Cycling club mourns longstanding member and campaigner

John, originally a civil engineer engaged in road-building projects, campaigned most of his life for better cycling facilities in town and county. Much of this was done on behalf of the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC), now called Cycling UK. John brought about important improvements in county cycle routes, was responsible for the first modern Northampton Cycling Map and was a longtime cycle trainer for young people.

“I first came across John when I worked for the County Council,” said CTC Northampton member, Philip Gray. “He was known for monitoring council road schemes and asking the awkward questions about better cycling provision. He knew the government’s cycling design guidelines inside out and never failed to point out when the council was failing to apply them.”

“Later, when I got to know John personally, I realised he was as kind and witty as he was clever,” added Philip.

Phil Ashbourn, a fellow cycle campaigner from Milton Keynes said, “We shall all miss John’s cheerfulness, optimism and continual hope for a better, happier and healthier world where cycling would play a major part. Bonne route, John”.

John was born in Sheep Street, Northampton in 1944. After working around the country as a highways engineer, he settled back in Chapel Brampton, where he brought up six children, all of whom he taught to cycle confidently – later doing the same for his grandchildren.

John saw cycling as good for the environment, health and people’s independence. He was convinced Northampton could have cycling infrastructure just as good as that of Leicester, Oxford or Cambridge. He also believed that roads should be made safe for cyclists and cars to share, rather than always keeping the two apart, which can be expensive and ineffective.

One of John’s achievements was creating the first modern Kettering and Northampton Cycling Maps. Inspired by Cheltenham’s map, which rated all roads according to suitability for cycling, John set out to do the same here. Having obtained some funding, he and a few helpers rode every street in the town to gather information. The resulting maps were published in 2006 and 2009 and the format later taken on by the county council.

John was involved in the Cyclists’ Touring Club (later Cycling UK) for much of his life. Not only an active member of the local group and a county Right to Ride officer, he represented the East Midlands on CTC’s national Council for several years from 2006. From 2003 he was a member and later chair of the Local Access Forum, which advised the county council on access to the countryside.

Away from cycling, John was a keen gardener, raising a wide variety of fruit and vegetables in his Chapel Brampton garden, where he established a wildflower meadow in recent years.

After an active life, John reached the end of his road trip in late January. Taken into hospital in Devon while visiting family, he passed away after a short illness. He is deeply mourned by members of the CTC groups in Northampton, Kettering and Milton Keynes as well as his large family.