A Cycling family legend
On the 23rd of March I received a message from Stuart Perry confirming his dad and founding member of the Club Gordon had died aged 87, Stuart emphasised, his dad “…had a great life.”The family is coping and Stuart would be pleased to receive peoples condolences via Facebook messenger and the club website.Gordon John Perry was Dad, Son, Brother, Husband, Grandad, father figure and mentor to many and a legend in many people’s eyes.
Stuart Perry and Ian Perry think, their Dad will be looking down now shaking his head and saying to himself, ‘why all the fuss’ haven’t these people got better things to do -“ like riding your bike!”
Early life
Gordon was born to parents John and Emily, in New Moston, he was one of 4, with siblings Elsie, Christina and Richard.
At the start of the 2ndWW, aged 8 he and his brother Richard were evacuated out of Manchester to Blacko, in the Yorkshire Dales, where they stayed for several years.
Gordon had a happy time as he was taken in by the local mill owner, with maids and servants. He had it relatively easy, going off exploring the countryside, not having to work on the land or in the house. His brother Richard wasn’t so lucky!
Gordon left school at the age of 15 and started as an apprentice piano tuner, I think this was when his love of cycling started, as he would regularly ride from North to South Manchester, learning his trade.
At the age of 20 he was called up for National Service. He joined the Manchester Regiment and was posted to Malaya for 2 years, fighting, ‘The Bandits’, in the jungle. This wasn’t such a happy time for him.
Gordon returned from Malaya in 1955, to Manchester and this is when his passion for cycling began.
Gordons Son’s feel they have much to be thankful for, especially the fact he started cycling. It was on one of those days he was riding his bike past a young woman called Margaret and her best friend Catherine, she turned round to Catherine and said, that’s the man I’m going to marry.” This was a shock to Catherine as Margaret was already engaged to another of their friends!
The prophecy came true, Gordon and Maragret were married on 30th March 1957, in Failsworth which happened to be my mums 22nd birthday, they were to be married for nearly 64 years, utterly devoted to each other.
In 1959 Craig was born, quickly followed 18 months later by Ian, then almost 5 years later, Stuart
The Cycling years
Gordon was cycling through and through however he did dabble in other sports, playing football for Middleton Amateurs and lacrosse for Sale, but he always came back to the bike.
Cycling was always his passion, his first club was East Manchester Clarion, he then became a rebel (this won’t be the last time) and joined the breakaway club Exodus, eventually leaving them to join Middleton Cycling Club, he remained a member of Middleton until the early 80’s, again rebelling to form ABC Centreville.
Gordon’s cycling exploits embraced all disciplines, from riding the track at Fallowfield against Reg Harris, road racing, with the greats of the time, time trialling and sometimes reluctantly being forced to race in cyclocross.
However, his ‘calling’ wasn’t riding, it was to promote, volunteer and more importantly help and encourage the next generation of Manchester cycling greats, and this he did with such passion.
During this time, Gordon wasn’t just Stuart, Craig & Ian’s Dad, he was everyone’s Dad, the front door was always open, he would help anyone and everyone. He loved being part of the team, taking many of us from event to event, living and breathing all our emotions, always there to celebrate or commiserate, but never to judge, he knew how hard bike racing was!
There were many who achieved so much because of Gordon’s guidance, GB riders, professionals, they know who they are so don’t need to be singled out.
In later years, Gordon competed in local time trials, but he became a regular time keeper at time trials or officiating at road races, but he always had time for younger riders giving advice and encouragement.
Finally, some personal tributes to Gordon,
“Thank you Gordon for opening up your house every Wednesday night for us to gather before the weekly chain gangs. Thank you for holding me and countless others upright while we waited for the final countdown for a time trial. Thank you for the hundreds of other things you did to promote and encourage cycling. Another Perry legend RIP.”
“Gordon was a founder member of ABC Centreville, and held most of the club positions at one time or another.
“Gordon was an enthusiastic time trialler and I did a number of two ups with him in the vets events, I was always surprised how a guy 10 years older than me could always push me all the way and I don’t remember him ever going off the back so I had to wait for him.
“In later years Gordon and I used to officiate as starter (Gordon) and pusher off (Me) at our time trials and the odd vets event, we kept in sporadic touch when Gordon and Margaret moved up to the Fylde area. Gordon was a nice, amenable guy and he will be sorely missed.”
John Burston, ex President, ABC Centreville.
“Gordon was a local backbone of the sport. In his riding, organising and acting as an official he was helpful to all and always there to help, a gentleman as well.”
Peter Deary
“Looking to the future I would like to keep Gordons spirit alive at ABC Centreville, by being a good mentor, promoting bike riding, understanding the importance of volunteers, encouraging riders and never judging.”
Nick Holmes
I’d only just heard on Saturday 2nd Oct 2021 that Craig had recently passed away and that was terribly sad. Looking at the ABC website today I’ve also just seen the crushing news that Gordan has recently passed too.
What can I say about Gordan that hasn’t already been said? I’ll never forget Gordan as he was the man that got me into cycling in the first place. I was a scrawny 12 or 13 year old who happened to be riding my bobbins bike around Birch one evening when I stumbled across the Birch TT. I stopped to have a look and Gordon, the timekeeper and organiser, made time to chat to me and explained what was going on and wondered if I wanted to have a go. I felt rather nervous in my training shoes and football shorts and so I declined. Not to be put off, Gordon suggested that I come back in a few weeks time when I had some miles in my legs and suggested I ride a charity event that very weekend which was a 45 mile ride around Greater Manchester. I rode that event and was looked after on the day by another Gordon (Gordon Buchannan of Manchester Wheelers) and at that point I knew I was then a cyclist. A few weeks later I returned to Birch and Gordon made a beeline for me; it was lovely that Gordon remembered who I was and wanted to know if I rode the charity event and if I wanted to ride the TT tonight. I still had trainers on but my mum had made me a pair of look-a-like cycling shorts from a pair of black school trousers! I didn’t ride again but the next time I tuned up at Birch, the ever thoughtful Gordon gave me a pair of old cycling shorts and so there was now no excuse not to ride. I rode, almost certainly finished last, but I was now not only a cyclist but I was a racing cyclist too – I will be eternally grateful to Gordon for those first few weeks.
Gordon then asked me if I wanted to join a new cycling club he and a few others were setting up and I too became a founder member of ABC Centreville. I remember the first meeting was in Gordon’s front room; it was there that I also met Margaret, Craig, Ian and Stuart to name but a few.
I remained with Centreville for quite a few years and then joined Manchester Wheelers. However, I always kept in touch with Gordan and Margaret who I often saw at M&DTTA time trials where Gordon was either riding or timekeeping. He always set aside time to talk, find out about my family, tell me about developments in his family and continue to offer advise and encouragement.
Gordon was without doubt one of the nicest blokes I’ve ever met and even though I hadn’t seen him for three or four years, I’ll always miss him.
You will remain a legend Gordon. Rest in peace
Nathan
Yes Nathan, two great cycling Gordons, the one I knew best was Gordon Buchanan who was the impetus for me joining the Manchester Wheelers’ Club in 1985. Sadly, I knew Gordon Perry hardly at all, but I enjoyed meeting him at various events and speaking to him on the phone. On one such occasion he was as pleased and as proud as could be in letting me know that he and one of his sons (sorry, can’t recall which one) had “bookended” a TT when the son came first and Gordon got the red light.
I write the Newsletter for the Manchester & North West Group of the VTTA and I must thank Nick Holmes for forwarding Ian’s / Andrew’s own obituary so I could formulate the obituary to appear in the Vets’ magazine, “The Veteran.”
As has already been said, Gordon was one of the nicest blokes you could wish to meet and a cyclist through and through. R.I.P. Gordon