11th August 2025
Dennis S wrote: We have been informed that Sheila died peacefully at home last week aged 91. Sheila rode with our club for over 40 years, in that time she led hundreds of rides, in the 80’s and 90s also serving on the committee as Treasurer and then Secretary. She will be remembered for her unwavering dedication to our club and her commitment to the Family & 40+ Section. Sheila was a petite lady but a very capable and strong cyclist too, she never wore a helmet, always preferring a brightly coloured headscarf so as not to mess up her hair.
Sheila was widowed twice and not blessed with her own children, but to many youngsters in the club she will be remembered as one of our cycling Moms. I attended many Sunday rides in the late 70’s as a lone teenager. Sheila would also attend with her second husband Reg Cork and she would regularly check everything was OK with the children also riding. Many a time Sheila and I chatted while eating our sandwiches at lunchtime, often sharing her home-made cake. By the early 80s I had stopped cycling but returned to the club again in 2008. Sheila spotted me on a ride and said, ‘Oh Dennis, you’re back. I knew you would be’.
In later years Sheila had a few mishaps while cycling, each resulting in broken bones. Nevertheless, Sheila carried on cycling well into her 80s. In fact, she would have been in her early 80s when I was around their home in Knowle chatting to her third husband (also called Reg) when Sheila walked in from the garden, her face black and blue. She had hit a kerb and fallen from her bike when shopping a couple of days before. ‘Don’t you think it maybe time to stop cycling Sheila?’ I tentatively enquired. ‘Don’t talk nonsense Dennis’, she replied, ‘I’ll just pull my scarf further over my face so I don’t scare any children’. And with that said, out came the tea and homemade cake.
John B wrote: Sheila and Reg were keen and involved members of Southern Wheelers CTC, Fellowship of Old-timers Cycling federation, and other cycling groups. They were widely respected and deserved recipients of a CTC award after many years of service. Since Reg’s death ten or so years ago Sheila continued resolutely cycling to the shops and with the club well into her eighties, even after suffering several accidents and broken bones. To her cycling was a simple and effective way of life; she gave a lot and gained much from its friendships. She will be sadly missed.
Jon T wrote: I first met Sheila when I joined the Southern Wheelers in 1995 when she was secretary of the club. At that time there were two all day rides every week, one on a Sunday the other on a Wednesday. Both rides would cover decent distances – never less than 60 miles – sometimes considerably more. Sheila was a regular rider and attended most of the rides with her husband Reg. After the Sunday ride I would often cycle back home with Reg & Sheila as they lived nearby.
I remember one particular Sunday ride between Christmas and New Year because we were all invited back to the Elliott’s house for a buffet lunch. There was a picture taken which is somewhere in the archive. In the early 2000’s Reg & Sheila both purchased matching George Longstaff cycles which they had specifically made at the factory in Stoke on Trent. They were very impressive and had the letters GL engraved on the fork lugs. The Reynolds tubing was sprayed in a distinctive blue colour. I wonder what became of them.
Jon P wrote: I have many fond moments of recollection about Sheila. She always liked to chat about cycling, holidays and her laboratory work. I remember one very wet and windy morning ride. We were being buffeted by a strong headwind and becoming wetter and wetter. Sheila appeared to be getting weary so I rode up to Alan Head and we dropped back to a few inches in front of her to allow her to draft. Within a few minutes she was back to her cheery self and chatting away again. Reg had spotted this gesture and he nearly praised us!
Rob G wrote: Sheila (and her late husband Reg) welcomed me to what was the Southern Wheelers when I ‘defected’ from Coventry CTC 20+ years ago. I’m pretty sure Sheila was Ride Captain on the very first ride I did stating at Packwood House, on a Sunday.
Kay D wrote: I first met Sheila in 2009. As a very new cyclist she patiently waited for me off the back, and taught me everything. It felt effortless riding with her. Dropping off the back with Sheila and laughing until the tears rolled was every ride for me in the beginning.
My daughter Imogen was 12 and training at HACC. Racing track & cross. Not the fastest but won the bike handling trophy repeatedly. On a pink boardman, in a pink helmet and the iconic T mobile shirt she came. All worried about her and took great care of her. Reg & Sheila among them. Comments about perfect technique. I didn’t know such a thing existed.
I also recall when Imogen tore a strip off Reg for pulling up with a complete absence of signaling when she was on his wheel “riding a road clip” we all stood shocked. Reg paused for reflection and then gracefully informed her she was quite correct and apologised for this behaviour! Sheila encouraged Imogen’s confidence with a “well done young lady” Sheila loved Imogen perched up there in pink, capable, confident & feisty.
Imogen went on to form a cycling school run of young EHS girls confidently dictating to the traffic. The school introduced cycling facilities for them. Other parent used to say to me they saw her in the traffic shouting to other riders “keep your line, stay predictable, don’t let them intimidate you”. She now rides with a women’s group in Bournemouth.
22nd September 2025
A congregation of 50+ (including some current and former club members) attended Robin Hood Crematorium to say farewell to Sheila. The closing words of Shelia’s eulogy read:
“Shelia, for all that you have been to all of us, for everything you have shared, and for all the ways you will continue to inspire us, we say thank you. Go now with our gratitude, our respect and our love”
