Tammer to his friends
24-6-44 to 27-1-21
Tam was born in Ramsey on the Isle of Man on 24th June 1944 as his mother had gone to the IOM to stay with her sister-in-Law because of the war. Soon afterwards, they returned to the Barton family home in Hesketh Bank. John began his cycling career riding up to Tarleton to attend Holy Trinity Primary school and then by steam train, another of his loves, to Christchurch Southport. However, during his school years he spent a lot of his holidays in Ramsey, playing cricket on the beach, Fishing and watching the boats coming and going and generally enjoying the freedom until his Aunty sounded the dinner going to call him in for meals!
He started work as an apprentice Joiner for the Lord Lilford estate, the workshop being on Bank Bridge at Tarleton. However, woodwork was not for John and he moved on to Altys Builders Merchants. He ended up Driving Tankers for a few local firms- Leighton oils, Asland oils and Ribble Fuels from 1968 to 2011 when he retired. He started cycling as a teenager and was soon winning local races in the North West and found he enjoyed cyclo cross racing through the mud and he got into that in 1961. By winter 1962/63 he was the Merseyside Cyclo Cross Champion and again in 1963/64 winning all the counting races of the championship. Winning it again in 1964/65. He was also the organiser of Cyclo Cross races round the brickworks at Hesketh Bank and then rode the races after helping with the work of setting the course up. He won over 30 races all over the North West during this period. He was also very handy at short distance Time trials with a personal best of 22-41 for 10miles and a 25 time of 59-14 which were good times in the early 60’s.
John Barton pictured front left in Mallorca in October 2016.
He was part of the young group in the Southport club who were always going off at Bank Holidays for camping weekends, leaving our gear at Mosscrops cycle shop for Norman to bring up in his van after closing the shop. We rode to all parts of the North West- The Lakes, Ingleton Richmond to name a few. As a proud Manxman being born in Ramsey the IOM cycle week was another holiday that attracted John and was always a laugh a minute, not so much Racing but plenty of drinking. The main thing club members will remember from the IOM was after a session in the Texas Bar on Onchan Head Tam ran into a lamppost on the way back, breaking his tooth, which he found, embedded in his lip 2 days later! The 20 years of Cycling Holidays in
Mallorca were another feature of the social side of our cycling he loved and he was always happy with a pint in his hand pondering over yesteryear sat in Rafas bar. He also enjoyed cricket being a playing /drinking member at Hesketh Bank Cricket Club for many years.
He loved the Lakes and spent many happy times in and around Ullswater with his wife Pam whom he met at a very early age. Happily married for 52 years they have two children, Jillian and Paul and two Grandchildren Daniel and Ellena. Tammer was a good friend to us all, always cheerful and he will be sadly missed by the older group at the Southport Cycling club who have enjoyed his company and cycling together for over 50 years.
CW/HTW/KB
Please click here to view John’s Palmares.
