FinnDave
Club Member
I am sure the majority of people who have been involved with the region over the last ten years will know my good friend and riding buddy Tomo. What you might not know about him is that he has had serious health issues over the last few years. Today I received the news that he passed away last night. I had visited him several times in hospital during the summer, and later at his home when he was discharged and was pleased to see him well on the way back to being his old self. Sadly, that didn't happen.
Many of the region's rideouts up to the end of 2015 (after which I had to stop riding for a few years) were conceived by the two of us. More than one of those rideouts started at the Priory Cafe in Burford, so in a way it was fitting that I got the news of his passing when I arrived there today, having not been there for 8 years.
I will try to establish what the family are doing about his funeral and will let you know if a presence is acceptable, or a floral tribute, or a donation to a charity.
Some of you may not know that as well as a figure in our Harley Davidson world, he was also a well known and greatly respected man in the world of steam engines. I had the honour of assisting him (that basically means getting in the way) several times when he took his 16 ton steam roller to steam shows. He was also greatly respected for his sign writing and painting of these engines, which took him as far as New Zealand.
The last time I saw him, he was eager to get back out there, his car was outside the house and packed with sign writing equipment.
His mother (nearly 90) told me recently that we were like two brothers working on our bikes together. I truly feel that I have a lost a brother today.
Many of the region's rideouts up to the end of 2015 (after which I had to stop riding for a few years) were conceived by the two of us. More than one of those rideouts started at the Priory Cafe in Burford, so in a way it was fitting that I got the news of his passing when I arrived there today, having not been there for 8 years.
I will try to establish what the family are doing about his funeral and will let you know if a presence is acceptable, or a floral tribute, or a donation to a charity.
Some of you may not know that as well as a figure in our Harley Davidson world, he was also a well known and greatly respected man in the world of steam engines. I had the honour of assisting him (that basically means getting in the way) several times when he took his 16 ton steam roller to steam shows. He was also greatly respected for his sign writing and painting of these engines, which took him as far as New Zealand.
The last time I saw him, he was eager to get back out there, his car was outside the house and packed with sign writing equipment.
His mother (nearly 90) told me recently that we were like two brothers working on our bikes together. I truly feel that I have a lost a brother today.
