Bob Friend 1/5/1928-5/10/2021 - Potterers Cycling Club
The Potterers Cycling Club
Pottering in Kent for 50 years !
The Potterers Cycling Club
Pottering in Kent since 1971
Words > Obituaries
Bob Friend(1/5/1928-5/10/2021)
Bob was born in Minster to parents Louisa and Arthur, who had a small holding behind Swiss Cottage on Monkton Road, Minster, which was mainly arable, plus hens and pigs in the early years.
Bob attended Chatham House and was evacuated with the school to Utoxeter, then Stafford. Bob enjoyed cycling and cycled home from Stafford to visit his family on several occasions. He achieved Higher School Certificates (A levels now) Bob declined. National Service took him to Egypt where as well as his army duties he was able to cycle and grow tomatoes.
Bob was a member of Margate Cycling Club and a keen photographer, having his own darkroom and undertook family portraits for several local families.
It was at the cycling club he met and married Betty, his first wife. They cycled together on a tandem, adding a side car when their first child, Susan, was born. They had four children, Susan, David, Stephan and Diane in five years, so now between working with his father and the family there was little time for hobbies. However, the family did go camping annually, and later caravanning. In 1972 Bob joined the Caravan club. Bob and his second wife Tina both enjoyed caravanning and cycling together.
Bob took to long distance cycling again when he retired and did the CTC Centenary rides, which were 100 miles long and started in different locations. Bob had a plaque for completing 3 or more rides in a year.
In 1998 he joined Audax UK (Long Distance Cycling Club) , was a life member and Super Randonneur; achieved for completing a series of 200, 300, 400 and 600 km brevets within the same season. A rider who has successfully completed a 200km brevet is called a Randonneur. This is a lifelong title. To complete one of his rides in Wales, he would first cycle to his sister Joyce’s in Brighton, then onto his other sister Brenda’s in Stroud, complete his ride in Wales and cycle home via his son David’s in Reading.
On retirement, Bob retained a piece of land roughly the size of three tennis courts, which he tended by hand into his 90’s.
