Obituary

Derek Buttle 1930 – 2018

It is with great sadness that we report the death of long time resident of Needham, Derek Buttle after a long illness.

Derek was from the East End of London and was a professional cyclist when road racing in England was in its infancy.  He rode professionally for the Hercules Cycles Team; a team he helped to set up. He obtained two stage places in the inaugural Tour of Britain in 1951 and won a hill climb stage in Cumbria.  Derek went on to take part in two more Tour of Britain events and also rode in the Tour of Europe, Tour of Holland and Tour of Luxembourg.  Derek retired from racing at 25 years of age and moved to Needham with his beloved wife Sheila and together they ran the village post office.

In 1992, a van mounted the pavement outside his house and the impact threw him over a wall.  Found unconscious in a tree, he underwent years of treatment, but he still suffered the odd wobble and had gaps in his memory.  Part of his therapy, he told me, was to write so he became a frequent contributor to the Link over many years.  As Editor, I always knew I could rely on him to provide me with an interesting article. 

Although Derek retired from racing, he was still to be seen riding around the area well into his eighties. Since ill health forced his move away from the village, Derek has been missed by all his friends especially his dog walking companions.

There will be a memorial service for Derek in the spring

We send our condolences to his family

Helen Major