In loving memory of Martin John Bickerdyke who sadly passed away on 7th August 2018
Tribute to Martin Bickerdyke
Known by many as Bico
Martin was an adventurer, an explorer; from the fields and woods, rail tracks and water ways of our childhood to the wider world and his many travels near and far. He would ever be his own man in all things and nothing was true unless he had thoroughly researched it and found it to be so. To say that Martin would be a gifted man with a passion for lifelong learning would probably be a bit of an understatement.
He was born in Cardiff on the 30th of June 1961 to Tony a civil servant and wife Jean a teacher, before moving to Long Eaton where he started school. Martin loved his sports in those days playing for the local football team and being a rebel his mum said. He was non-conformist, not accepting things 'just because that's the way they've always been done'. He could be frustrating, Martin wasn't big on compromise.
He always loved the outdoors, was always active, walking, cycling, more recently canoeing, yet also loved reading, writing, always wanting to know more. Did we mention gregarious? Martin was many things to many people, he lived many lives.
Martin created a variety of worlds - the wild outdoor world of dens in trees and fields as a boy, fantasy worlds as a young man in the world of dungeon and dragons in the days before online gaming, imagining and recreating the lives of peoples past from his finds and experiences on archaeological digs and researching family history, fleshing out the bare facts.
His first role on leaving education was post his BSC in Chemistry in 1983. Martin had studied at Manchester University, worked in the city for a couple of years before those itchy feet got the better of him. He was always planning something, keeping tabs on him was a problem over the years; Martin never needed any kind of travelling companions.
Martin was to travel all over the world, and from Manchester he initially spent some time in France and Spain, before settling in Aberystwyth and taking a PGCE in Teaching and then teaching for a while. In 1988 he took employment at the Inland Revenue and worked with them until 1996 indulging in his love of cricket and playing in their team at the time.
During this time he transferred to the Inland Revenue site in Nottingham and bought a house on Station Road in Long Eaton. Back In Long Eaton for a few years he enjoyed frequenting the Turks Head which he had first been introduced to as a sixth former. In a complete change of direction, typically Martin! He took to working as restaurant manager at the Butlins Holiday camp at Minehead, doing two seasons with them. There after he was to scratch those itchy feet once more with more travelling. The trip across the US on Greyhound buses was one of his many documented. And Martin kept files and documented everything.
He lived in several places over the course of his life but the family believe he was happiest in the Lake District, the air and hills, the sense of space. He first visited the area on a walking holiday with his school friend Ken who remembers staying in youth hostels and then the following year their plan to visit other parts of The Lakes was threatened by a foot injury. Being resourceful teenagers they simply converted the trip to a cycling holiday - although this was not without difficulty given that the hostels booked had been based on walking routes! Martin later enjoyed meeting people from all over the world when he worked at Keswick Youth Hostel and he was able to continue with his travels in the quiet season.
But he maintained links with friends from the past and several school friends have said how easy it was to re-connect after years of silence, picking up where they left off at school reunions. At most other times Martin kept himself to himself. An avid reader of many books, and a member of the private Bromley library his love of history was known to all who knew him well.
He was a writer himself and a consummate teller of stories, he was quick witted, and played with words. But being thoroughly truthful when you have travelled as extensively as Martin had to all parts of the world including Africa, North America and the Antipodes, he had plenty of material to choose from. Martin also continued with his lifelong learning, having taken a course in Astronomy in 1999, Open University courses and an MSC in Oceanography in 2005.
A brother amongst 3 sisters, he was an uncle to 5 with Jacob, Natalie, William, Bethany and Abbey. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him; he has now gone on to his next big adventure.
Trent Bridge is one loyal supporter light this year and the passport will require no more stamps and Visas, we wish him happy and safe travels wherever they may be.
In loving tribute and memory to Martin Bickerdyke. Martin an adventurer, an explorer who died doing what he wanted to after paddling his own canoe up the Erewash Canal into a gorgeous sunset. May he now rest in peace.
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