|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
Squealing pigs, clucking chickens and screaming toddlers formed the
soundtrack to Barry Mason’s day, as Manager of Surrey Docks City Farm. But it was the inanimate bicycle which was Barry's real passion: Barry moonlighted as co-ordinator of Southwark Cyclists. After spending a decade awakening the cycling community in his local area, the group now boasts 900 members, who meet once a month for a string of bike rides and campaigns. Returning to London after a stint in Liverpool, “Where nobody cycles much,” Barry says, he was disappointed to find little had changed in London. He launched Greenwich Cyclists after flyering people about poor infrastructure, before returning to his local group. On 26 March 2010 Barry led one of Critical Mass's largest bike rides to remember three cyclists killed by HGVs in a matter of weeks. "It was a wonderful, respectful and very moving evening that will help make a difference out there." explained the ever optimistic Barry. Perhaps he was right. Never before have HGV drivers and cyclists been so aware of one another on London's streets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ2s-OHrINU Last year he worked with the London Cycling Campaign on a Beat the Thief video, highlighting lazy locking by cyclists. “It’s that mantra of ‘two good locks’,” explained Barry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPDHPpnXPv8 The Dunwich Dynamo will never be the same without Barry. He has organised the event for the past 12 years, raising its 120 mile snake of dusk to dawn flashing red lights from 50 to an estimated 1,000. “The adrenalin buzz, the experience, the achievement, the smiles will cling forever. For a lot of us it’s almost the highlight of our bike year. That rare and precious human collective/supportive thrill is fabulous. Unmissable. We should rule the world.” muses Barry on the Southwark Cyclists website. Barry would always end the Dunwich Dynamo with a swim in the sea. “It's a me moment.” Barry would explain, being away from his mobile phone for the first time in 24 hours. It was not cycling that brought a premature end to Barry's life; no undignified crushing beneath the unforgiving tyres of a lorry for this man. It was the power of nature that brought his demise: Barry drowned while swimming on holiday in Spain with his long term partner Cheyrl on 2 June 2011. Cheyrl made it safely back to the beach, Barry did not. Barry is survived by his twin sons aged 26. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:16:24 +0100, Tom Crispin
wrote: Squealing pigs, clucking chickens and screaming toddlers formed the soundtrack to Barry Mason’s day, as Manager of Surrey Docks City Farm. But it was the inanimate bicycle which was Barry's real passion: Barry moonlighted as co-ordinator of Southwark Cyclists. After spending a decade awakening the cycling community in his local area, the group now boasts 900 members, who meet once a month for a string of bike rides and campaigns. Returning to London after a stint in Liverpool, “Where nobody cycles much,” Barry says, he was disappointed to find little had changed in London. He launched Greenwich Cyclists after flyering people about poor infrastructure, before returning to his local group. On 26 March 2010 Barry led one of Critical Mass's largest bike rides Well there goes much sympathy he may have got. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:35:56 +0100, Judith
wrote: On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:16:24 +0100, Tom Crispin wrote: Squealing pigs, clucking chickens and screaming toddlers formed the soundtrack to Barry Mason’s day, as Manager of Surrey Docks City Farm. But it was the inanimate bicycle which was Barry's real passion: Barry moonlighted as co-ordinator of Southwark Cyclists. After spending a decade awakening the cycling community in his local area, the group now boasts 900 members, who meet once a month for a string of bike rides and campaigns. Returning to London after a stint in Liverpool, “Where nobody cycles much,” Barry says, he was disappointed to find little had changed in London. He launched Greenwich Cyclists after flyering people about poor infrastructure, before returning to his local group. On 26 March 2010 Barry led one of Critical Mass's largest bike rides Well there goes much sympathy he may have got. I have been on three Critical Mass bike rides. The one on 26 March was the best organised of them all. The route was pre-planned and flyers giving out the route map were passed out. After visiting the sites where Professor David Vilaseca and Haris Ahmed were killed by lorry drivers, the mass rapidly left central London for Hackney and the site where Shivon Watson was killed. The mood was somber and, apart from one incident where a lorry driver tried to turn into the mass, behaviour was good. If all Critical Mass rides were as well organised and good-natured I may be tempted to ride with CM more often. The following week Barry tried to organise a bonus Critical Mass ride to highlight the 'concrete pour' at the Shard where 700 truckloads of concrete were dumped into the foundation over 36 hours. If I recall correctly 5 people turned up for the bonus CM ride. This being insufficient for a CM the group decamped to a pub, and when inside one of the riders had their bike stolen. The cut lock is highlighted on Barry's 'Two good locks' YouTube video. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:19:09 +0100, Tom Crispin
wrote: snip On 26 March 2010 Barry led one of Critical Mass's largest bike rides Well there goes much sympathy he may have got. I have been on three Critical Mass bike rides. The one on 26 March was the best organised of them all. The route was pre-planned and flyers giving out the route map were passed out. Oh - it was pre-planned was it? Did you inform the police of the route of the procession? Did they give you permission to block junctions and stop other traffic? |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:26:15 +0100, Judith
wrote: On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:19:09 +0100, Tom Crispin wrote: snip On 26 March 2010 Barry led one of Critical Mass's largest bike rides Well there goes much sympathy he may have got. I have been on three Critical Mass bike rides. The one on 26 March was the best organised of them all. The route was pre-planned and flyers giving out the route map were passed out. Oh - it was pre-planned was it? Did you inform the police of the route of the procession? Did they give you permission to block junctions and stop other traffic? I thought the High Court had sorted all this out... As a customarily held procession, Critical Mass needed inform anyone of the route. If errent cyclists are obstructing traffic, that is a matter for the police. I did not hear of any arrests or hear of any formal complaints. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Jun 4, 7:00*pm, Tom Crispin wrote:
If errent cyclists are obstructing traffic, that is a matter for the police. I did not hear of any arrests or hear of any formal complaints.- Indeed. Barry Mason, was, in cycling parlance, a "good egg". -- Simon Mason |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On 04/06/2011 21:55, Simon Mason wrote:
Tom wrote: If errent cyclists are obstructing traffic, that is a matter for the police. I did not hear of any arrests or hear of any formal complaints.- Indeed. Barry Mason, was, in cycling parlance, a "good egg". Good man. Do *all* cyclists still frequently re-read the Greyfriars tales, then? |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Sat, 4 Jun 2011 13:55:00 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason
wrote: On Jun 4, 7:00*pm, Tom Crispin wrote: If errent cyclists are obstructing traffic, that is a matter for the police. I did not hear of any arrests or hear of any formal complaints.- Indeed. Barry Mason, was, in cycling parlance, a "good egg". Simon Mason, is, in cycling parlance a "****wit" Simple. -- Simple Simon Mason - who cycles at 25mph in 20mph limits just because the limits do not apply to cyclists. This includes exceeding the speed limit past three schools. A total disregard for the well-being of vulnerable road users. The actions of a true psycholist. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Jun 4, 3:35*pm, Judith wrote:
On Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:16:24 +0100, Tom Crispin wrote: Squealing pigs, clucking chickens and screaming toddlers formed the soundtrack to Barry Mason’s day, as Manager of Surrey Docks City Farm. But it was the inanimate bicycle which was Barry's real passion: Barry moonlighted as co-ordinator of Southwark Cyclists. After spending a decade awakening the cycling community in his local area, the group now boasts 900 members, who meet once a month for a string of bike rides and campaigns. Returning to London after a stint in Liverpool, “Where nobody cycles much,” Barry says, he was disappointed to find little had changed in London. He launched Greenwich Cyclists after flyering people about poor infrastructure, before returning to his local group. On 26 March 2010 Barry led one of Critical Mass's largest bike rides Well there goes much sympathy he may have got. I am very sorry to learn of Barry's death. He was a great advocate of cycling and a brilliant organiser of rides. His leading of that CM ride was just a one-off in a good cause and I had the impression that he didn't usually approve of CM behaviour. A sad loss. Doug. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Obituary - Barry Mason
On Jun 4, 10:46*pm, Judith wrote:
On Sat, 4 Jun 2011 13:55:00 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason wrote: On Jun 4, 7:00*pm, Tom Crispin wrote: If errent cyclists are obstructing traffic, that is a matter for the police. I did not hear of any arrests or hear of any formal complaints.- Indeed. Barry Mason, was, in cycling parlance, a "good egg". Simon Mason, is, in cycling parlance a "****wit" Simple. Many thanks for highlighting the motorist's mantras here and their tendency to become psycho/socio/paths, possibly due to the stresses and costs of car use and its addictive nature. Doug. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
FAO Simon Mason | Nuxx Bar | UK | 226 | May 25th 09 07:07 PM |
Sheldons London Times obituary | Peter Howard | Techniques | 7 | March 6th 08 04:18 PM |
Obituary of a Sport: The Horrible Lingering Death of Cycling | rms[_2_] | General | 6 | May 17th 07 08:03 AM |
OT - Obituary | EuanB | Australia | 5 | November 22nd 05 01:51 AM |
OT - Obituary | cfsmtb | Australia | 0 | November 22nd 05 12:40 AM |