Regular TT visitors will be saddened to hear of the death of Phil Clarke who recently passed away following a long battle with cancer.
He first stayed with us at the Welbeck in 1999 and came every year except 2001 when the Races were cancelled because of the UK 'Foot & Mouth' outbreak. He tried his best to make it in June but unfortunately, he was too ill to travel.
I think I am right in saying that this was Phil's last track day.
We received this report from his friend, Ian Neale:
Well despite the rain, we saw Phil off in fine style yesterday. His biking friends escorted the Bike Hearse from home to the Church. Pam rode on the back of Phil’s Bonny (ridden by Paul), Suze rode with me, and Tom rode with Phil’s nephew Rob. He was carried into Church by 6 of his friends and family (one of which was Scotty) and the service was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. We had a Reading from Anna of a poem that Phil posted on Mick Rostron’s RIP page on Facebook on the 29th of September 2007, just 5 years later to be the same day that he passed away.
You were a fantastic mate Micky, and to use one of your phrases 'I'm rite pissed off' that you have left so soon. We had so much more biking to do together. The TT will never be the same without you, You will NEVER be forgotten.
God saw he was getting tired, and a cure was not to be.
So he put his arms around him and whispered
"Come with me."
With tearful eyes we watched him suffer
and saw him fade away.
Although we loved him dearly,
We could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hardworking hands to rest;
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best
RIP mate. See ya soon.(Billy)
Ian's report continues:
We also had a reading that was written by his children, Suze and Tom, A Tribute To Dad. I’ve transcribed it here for you to share
“The Older I Get, the Faster I Was”
Minety born and Minety Bred,
In later years too to be Minety Wed,
It all began in Primrose Cottage,
The start of Phil’s life, lived full in this village.
Days on the farm playing out and about,
Schooldays with friends and siblings he couldn’t do without,
Phil found a calling, a passion beyond like,
Even before his Pam, there came the motorbike!
The Pam came along right on cue,
(Her mini-skirts of course, he was quite fond of too)
The love story that followed made both their hearts race,
And in 1973 Phil wed his Pam, and built her Pittfield Place.
Far and wide Phil and Pam travelled and explored,
With the fair isles of Greece they struck a real chord,
Amazing memories made through Europe and the USA,
So many adventures and they did it all their own way.
Phil of course was a beyond talented man;
Never mind ‘Jim’ll fix it’ – this man always can!
Forever a grafter, working hard and with pride,
He moonlighted as a Rock’n’Roll star as well on the side.
The some years later along came the day,
When everything changed more than any words can say,
Holidaying in Corfu, Ouzo and Metaxa were had,
And then shortly afterwards, Phil became Dad.
Dad loved his dogs with all his heart and soul,
They always had chance to lick the pudding bowl,
Lucy, Bonnie, Jess, Bella, Macey, Rosie-Lea;
Wrapped round a paw he was - always and completely.
A lover of all food, with a belly never full,
Every plate was left spotless when Dad was at the table!
Roast beef and Yorkshire pud, with an easy drinking red,
“That goes down well!” was what he always said.
Another joy was his shooting (he did love a good bang)
Being out in the countryside with his colourful gang,
With Dad and his son, out on the hunt,
You could hear from afar-“Push on you ....!”
Fast bikes and the TT were Dad’s lifelong obsession,
With his Ninja or R1 on a Mad Sunday session,
A real labour of love, and a true work of art,
It was the ’68 Triumph Bonny that really captured his heart.
A big mouth, a bigger heart,
An (unmatched as yet) ability to fart,
We knew him as Phil, Dad, Peece, Clarky or Billy,
He swore, he laughed, he got drunk and was silly.
A lover, a fighter, a biker to the end,
We know we sometimes drove him round the bend,
But Dad was the one that we all loved the most;
He wouldn’t want us to cry – he’d want us to toast!
Phil was carried back out of the church to ‘Take it Easy’ by The Eagles, one of his all time favourites and he was then laid to rest in the church grounds but before the service finished, his biking friends made a special tribute. Our bikes were all parked about 50 yards away from the grave and wherever possible, we had all removed exhaust baffles the night before and we treated him to ‘a minute of noise’ as our special heart-felt farewell to a very special person.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4SWw0oyOco
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg2sjZqFmFw
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