Raymond was born on Saint Mary’s Isles of Scilly, 25 August 1962. His parents were Robert & Eileen Tucker. His dad was a Baker, then went on to building work. Raymond was raised with sister Wendi & brother Dez. A few years later the family moved to Saint Keverne which has remained home for Raymond ever since. Raymond attended Saint Keverne primary school, completing his education at Helston Secondary School.
When he was sixteen years old he joined the Merchant Navy. He literally travelled the world on a variety of ships. When Raymond left the Merchant Navy he returned to Saint Keverne, he has done various jobs throughout his life including working for the National Trust with his sister Wendi, DRS Demolition, Steel rigging with his Father Bob, which took him all over the UK, West of England Quarry at Porthoustock. Eventually he settled down and for the last eight years Raymond worked at Culdrose Naval Station, first in maintenance and more recently as their internal postman. When Raymond was at school, he was a good Rugby player but naturally his long life passion has been motorcycles and cycling. He bought Wendi and Dez their first motorbikes when they were 16 years old and they all became motorcycle enthusiasts. His motorcycling took him with friends across Europe. Being on two wheels was what life was all about. He also became a popular member of Falmouth Wheelers’. Raymond was someone for whom no one was a stranger, with a dry sense of humour it was easy for him to raise a laugh when he was with friends. Good company in every way. So much a gentleman and someone who was not known to say ‘no’ to those who needed his help. He always said ‘Let’s go! Come on!’.
A Wanderer:
“For a while, I ride my life.
I reflect on my thoughts.
I wander into a different world
I chase stars.
For a while. I own the dream.
I feel the warmth of the sun.
I meander on the roads.
I feel the spell.
For a while, I chart my destiny.
I engineer my journey.
I flaunder with joy.
I race the winds.
For a while, I live.
On my wheels.”
Hashim Z
The Falmouth Wheelers have so many wonderful memories of Raymond and as we stood there to say a final goodbye to him, Mr Blue Sky (ELO) played while our thoughts were recalling the time we’d spent with him.
Here are just a few of them
His generosity and support for all riders, no matter their ability is what stood out for so many of us:
Alice says’ “My one small story is that he abandoned the group he was cycling with to help me fix my bike in the middle of nowhere, then cycled with me to Porthleven on a lovely little tour. He made what could easily have been a rubbish day into a really pleasant one!”
Liz commented that amongst all the lovely memories of Raymond, ‘it was how supportive he was in Ireland to us slower ones – his snail joke! He must have told it many times as we’d all heard it
Ian wrote ‘I first met Raymond in spring 2011. I was a wheeler newbie riding my old hybrid/mountain bike. Destination was the Blue Bar at Porthtowan. He sat beside me at the cafe and we chatted about how I would find my life a lot easier riding a proper road bike. He went on to explain how much his Time(bike) cost him and then offered me a ride on it. Here he was letting an inexperienced cyclist he hardly knew have a ride on his rather expensive bike. This says so much about him, generous and encouraging and a great man that I could call a friend’.
Robin recalled, ‘In Yorkshire; I’d made a mistake in choosing a route that ended up being 4 miles across a rough track that was ‘not to Amanda’s liking” Raymond and Ian had gone on ahead and were waiting for us while I had gone back to carry Amanda’s bike! On my return, Raymond was still there waiting with some well needed moral support and encouragement for Amanda to get her back on the bike and head for home’.
His ingenuity knew no bounds. You never knew what new modification he had made to his bike from one week to the next.
Jim Midddleditch remembers – If it was raining he’d never pass an empty plastic bottle to use as a mudguard and Liz recalls how he’d fixed one of those lights to his helmet with a long cable tie that stuck straight up in the air like an antenna to communicate with aliens.
He’d always grab extra bit of bacon and toast to make a mid-snack ride for the Ireland days out and if he couldn’t manage that, there were always the sachets of jam and peanut butter to stock up on.
Raymond just made a ride seem effortless although we all remember him wringing out his helmet during a hot day out!
He rode all kinds of bikes from mountain, road and fixie. Ian remembers a day heading to Goldolphin, the two of them, on single speed and fixie, passing other riders on the road and pretending that they had hi-tech electronic shifters by making the noise.
Raymond was unique and in 2018 he was awarded the WOW Cup in recognition of his day out to Dartmoor. He rode up there to take part in the Dartmoor 100 and then cycled home afterwards and came out the following day on a Pathfinder. A well-deserved winner.
Raymond Tucker – ‘Go your own way’ (Fleetwood mac) the song that played for his final journey.