Sad, sad news - Vernon has gone to the great Pie shop in the sky!

[Bollo]

Cyclechat royalty. RIP Vernon.

 

[gavroche]

I feel gutted from this very sad news. I have never met Vernon but felt I knew him well thanks to this forum. He was very well spoken, intelligent and worth listening to. It is a great shame he never had time to enjoy his retirement.
I offer my deepest sympathies to his wife and family. He will be missed.

 

[postman]

One final tribute to Vernon.I hope this chap does not mind me using his poem.


Ode To The Pie - Poem by Bob Gibson
Have yer ever had a pork pie, made in the northeast
Ah! tell yer now bonny lad! yer missing a feast!
A Morrels pie from Hartlepool, fer that you'd have ter queue
Its made from flaky pastry, an half a pound of stew

Get yerself ter Stockton, to Newbolds bakery
Little pies and pickle onions with mustard thrown in fer free
Now Metcalfs! do a bacon pie, they also put in leeks
I like a bit of bacon that's come from a pigs bums cheeks

I went way up ter Scotland, i thought i' d do a test
But they stuff their pies with haggis an the pastry's not the best
Ave tried London's, ' Kate an Sidney ' an 'egg an ham' in Wales
The gravy was all runny, and the Welsh'es eggs were quales!

I like a thick pie casing with a hue of golden brown
With gelatin inside it, an pork pushing up its crown
Some mushy peas with golden chips an bottle of H.P sauce
A meal fit for a king i say, from the Northeast of course!

Bob Gibson

 

[irw]

+1 to what everyone else has said. Never met Vernon, but he always came across as a great guy- even if he was 'harder than Ronnie Pickering'...!

 

[Stephenite]

I am shocked and saddened. He was a great credit to this forum, and life generally. I never met him but can tell from his posts he has made the world a richer, warmer and funnier place to be. Condolences to his family and loved ones, of which there are a great many, I'm sure.

 

[DRM]

Such sad news, he definately seemed a larger than life character, condolonces to Vernons family, it seems so cruel to have only been retired a few days.

 

[Origamist]

I never met Vernon and that's my loss, but I had encountered him online for over a decade (uk.rec.cycling to begin with) and he made every forum he frequented a more interesting and vibrant place.

RIP Vernon

 

[HarryTheDog]

RIP Vernon, can't believe it, so cruel he never even got to retire.

 

[Levo-Lon]

What a lovely tribute these pages are..

 

[Fab Foodie]

Fcuk, just as well this is not tomorrow otherwise I'd have thought this some kind of April Fool joke.
I met Vernon once, on a London Christmas ride, to say he was a big guy in cycling terms was an understatement! You'd never forget seeing Vernon on a bike. We chatted, he shared a fab pie he'd brought down for the day to spread the love. He was gentle and warm just like he is on CC.
I feel so, so sad. A great wit, thinker, man of imagination and great warmth. I always hoped to ride with him again.
The forum is a lesser place for his going. I shall miss him.
God Bless you Vernon.
FF

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Just an afterthought about all the comments mentioning the shame about Vernon being unable to enjoy his retirement. The flip side of that is that he made his great presence felt during his life - which was also his working life - and that's when those who've ridden with him and those who've read his posts came to know him. I believe he enjoyed his life while he was there to enjoy it. He lived it big and seems to have made many of us - certainly me - feeling like lesser survivors.

 

[Rezillo]

Like so many others here, I'm almost lost for words to read this news. His posts were always a mix of the measured, amusing and thoughtful and the forum has lost a great asset. RIP.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'm grateful to his colleague Sharon for registering to let us know (Vernon had shown her some of his CycleChat posts).

It's such a shame he won't get to fulfill his retirement plans.

Will she let us know 'the arrangements'?

 

[Fnaar]

Is there any chance we could mark Vernon's passing with a CycleChat ride/event @Shaun ?
If anyone merits it, it's him.
I'd be more than happy to ride there.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'm shedding a tear. He was such a nice, friendly, warm and generous person. I met him 3 times and it was as though we were life long friends. RIP Vernon - you were one of life's good guys.

My heartfelt condolences to Lesley and his family.

He leaves a hole that can never be filled.

Several tears here .... and what will become of his Butler?