A Tribute To Jeff Warren
I am very sad to write this tribute to Jeff. Warren whose funeral took place on the 29th December 2006 at Bretby Crematorium. The popularity of Jeff was born out by the large number of people who came along to pay their respects. Jeff was another well known cyclist & a member of the Mercia HBM Cycling Club & had been racing up till the end of 2005 despite suffering a collapsed lung, after two previous unsuccessful attempts to get the lung functioning again. The surgeon at Glenfield hospital carried out a successful operation this time, but complications set in causing his untimely death at the age of 73.
Road racing was Jeff’s first love at which he excelled at to become one of the country’s leading road racers in the British League of Racing Cyclists. He was invited & competed in the famous London to Holyhead road race, the longest single day race over 250 miles for all the country’s top riders. Jeff finished the second best placed amateur cyclist. He was also picked to ride the Tour of Britain Milk Race, but unfortunately he could get leave from national service in Hampshire, Jeff would think nothing of cycling from his camp back to South Derbyshire while on leave for the weekend & back again.
One of Jeff’s first clubs was the Burton Students Union Cycling Club with Derek Plews Secretary of the college & Gordon Upton who went on to be managing director of Scomark Engineering & sponsor of the Mercia Cycling Club. He then moved onto Swadlincote Wheelers & the Rykneld Road Club. Marriage then came along to Sylvia & three children David Richard & Carol, curtailing his cycling for a few years but they always found time to go over to the Isle of Man for cycling week in June. The two boys developed an interest in sailing, going on to yacht racing in which they were very successful with their father supporting them enthusiastically, so much so he used all his carpentry & joinery skills to build boats as well as being general dogs body. The children grew up & their interests went to the opposite sex, marriages came along & offspring. Although now in his thirties David turned to cycling & joined the Hinckley Cycle Racing Club where he lived.
So Jeff went back to his first love cycling & joined the Mercia Cycling Club doing both road racing & time-trialing in the League of Veterans Racing Club events he finished top in his age group & quite often in the top six overall. Jeff was the winner of the Mercia’s road race trophy in recent successive years. He also joined the Birmingham & Midland Veterans Time-trial Association again winning & finishing in the top three on age standard in distances up to 50 miles. At 30 miles he was best on standard in the Birmingham & Midland VTTA event winning the Joe Birk’s cup for first on age standard. Jeff also rode a number of two up events with his son David winning best father & son prizes.
Jeff was always a delight to be with, very enthusiastic with lots of amusing tales to tell & encouraging younger riders. He was an excellent club man attending most club nights & always on hand to help marshal the club’s evening time-trials, especially at the Acorn Inn cross roads at Rough Hayes, warning riders of oncoming traffic.
Sincere condolences to Sylvia, David, Richard, Carol, family & friends on the loss of a much loved man who will be greatly missed by us all, especially in the Mercia HBM Cycling Club.
Posted by Pete Rose on Wednesday, January 03, 2007
