I’m sure many will know that well-known VVC member Marshall, better known as ‘Chuck’, Swonnell sadly passed away on February 25th. Chuck carried ‘celebrity’ status in scootering circles, not just within the VVC, and for many years could be seen on many national and international rallies and events riding his Vespa or Lambretta scooters. There will be an inclusion in the VVC JOURNAL regarding Chuck but in the meantime here is a report from VVC web manager Alan Springall, who recently attended Chuck’s funeral on Thursday 19th March, along with David and Sue Sheppard…

“Marshall ‘Chuck’ Swonnell was part of the life of so many people that I guess we were persuading ourselves that he would pull through his recent illness and that we would all see his cheeky face again, either astride his scooter, pulling someone’s leg at a rally, or even on the dance floor. But it wasn’t to be and I was sad to find myself riding through light drizzle to join many others to take part in a final farewell to Chuck at the N.E.Surrey Crematorium on the morning of the 19th March.

Chuck’s family and close friends had organised arrangements appropriately so that two of his scooters would be ridden to accompany the funeral cars from the house and the many other scooterists, who were anxious to give him an impressive send off, would join at a suitable location in order to complete a final ride-out through the streets of Sutton to the crematorium. Unfortunately national health restrictions prevented a lot of his friends from attending, goodness knows how big the group would have been in normal circumstances, but those that were able to attend numbered around eighty including a contingent of fifty scooters. To be honest there was a nervousness about being in such close proximity with so many others, but this was largely overcome as we quietly filed into the attractive octagonal chapel which was filled to capacity. Moving tributes were given by Chuck’s family, Tony Higgs and Andy Gillard, who summed up eloquently what it was like to count Chuck as one of your friends, ride with him and sample some of his eccentric cooking and his entertaining sense of humour. The planned ‘wake’ after the service was understandably postponed until a future date when all of Chuck’s friends will be able to celebrate his life.

The comment that I kept hearing throughout the morning was that he was a true gentleman, the like of which we wouldn’t see again, that we were privileged to know and love.”

Alan Springall.