Brian Lawrence Jones 1939 - 2018

I first met Brian as an occasional participant in our Sunday club rides, though it was apparent that his activity with the club went back some time before my arrival in Newark. The reason for his intermittent appearance was simple; as a train driver he didn’t have the luxury of a Monday to Friday working week. After his retirement in the early 2000s, he soon became a regular sight on our group rides, where his cheery personality and helpful nature made him very good company. He joined many of the group’s foreign trips, starting with Ireland in 2005 through to Scotland last year. His occasionally easy-going timekeeping resulted in much leg-pulling due to his previous occupation. As well as our group, he also rode with a local group of retired railwaymen, and walked with the local rambling club.

Finding the hills getting a bit steeper with his advancing years, he invested in an e-bike, which enabled him to carry on enjoying our rides, with his first long trip on it being to the Notts group’s weekend at Woody’s Top. This was followed by our Scottish holiday, which certainly proved a test of man and machine.

He had been born in Newark in 1939 and attended Barnby Road School. On leaving school he joined the then relatively new British Railways, working his way up to becoming a train driver, driving the famous Mallard, amongst many other locos during his career. Although his job obviously took him all over the country, he stayed in Newark with his wife Ann, who unfortunately passed away shortly after his retirement.

Like many, he had been unwell this winter, but we were totally unprepared for the news of his death. Despite heavy snow, his funeral at Ollerton was attended by a large contingent from Newark riding group, showing the esteem and affection with which he was held. He will be sorely missed from our rides.

Our condolences go to his son Steven and his sisters Josephine and Carole.

Mike Graham

Secretary, Newark riding group