In December 2005 Michael Quinn, one of Sir William and Lady Lyons’ grandchildren travelled back to his grandparents’ original home city of Blackpool for the unveiling of a heritage plaque erected on the former home of Lyons’ only business partner William Walmsley.

 

The house (now a small hotel) is at 23 King Edward Avenue, opposite the Lyons’ family home, and it is where the pair first combined to make and sell their Swallow Sidecars.

 

Officially, that was in September 1922.

 

The business exploded, and the pair quickly moved into a succession of larger buildings in the same city – and from that eventually Jaguar Cars evolved in Coventry.

 

Eddie and Yvonne Battelle, owners of the Berwick Hotel, have commemorated the site with a plaque which was revealed by the Mayor of Blackpool and Michael in a small ceremony. It reads in part: “William Walmsley was building sidecars as a hobby in the garage of No.23 when William Lyons became interested.” Michael added, there are no known plans for a similar monument on the former Lyons’ home.