Our fellow athlete Graham Ayre has recently passed away. His funeral is at Bedford Crematorium on Friday 23rd June at 12.15.
He is remembered by Howard Darbon.
“Graham 'Grandad' Ayre will be remembered fondly by all who knew him. Following a heart attack whilst undertaking his regular swimming session, he was, I understand, resuscitated by a life guard and taken to hospital. However, it was whilst there that he suffered complications and passed away.
I remember so well the main characters in the Club's Veteran's group (yes, we used to be called Veterans and not Masters) that competed and were successful in the regional cross-country and road running events. Graham, John Clarke, Giorgio Garafalo, Brian Webb, Roger Carew and myself. Sadly, only half of us are still alive today. However, it was in the period from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s that resulted in many successes. Graham was a stalwart of the team. He and I had many a great battle in cross-country races - sometimes he would beat me and sometimes I would beat him. His short stuttering running style suited many courses in the Eastern Region and I found it very difficult to keep up with him. Perhaps his greatest success was In Ipswich when he won the Eastern Veterans Championships on a snow covered course.
But it wasn't just his running that made him a popular Bedford and County A.C. member. It was his whole persona. He was a wonderful man, easy to talk with and time for anybody. He had a great sense of humour and obviously enjoyed the camaraderie that being a member of a sporting club. The team, mainly men and a few women, visited the west coast of Scotland on one occasion and stayed in a bed and breakfast near to the venue. When we arrived the landlady started to allocate rooms. Before she had got too far, Graham called out, tongue in cheek, 'And who are you sleeping with tonight Hazel?'. That was just after Hazel and I had got together! Team spirit par excellence!”
Howard Darbon, June 2023
