Phil Turley eulogy for Bruce. Requested by a number of Bruces friends;
Early morning, clear headed and out before the traffic, dew on the road, nice and steady till tyres warm up, don’t let my old girl scream before her throat is good and warm. pre checks done, fluid levels and tyre pressure good, mind clear of anything other than the ride, , any concerns out of my mind, the sun is behind me. Now opening her up, good clean tarmac flying beneath me, unfamiliar A and B roads hunted out, the road opens up in front of me, gather info, clear behind, my line chosen, long right hander ahead, calculate the radius from the line of the hedgerow, position, speed, down a gear and pressure on the right bar, 30% over and head up, looking for the apex, where is it, there, waiting for the convergence to fly out and away down the road, open her up and up she comes, next bend rapidly approaching, clear behind, position, speed, gear, Dew is steaming from the warm road, a good straight, clear behind, a quick glance at our green and wondrous land, a section of wide open carriageway, clear, straight, empty for a mile, and up to the national speed limit (?!?), the rush, assimilating every little scrap of info, processed, and onto the next bend, clear behind, off the throttle, after-burn from the triple burbling and pop pop popping away – god I love that sound. a left and right hander..........and then in the blink of an eye its been two hours, thirst kicking in, a roadside burger van, hellow luv, bacon bap and a coffee please..........how do i like my coffee?........the consistency of 20/50 oil please........
There is nothing better than a good ride, when it all flows, when its progressive, and smooth, fluid, when time and again you choose your line well, and bring together all the complex elements. So rewarding when its second nature, it’s a feeling hard to explain. And that’s the reason we love it, why Bruce loved it.
In the days after the news I questioned my future on a bike. If it can happen to someone of Bruce’ experiance........should I continue? This is where I began to think about what Bruce might say if he were up here. I could use this short time to talk about Bruce, BUT, we have the memorium website, we have each other, I am sure we will be talking about Bruce and praising what a wonderful fella he was for many years to come. I genuinely believe he would say this;
If there are any who question the future of their riding, then I would urge you to reconsider. Risk lies in EVERY aspect of life. Sure shit happens, on the road there is always something bigger than you out there. Bruce would say that if you had any concerns about continuing to ride then address them, become better, be the best you can be, in any aspect of life. If you have concerns then train, learn more, learn roadcraft, join any one of multiple advanced riding training companies, IAM, ROSPA, and so on; learn, become better, and by so doing minimise risk. we all have room for improvement, and learn new challenges, but don’t stop riding because it can give you back so much.
Like you, I stand here and still can’t believe it. Its weddings I used to hate – all those old dears poking me in the ribs and saying ‘Your next’. But they stopped all that when I started doing it to them at funerals. Though bloody obstinate, pig headed with no time for fools, and he has had me cursing and swearing many times, he was also a gentle man, his outward demenor belying a very sensitive nature. It is, embarrassingly, at times as this when we realise that we know less of our brothers than we think. Close friends will often know your brothers/sisters better than you do and that, whilst it is life, IS a shame. Each of you have a unique and personal knowledge of Bruce. I and the family, Bruces partner would like to share that. As you can see from pg 3 of the service we have set up a commemorative website. Whilst remembering Bruce this is also something that will help all of us in our own healing process. Please visit the site and make a contribution.
It has always been most difficult for those left behind. If you look around today, in the main we have only one common factor; Brucey. We are a community of souls brought together by Bruce. So please be there for those in need of your support, not just in the week to come but also in the months to come. Life is a fycle mistress. It can deal some wonderful cards; treasured moments, happiness, memories and so on. It can also deal some terrible cards; accidents, incidents, illness, disease can appear at any point so live your life to the full, and if you love someone, tell them, tell them every day.
My brother was such a character. He knew how to be serious at times and he also knew when to joke around. He always found time to be with his friends. He was a very loyal and kind friend. He was also very polite; he was the kind of man who always opened doors for ladies. My brother didn’t like to see people cry, especially his family. He could be very immature at times but that’s just because he was still a child inside a man’s body. He was, and we all are, the result of our experiences to date. Bruce is what he is, as a result of his child hood, of his upbringing, as a result of the standards, morals, discipline that surrounded him. If you loved Bruce, please introduce yourself to our mum and dad, give them a hug and let them know what a wonderful job they did in raising their son. Mum is the little beautiful blonde lady and dad in........
I know my brother left lots of things undone and others that he never had a chance to start. Let’s just be thankful for all the special moments that my brother has left us.
Son, father, lover, brother, friend, you will live on in our memories and as always, in our hearts. Blue skies little brother.
Philip
5th September 2009
