Ralph was a bottomless fount of knowledge, particularly with regard to trials and scrambles from the 'thirties through to the 'seventies - a golden era that, in his opinion, was lost once the rasp of British four strokes had been replaced by the buzz of foreign two-strokes. Yet despite the changes that took place in his extensive lifetime - Ralph was 88 years young when he departed his beloved Wiltshire soil - he remained as enthusiastic and in his last few months as he had been 70 years earlier when he discovered bike sport as a pillion passenger on his brother's old British four stroke.

Ralph has written columns and articles for just about every other motorcycle publication, including one thousand for T+MX, and was awarded the MBE for his services to motorcycle journalism - an award that he valued most highly. Yet he was a most knowledgeable jazz aficionado. I once asked him what would happen to his huge collection of motorcycle photographs when he died. "B***** the pictures" he replied in typical forthright fashion "who will look after my jazz records?" He then said he had one of the largest private collections of jazz music.

I knew Ralph for 43 years, which, outside of my family, is longer than anyone else that I have known, and I first made his acquaintance as a 13 year old when I started attending national trials with my dad. We went to many big trials in the early sixties; the Hoad, Perce Simon, Cotswold, Kickham, Mitcham Vase, Southern, Southern Experts, Beggars Roost, Clayton and knut, amongst others, and the one common factor at them all was Venables, driving his Daimler Dart with the top down, no matter what the weather.

As we are newcomers to major trials, Ralph and his wife Pam took my dad and me under their wing, with the curt instruction "follow us" when we enquired our way to the sections. We were always guaranteed lots of sections to watch - the best ones at that, and over the years, my dad and I became good friends with Ralph. In later years, as a T+MX staff man, it was my job to process his copy for Ralph Remembers. It was always immaculately typed, the pictures were always correctly captioned and, of course the material was always presented well in advance and never late.

We spoke frequently over the phone and met regularly at specific events, usually the Welsh Two-Day Enduro and the Scottish. It was at last years Scottish that I last saw Ralph and, though he was still very much the same enthusiastic character, the early effects of MND were obviously taking there toll. But he was still delighted to be at what, he knew, would be his last SSDT. Everybody will have there own way of remembering Ralph Venables. Mine comes from Scotland in 1964, which was my first visit to the SSDT. The weather that year was classed as the worst ever.

We were at Tyndrum, trudging up the mountain to see the zigzagging sections that climbed even higher. The rain came horizontally, the wind was at gale force, my dad and Ralph were both I oilskins when one particularly strong gust blew my dad's umbrella inside out and his cap went skimming away in the wind. "Off to the office then, Bert!" said Ralph in his jovial way. Thirty-nine years on and I remember the incident so clearly. Ralph Venables was truly a character like no other, and thousands, like myself, will mourn his passing. Taken from the 'Trials and Motorcycle News' Friday, February 14, 2003

Ralph Remembered

Last week, I had the sad job of reporting the death of Ralph Venables MBE, and the great man finally succumbed to Motor Neurone Disease, the muscle wasting condition that caused him great frustration - but rest assured he fought to the end.

Ralph told me several weeks before he died -"you now Dicko, I have had so many cards and messages from well-wishers and I appreciate every one, but they don't make me any better you know, I still cant move my damned fingers in order to type!"It was then that I realised the full force and extent of the frustration of a man who, even at the age of 88, going on 89, wanted nothing more than to be out and about, writing about his beloved motorcycle sport.

It's sobering to think that Ralph was reporting on off-road motorcycle events before I was born. Our working relationship was always friendly and if I have ever been rash enough to spar with him verbally I have inevitably come off worst. Not that there's any shame in that, I don't actually know of anyone who ever bested him in an argument.

As an acquaintance of less than 30 years standing, I well realise my limitations when it comes to eulogising about Ralph. As so many have said in the last week, he was unique in that he was truly irreplaceable. I leave it to those much better qualified to say a few chosen words on this page. John Dickinson - Editor, Trials and Motorcross News. Friday, February 14, 2003

"You wont win today....." - Ralph

The first time that I met Ralph was at the 1953 SSDT. I was riding my home-built SHS and Billy Kelso, who has also passed on, introduced me to the great man. To tell the truth, Ralph didn't recon a lot to my style and of course I was riding a two stroke! I have always been a great supporter of Ralph for his outstanding knowledge of motorcycling and tremendous enthusiasm.

If you wished to voice your opinion with him you were advised to do your homework first. On many occasions I asked his opinion. You always got honest advice, although its a good job that I didn't ask his opinion when I left Ariel to join Bultaco and started the Spanish invasion! He hated two-strokes and loved the British bikes, even if they were outdated. On many occasions, Ralph gave me sound advice at trials - "you are not riding well Sam, you won't win today!" - just to wind me up! We travelled together often, and on one trip to the SSDT it was non-stop to Fort William after work. Ralph had his pack of food provided by Pam but no hot drink, he only ever drank cold drinks for some reason.

All the trials and motorcross riders regarded Ralph as the number one scribe as he indeed was, right to the end, always on the pace. Rosemary and I called Pam recently to organise a visit. Pam said to phone at 10am on Sunday. It was two minutes past 10 when I called, and the voice at the other end said, "Miller, late again as usual."We will all miss Ralph, especially in the southern centre where he was out every Sunday, rain, hail or snow, reporting in his lovely Venables way. Sammy Miller - 11 times British Trials Champion.

Ralph the anchor....

It was at Ralph eighteenth birthday that someone remarked how amazing it was that he had so many friends when he was so rude to everyone. Ralph chuckled and said, "Yes, and what's more, they have all paid to be here." The secret lay in the fact that any acerbic comment was made with a twinkle in the eye and a laugh so nobody really took offence. It was a game, challenging an equally rude reply.

The request to a photographer to take a picture under difficult conditions could be unaccompanied by, "Even someone of your limited ability should be able to manage that." Right up until the time, two years ago when the first symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease appeared, he was a human dynamo rushing here and there in the paddock or car park checking the facts for his report. Few go on working for so long with the enthusiasm he had for the sport.

Ralph was the anchor in the ever-changing scene of trials and scrambling, where every competitor and spectator since the Second World War knew of him. Motorcycling is the poorer without him and his encyclopaedic knowledge of our sport. He can never be replaced. Nick Nicholls - photographer.

I actually fired him once....

I started to persuade Ralph to write for TMX at the 1978 Scottish, and he eventually moved over after a long-running row with the MNC editor. Wasn't long before he fell out with me, too. Actually, Ralph was a mixed blessing as a correspondent - infinitely knowledgeable but frequently cantankerous.

He played hell with me once because one of our classified ad girls miss-spelt Greeves as Greaves. "You're the editor, old boy, you should check all these things," he said. He was very demanding and a missing comma would drive him potty. Hate to admit it but I actually fired him once because he was causing us so many problems with his frequent complaints. He just carried on filling his column as if nothing had happened, and I carried on using it because it was, like Ralph himself, unique.

Hope this next bits right or he'll find a way to rollock me, but I reckon he wrote a total of 2254 columns since the 1950's for Motor Cycle, MCN and T+MX, plus many hundreds of trials and motorcross reports, news items and obituaries. Ralph was particularly good at obits because he knew practically everybody worth knowing in the off-road world. He always hammered out his column on an old typewriter having no time for those new-fangled computers. When he phoned copy through he drove the copytakers mad by including every punctuation mark and spelling just about every name. His own English was impeccable and he expected everyone else's to be likewise.

Ralph Venables MBE was a one-off and I'm certain we will never see his like again. When he gets to Valhalla he will be welcomed by the roar of mighty four strokes and the great hall, lit by lamps burning purest Castrol R, will be full of his many friends and legendary warriors with whom he shared more than 70 years of off-road motorcycle sport. Bill Lawless - Founder editor of T+MX News

"Fit as a flea..."

On behalf of all the Welsh enthusiasts, I express our sadness at the passing of the one and only Ralph Venables MBE. For many years his presence at our St. David's and Mitchell nationals ensured that the 'foreign' events were reported in precise detail by the sporting press and his inimitable manner of gathering the exact details of the riders' progress, from the gallery of onlookers at the sections, only added to the air of expectancy and excitement.

However good the quality of the entry, the event was lacking a vital ingredient if he was not part of it. We offer our sympathy to Pam, his wife and constant companion, and acknowledge that a character, unique within the sport has found neutral at last. Alan Rees - Merthyr Tydfil