A Brother, separated by some land distance and by 13 years in age but rarely out of my thoughts.
Those thoughts of much happier times when I was a child spent watching Gordon tinkering on his AJS, Norton, Matchless or beloved Triumphs in our back yard in Ellesmere Road Sheffield.
I then remember both of us tinkering in various garages with other bikes and cars.....his life was bikes and cars. There was little he didn't know about the various marques and models.
When I was about 10 years of age I craved for a Hornby train set which my father wouldn't buy for me......Gordon did no more than plonk me on the pillion of his motorbike and took me to Gordon Joel's model shop on Church Street in Sheffield where he bought me that Hornby set.
Then, later I remember him bringing me my first "sit up and beg" Philips "grown up" push bike, ten bob I think it cost, all the way from Rawmarsh near Rotherham, where he was working at that time, to Ellesmere Road. He did that by holding on to the centre stem of the handle bar with one hand and riding alongside on his bike, (not easy covering that distance, particularly when riding uphill.).
I also bought my motorbike from him, and afterwards he was always on hand with help and advice.
He was indeed a very good elder brother.
Gordon loved certain pieces of good classical music, he was indeed a frustrated musician himself, who tried his hand at several instruments including the guitar, cornet flute and violin with varying degrees of success but excelled with the harmonica which he taught himself to play and play it well.
Well, rest in peace my good bruvver on your journey into the hereafter.
I am already missing our telephone chats and your dry sardonic wit.
Never one to suffer fools gladly he always had an opinion and told you straight, just as it was, in typical Yorkshire fashion..
My love, respect and appreciation as always.
Graham
Graham
16th February 2022
