Learning about antique bikes

Guests at the Oct. 4 Westbrook Historical Society meeting heard Zip Zamarchi of Eliot give an interesting talk on the collection of antique bicycles he and his wife, Carol, own. On a table at the front of the hall was a display of many of their old books and pamphlets on the subject. It included early regional roadmaps, before the automobile or AAA guidebooks, on places to ride, some with advertisements on hotels and inns to stay along the routes, and an 1894 scrapbook of people riding from Maine to Mount Washington,and back.

On display in the front yard of the Dunn Street Legion Post, where the historical society has its second-floor headquarters, were several bikes from the Zamarchi collection.

Included were two high-wheeled bikes, with the huge wheel in front and a tiny one in the back; two bikes, with hickory frame and wheels; some bikes with solid rubber tires; and an early English three-speed, whose seat was made with cotton twine. An observer remarked that the frame looked like criss-cross bundles of fishing rods. The small seat looked something like a hammock. Some of the bikes had pneumatic tires.

Zamarchi made some of the leather seats, for the old bikes. He was a plumbing supervisor, and was given pieces of leather from which he restored the saddles. He was working at Prime Tanning, at his day job then.

Another interesting bike was a Bone Shaker, with a wood frame, with wooden carriage and spokes. Among his bikes were Columbia brands, made in Massachusetts, and Iver Johnsons, made in Fitchburg, Mass. There were once hundreds of bike makers in the United States.

The Zamarchis became interested in bicycles when they received a high-wheel bicycle from the estate of Carol’s family, who ran a bike shop in Berwick. They bought antique bikes for Carol and their children, and the family joined a club called the Wheelmen. They have been on several bike tours with that club in Europe. One was in the Netherlands, and another from the Netherlands to Switzerland and back, traveling the towpaths along the river.

Zamarchi mounted and rode one of the bikes in the yard after the lecture. I noticed that his wife was riding one too, as she was helping take some of the equipment back to their van, in the yard.

Maintaining your brain

Darlene Field of the Maine Alzheimer’s Association spoke Sept. 28 at Unity Gardens, Windham. Her subject was “Maintain Your Brain.” She had the group fold their hands, and then do it again, with the hands changed, the top one under the lower. She then asked us to fold our arms and change to the other arm.

She emphasized that we are never too old to exercise, even those of us with some physical limitations. Regular exercise is associated with a delay in the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

“Even those elderly people who do modest amounts of gentle exercise, such as walking for 15 minutes three times a week, appear to benefit,” she said.

She gave us a folder with many pages of suggestions to keep the brain alive. Suggestions by Larry Katz are:

“Without looking, dig in your purse and feel for your keys, then, keeping your eyes closed, fit the key in the lock to open the door.”

“Brush your teeth with the opposite hand you usually use, or try styling your hair, shaving or applying makeup with your opposite hand.”

“Take a different route to work – open the car windows, or walk.”

The next meeting at Unity Gardens will be Oct. 19. If you’re interested in the noon lunch before the 1 p.m. meeting, call Anne Murray at 1-800-427-7411 for reservations.

These one-hour meetings are informative and fun. The Oct. 12 meeting is titled “Learning to Live Each Moment Fully,” and will be led by Anne Murray of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.

Memorable recipe

We used this recipe in a 1980 column, made by a friend who was staying with our children when we spent a weekend in Boston. The children didn’t miss us, but were sorry to have our friend leave, as she had made doughnuts, pies, biscuits and other goodies for them.

GINGERBREAD

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon each of ginger, cinnamon and salt

1/2 cup boiling water (add this last)

Mix in order given. Grease a small loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

This makes a small cake. You may want to double this recipe.

Collector Zip Zamarchi points out the features of an antique, high-wheeled bicycle during his talk and demonstration last week at the Westbrook Historical Society.