

 Noseriding concave . Not many of these were incorporated into British longboards in the 60s.

Another Bickers rarity, a twin fin paipo found at the tip ! and donated to the surfing museum

 D fins in all their glory . The plain board with the red fin is earlier than the Bickers ; possibly 1964 ? Im sure it was made in the UK but havent found out who made it yet ;it had spent many years in a barn near Penzance and used to be surfed at St Ives .

The board with the red fin has some similarities to this Bill Bailey board restored by Paul for the Museum. Could mine also be a Bill Bailey or just a red herring ? Its certainly a nice shape and looks to have been made by someone who'd made boards before.