Manky Monkey Motors

I had some very sad news this afternoon.
Simon, of Nefarious Pinstriping, from Farnham, Surrey, suffered a brain annuerism on Friday, as I was travelling home from America. He was operated on, but  didn't recover consciousness. His family switched off his life support this afternoon.
Si was a good friend. He shared premises with Miles Sherlock at Jackhammer hotrod supply in Farnborough, Hants. I call in there quite regularly as it's only about 15 miles from me & would always sit & chat with Simon while he painted. He commented on some of my holiday snaps on Facebook last week & I'd planned to call in to see him later this week as he had a fitting for my truck to add some lettering to for me.
He was the one who persuaded me to try roller skating recently & we'd talked several times about just getting out & doing the things you really want to while you have the chance as you never know how long you have. Very prophetic. It was those conversations that partly inspired me to start travelling.
Si was just 52.
So if you dream of doing something or going somewhere or whatever -don't keep putting it off. Do it now.

So sad to hear that Andy, I once met him at some biker event where he was extremely busy and popular..I have still got his business card in my wallet in the form of a Fake US dollar..please pass on my condolences to his family..and after my health issues I do try to live life and enjoy every day..such a shame for his family but wise words for us all

Such sad news. Only met him the once but have seen and admired his work many times. Sincere condolences  to his family.

Very sad news indeed..............

My condolences to his family and friends.

I knew he was a pal of yours Andy, and it was from you mentioning him that I’ve been in recent phone contact (only a week or so ago) with Simon to arrange a time I could to pop in and see him to make use of his skills.

We chatted a bit and he told me how he liked to visit a particular car boot sale where he would often pick up old petrol cans and saws and paint them up as folk liked that sort thing.

As Stinkey said, such a shame for his family but wise words for us all.

It's a bagatelle Mr M, Vi, my wife,who you have met, suffered a similar brain aneurism 7 weeks ago,she's now making a slow recovery, thank God. Initially left with severely impaired sight, but an operation later is now able to see with one of her eyes, awaiting progress on surgery for the other now. And just to remind everyone that we don't know what's around the corner, I was discharged from hospital today after having had a heart pacemaker installed! Result, my welding days are at an end, and my excellent Mig for sale.... >:( >:(..Morrag.

Morrag I can see that's a hell of a change to have to accept - but I guess as an exchange for reliably having more life it's not a bad deal.

Pass my regards on to Mrs Morrag please mate -& to you too. Remember Triker Pete from Lymington? He had the same thing a couple of years ago. Had to give up welding & ended up giving up triking -but at least he's still breathing. Sometimes there are just more important things than vehicles.
Take care, both of you. x
On another note, Simon was going to sign write the doors of my truck, then incorporate that into a revamped website, (he was an ex web designer), as the new website logo. I'll have to re-evaluate that plan now.

Absolutely right Andy, better to be born lucky than rich is so true.... :-\Morrag

Sad to hear  , my condolences .
 Many years ago my wife  had the big C and is good now but we vowed to see the world and do what we wanted while we could . Don't wait till your to old to enjoy it and before the government takes what you worked hard for , the bastards only taxed my super when i retired   ;D wankers.

Dave

Shocking. A brain aneurysm frightens me more than cancer does. For many people it's instant death. They know little about it but their sudden loss brings devastation for many.

I'm sorry to hear about your wife Morrag. I'm glad to hear she survived and is improving, and I do hope she fully regains her sight.

Sorry for the loss of your friend Andy. 52 is nothing is it? I didn't know him as such but had met him at events. A very talented bloke. At least his work lives on all around the world on bikes, cars and all the other bits and pieces he pinstriped.

SIMON'S FUNERAL (NEF)
Simon Nefarious Pollock

Simon's funeral will take place at Santa Pod Raceway. On the
31st July at 12.00 noon.

This will be a celebration of Simon's life and a chance to pay your respects and take in one last drink of tea or rum with him.

If you would like to come, please dress as you would if you were going for a drink with him and please bring your car, bike, Vdub or hot rod with you.

During the service you will have the chance to place a sticker on Simon's coffin. This can be any sticker you like and we have some you can write your own message on at the service, or you can post them directly to me.

The gate will open at Santa Pod at 11.00am. Simon will arrive at 12.00 midday and we will stay until the sun goes down  ( no rush bar open )

Please arrive in good time to place/park your car on the drag strip to form a 'guard of honour'.

There will be food and the bar will be open. 

Please, no flowers - just donations to his choice of charity - Brad's Cancer Foundation.

Simon’s family hope you will come to join them on this special day.

For any more info or if you have any questions please contact. Grant Pinney , 07833387792
It County Funerals on 01438 510355
Grant@countyfunerals.co.uk

Thanks so much

WOW!  What an amazing send off..a truly emotional day I'm sure..why do we wait until someone we love dies to do these great things?

Very true Stinkey.

I've been to a few Sprint/Drag riders funerals over the years. It's so fitting to have a ceremony at the Pod.
In the past, instead of a minutes silence we have a 2 minute noise. Those memories bring a tear to my eyes and the hackles up on my neck.
RIP Simon

I think they plan the same for Simon.
I'm curious about what happens afterwards though.
The notice says his coffin will be there, (they've asked people to bring stickers along to put on it, so I'll take a couple of MMMotors ones). Obviously he can't be cremated or buried at the Pod itself. He lived in Farnborough, a 2 hour drive away. Put him back in the hearse & take him back? Cremate him somewhere nearby afterwards then take the ashes home? I don't like to ask, but I'm curious.
Simon was notoriously anti religion of any sort, so a gathering of all his friends, without hyms & sermons, would be the right thing to do.
Loony hopes to have his '54 Chevy roadworthy in time to go, but if not, he & I will go in my daily.

So Loony & I attended Si's funeral service at the Pod today.
No hyms, no sermons, no priest -just some lovely speeches by friends & family & a day of happy memories of a much loved man. Si was involved with the hotrod crowd, VW guys & the roller skating world, so there was a bizarre mix of mourners....no, not mourners. That's the wrong word. Friends.
After the words, we all "sticker bombed" his coffin -yes, there's a MMMotors one on there. Then the free rum bar & hog roast were enjoyed for a few hours until Si was loaded on the hearse again for a final journey down the drag strip, followed by his roller skating buddies. Yes, I took my skates, but didn't dare wear them. Loony did, took one step & promptly fell over, but that may have been beer related :)
Si's family are staying in a local hotel & will have a private cremation before his ashes are put into a specially commissioned "Tiki" head container.
If all funerals were like this I'd go more often :)

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Grant Pinney, the funeral director, is a member of the A602s car club & brought his T bucket along. He also happened to be a close friend of Simon & had, bizarrely, once spent an evening leaning on an empty coffin, drinking tea with Si & discussing what sort of funeral he'd like.

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Nice tribute 😥

Si worked from the back of Miles Sherlock's "Jackhammer" hotrod supply shop in Farnborough, Hants.
Miles has had the horrible job of telling customers of Simon's death for the last couple of weeks. People are still arriving with stuff for him to pinstripe, unaware that he's gone. I had a couple of bits for my Pop awaiting his attention, so nipped over after work yesterday to retrieve them.
It was weird not seeing him there, mug of tea in one hand & paint brush in the other. Miles said it feels like he's just popped out to buy teabags & will be back any minute.
Miles collects car club T shirts from around the World & I noticed he now has Si's roller derby shirt hung behind the counter, complete with his derby nickname, "Brother Lee Shove".

https://youtu.be/duPBUlTG4Hk

Thanks for posting the pics. I can see what you mean about the style of the funeral. More celebration of his life and his favourite things than solemnity. Bet the rum and hog roast went down well. It beats sarnies. I hope Simon's family got some comfort from the many people who turned up to remember him.

Somebody commented afterwards that they left feeling "strangely uplifted". That's a very good description. I felt the same. Not sad, just feeling positive. We've said Goodbye & can move on.
One last thing -Simon shared a workshop with Miles Sherlock of Jackhammer hotrod supply. Miles's latest project is the Flatlands Motorama hotrod show in Rosmalen, Holland. It's a bigger, classier version of the previous Rocking Jalopys show, that we took the Pop to back in 2013. Simon organised the "lowbrow" art display at the innaugral show last year, bringing together artists from all over Europe. Next year's art section will now be in memory of Simon/Big Nef.

A fuel tank on show at the Sema trade car show in Las Vegas this week, featuring Simon.
How many non celebrity people inspire this kind of love? Very few.