Rest in Peace
I am very sorry to announce the passing of Elon Sykes a bowler of many years standing with Shepley and Grange Moor. I knew Elon as a teammate with several Grange Moor teams, a club where he also served as the greenkeeper for a number of years. He also apparently enjoyed some success bowling for Golcar Liberal Club although I can never recall him talking about this but that would be typical of the man. A photograph further down covers his time there.
A quietly spoken gentleman of a humble nature who was never comfortable talking about himself. Elon's wife of many years, Dorothy (Dot), passed away three years ago after a long illness during which time Elon was a constant support. He was just a really nice modest man who enjoyed his bowling.
He had some good friends and teammates at Shepley where he lived and I have two photographs of Elon, one is of him enjoying his Shepley experience. This is the picture below which shows him with five Shepley teammates enjoying a weekly friendly winter encounter from February 2019 on the all-weather green at Penistone BC. They are left-to-right, Ian Yeardley, Wilf Hartley, David Erving, Keith Hann, John Brook and Elon Sykes. This isn’t just a photo-shoot they actually played for two hours in sub-zero temperatures. They breed ‘em tough in Shepley.
Another photograph of Elon is below and was taken at the 2002 Presentation event of the Huddersfield & District Crown Green Bowling Association. Elon is pictured standing second from the left. The full line-up being back row, from left, David Peacock (Milnsbridge BC) and Andy Speachley (Albion). Middle row, Jason Baker and Elon Sykes (Golcar Liberal Club), Ian Singleton (Golcar Liberal Club) and Michael Wenzel (Crosland Moor Manor). Front row, League President Gerald Sykes (left) (Slaithwaite CBC) and League official Alan Sharpe.
Rest in Peace Elon Sykes.