A tribute to Des Radford, CTC Swansea founder and club secretary for 23 years
Today we, CTC Swansea, attended the funeral of our founder and club secretary for 23 years Des Radford. We had the privilege of riding behind the hearse to the crematorium; it was appropriate that on his last journey he would be in front of a CTC Swansea ride, leading it for one final time.
Once upon a time and long ago when Cycling UK was CTC, Des Radford formed the group as a CTC District Association. The first ride was January 1986. Des was the club’s secretary from that date until October 2009. The role of secretary back then was very different to now: in a time before mobile phones, Facebook or the internet, it was very busy and involved lots of admin.
All communication back then was via printed paper and lots of it. Des would prepare a rides programme for a three-month period, maybe 100 would be printed and made into a booklet, which he would distribute to club members, bike shops and so on. He always had a load in his saddle bag which he would hand out on rides.
We had seven start points and would start them in sequence and repeat and repeat. There were no ride leaders as such; Des would lead them all because only he knew the routes. Quarterly newsletters were published and distributed as well, back at that time a computer needed a small mortgage to purchase and printing costs were high, most of our income from CTC was used for this.
Today the secretary role is very simple and straightforward compared to what Des had to do and the hours and miles he rode distributing programmes and newsletters. Des would be at the start of every ride even if it was being cancelled because there was no way of contacting everyone, sometimes dressed like John West the fisherman in horrendous rain.
He continued to cycle until ill health took its toll. He passed away at the age of 87 in June 2025.
His dedication to the role was immense, his lasting contribution to CTC Swansea has been immense, and the number of riders he has recruited and encouraged is enormous. Cycle touring and audax rides were his passion; we have enjoyed and sometimes endured many tours and audax events together. A legend.
I owe so much to Des for my cycling adventures over many years and I often tell the tale of my my first ever CTC ride with Des to Dolaucothi Gold Mines more than 30 years ago. Thank you Des, thank you so much.