A POPPY appeal organiser has been given a send off to remember reflecting his love of motorbikes.

Bill Gow, who died after suffering from dementia aged 85, had been the Clacton Poppy Appeal organiser for more than 25 years and in his youth, he loved to race motorbikes.

Bikers attended his funeral at Weeley Crematorium in his honour.

Those who knew Mr Gow, affectionately called him ‘Poppy Bill’. In his first few years as the organiser of the Poppy Appeal, he raised more than £3,000 but in his final year he raised £53,000.

Mr Gow’s daughter, Jenny Inns, said: “Dad was born just before the war in 1936. In his youth he joined the RAF but he was on the clerical side, not a pilot.

“He managed to sneak some flights as a passenger and he also has a Cold War medal.

“After leaving the services, he started training to be a psychiatric nurse for a short while but didn’t qualify.

“He was always great with people, it was just the academic part that was tough.

“Throughout this he maintained a love of motorcycles, racing Tiger Cub bikes at numerous tracks.”

Mr Gow met his wife, Janice, and Jenny’s mother while he was training in Goodmayes in 1962.

After their marriage, the couple moved to Bristol where he began working for the British Aeronautical Engineering group.

The family then moved to Hounslow where Mr Gow worked at Heathrow Airport and then Chiswick before settling in Clacton in 1973.

Jenny added: “When we got to Clacton, dad joined several social clubs straight away including the Conservative club, railway club, Comrades Club and Clacton Social Club.

“He became the Poppy Appeal organiser after he joined the Royal British Legion and was invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2018 for his work.”

Along with his love of bike riding Mr Gow was heavily involved in the Clacton community.

He loved football and helped FC Clacton move to Rush Green Bowl, also working as a groundsman.