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ROGER BACON
24th December 1939 - 1st December 2019

MORE than 150 relatives, friends and cycling on Sunday, 8th December in Burley, where diners
colleagues said a sad farewell to New Forest held a one minute silence in his memory. Until he
Cycling Club’s president, Roger Bacon, at the suffered balance issues almost two years ago, he
Test Valley Crematorium near Romsey. Roger had been a regular at Scrumpy Wheelers'
died at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital after a Wednesday lunch meets in both Bournemouth
brief but courageous fight against cancer on and Southampton areas.
Sunday, 1st December, just short of his 80th Roger’s father had been a farmer at Lymington
birthday on Christmas Eve; he had been ill since and then Milford-on-Sea. As a teenager Roger
late July.
trained at Sparsholt Agricultural College near
Most recently noted as the enthusiastic organiser Winchester but eventually eschewed taking up
of New Forest CC's Boxing Day 10, Roger had, in farming because it would not leave him enough
the past, been a top level cyclo-cross rider, at one time for cycling. He went into boat building
time wearing the colours of Pipers of Poole as an instead, which allowed him time to participate in
Independent, an enthusiastic time triallist, a keen his sport.
Audax rider and a well-travelled tourist. His bikes He was also a keen ornithologist and was a
took him to places as far afield as Iceland and member of Hampshire Ornithological Society. He
New Zealand and he had regularly led rides, or had been due to fly to Canada with his daughter
more latterly drives, to the Ghent Six Day.
Jenny and family for a bird watching trip when he
Roger was a founder member of the Wessex was taken ill.
Cyclo-Cross League and also staged numerous He leaves his wife Rosemary, daughters Karen
cyclo-cross races including the New Forest CC and Jenny and grandson, Cameron.
two-day in the 1970s, led Sunday club runs, youth
hostel tours and was New Forest CC’s innovative My personal best memories of Roger include trips
and inventive time trial secretary. He was a to the Skol Six-Day in London in the early 1970s
regular with the stopwatch at club time trials and where we witnessed the skills and thrills of the
other events throughout the South and had been likes of Patrick Sercu and Tony Gowland and,
a recipient of the Ray Price Award for services to more recently, tours in France and Ireland. Sadly
cycling in the area. Despite his illness, he missed.
organised the most recent club Christmas Lunch Bob Jolliffe (New Forest CC clubmate)

About 60
years
apart

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