Derek, or “Shirl” as we all knew him.
We spent countless evenings and weekends at Derek and Ann’s house, usually in the garage with his son Marc, or “Maz” as we all called him. There always seemed to be a group of us there, working on our motorbikes, whether it was fixing one of our road bikes or getting a race bike ready for the weekend ahead.
Shirl was always part of it. He’d be in the garage chatting away to everyone while we worked, usually with Mark and Lard on Radio 1 playing in the background.
Then there was the question we all hoped to hear at the weekend: “Do you want a stacker?” The legendary “Big Shirl” stacker became famous amongst us lads. It was a proper sandwich made with bacon and a fried egg, with a slice of fried bread in the middle. Looking back, it probably wasn’t the healthiest meal, but it certainly tasted great particularly after a couple of beers the night before.
Shirl was more than just Maz’s dad. He was a friend to all of us. No matter what trouble we’d managed to get ourselves into, or what time of day or night it was, he was always there to come and pick us up without hesitation.
The memories, the laughs and the kindness he showed us will never be forgotten.
Rest in peace, Derek “Shirl”. Reunited with Maz once again.
Darren Scott
28/06/2026
