In memory of
John Anthony Gough
28th August 1929 – 23rd January 2021
John was born at Hethe, near Bicester in Oxfordshire to parents William and Nellie Gough. He was a gifted student, and was the first student from his school in forty years to pass the Scholarship exam to go to the school at Elven in Bicester.
On leaving school at sixteen, he started work at W. J. Coopers Agricultural Engineers in Buckingham, until at eighteen he was called up for two years of National Service. Starting at the Cowley Barracks in Oxford, he was posted around the country on different educational courses. These included learning to drive lorries, which would become his life-long career.
In 1948 he was posted to Nairobi in Kenya; a long hot journey by sea in those days. He took a job at the on-board butchery which meant he could sleep in the fridges to keep cool! He shortly transferred to Mombasa, where he stayed for fourteen months. On his demob he returned to work at Coopers as a lorry driver.
He met his wife Mavis at Oxford Speedway, and after buying a motorcycle they started going to scrambles and grass track races most weekends. After they got married, they lived firstly at Croughton (in old RAF huts) before moving to Charndon, as his new job driving a cattle lorry came with a cottage in the village. His daughters Elaine and Zena were born and raised in Charndon.
In 1960 he started work at the London Brick Company in Calvert, working as a shunter on the night shift for 10 years before resuming work as a lorry driver until 1991 when the brickworks closed down. He was employed there for thirty one years. After leaving the brickworks, he worked at British Soap in Bicester. He then worked at the Vauxhall car dealers in Buckingham until he was 70 and forced to retire due to insurance. On retiring he was heavily involved in the local community. He served as parish councillor at Charndon, ran the Charndon friends and neighbours club and was entertainments officer at the Twyford over 65 club, organising fetes, jumble sales and outings.
His favourite pastime was scrambling and in their younger days, most Sundays John and Mavis would marshall races, with daughters Elaine and Zena in tow. Their favourite place was Muswell Hill track at Brill, home of Mid Bucks MCC. They also enjoyed holidays abroad to Malta, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland. He was a true family man, devoted to his wife Mavis until her passing; a loving Dad to Elaine and Zena, step-Dad to Geoff and adoring Grampy to Louise and Emily.
John passed away peacefully after a short illness on 22nd January 2021 aged 91 years. He's now reunited with his beloved wife Mavis. A treasured Dad and Grampy, John will be sorely missed by his family, friends and many in the local and motocross communities. He was a wonderful man who always had time for others, always up for a laugh and a joke.