Dave Sinclair

My memories of Dave Sinclair - By Dave Osborn

.....I first met Dave in the school holidays of 1963 when with a classmate (Hugh Paskins ) I summoned up the courage to answer an add in 'The Comic' for new members of the Sorian Road Club , off we set to their Scout hut in Streatham and , on entering the door we were met by Dave who gave us his usual hearty welcome and from that moment we became firm friends .

Dave Sinclair riding for the Sorian RC in the 1960's

We spent the next years of our teens and early twenties racing and taking cycling holidays mostly Y.H.A.-ing and taking in the cycling festivals on the I.O.WIGHT and the I.O.MAN ,We also spent the 'off' season attending various club dinners and cycling 'do's' , we were also regulars at the Streatham ice rink ,the Streatham Bowling alley where we were part of the league and the Loccarno several times going to see some of the famous groups of the day .

....We also joined a ball-room dancing school !( only because one of our club-mates sister also used to go ......honest )in Norbury ,. In the mid seventies the Sorian folded and became amalgamated with the Portabello RC to become the Wandsworth and District. During the eighties Dave and I parted clubs ,he joining among others the Addiscombe , the Bec ,the Redmon ,the Surrey Roads ,the Festival and the Unity and I'm sure several others who benefited from his enthusiasm ; always ready to organise or lend a hand when needed ,

Over the next several decades Dave always seemed to end up joining 'my' club and was always an asset . When we attended Dave's funeral it was heartening to see so many of his of his friends there to say good-bye ,I made it around 70 people , many who attended a small gathering after in a local hostelry ,the sad thing being , it was the sort of thing that Dave would have enjoyed ( although ,perhaps ,maybe in a way ,he did ).

This gave me a chance to meet old friends and an opportunity to meet Dave's family for the first time and learn of his early life . As well as Dave's enthusiasm for everthing cycling , helping to run the 'Roller League' , The London Youth Games and train promising young riders , he also had a hand in training a couple of Football youth teams and , also ran his own Athletics team .As I've said Dave was always first in line to lend a hand and more than several times stepped in at the last moment to cover for some-one , whether it be marshalling or organising , whatever was needed . Dave will be greatly missed by cycling in general ,and I've lost a bloody good mate ,thanks for everything Dave .

Dave Osborn