It is with great sadness that we report the passing of long time London Welsh supporter and member Peter Harrison, who passed suddenly on the 31st July 2022, after being diagnosed with cancer.
Peter’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 30th August 2022, 11.15am at Breakspear Crematorium, West Chapel, (HA4 7SJ).
Afterwards, please join the family at The Clubhouse Ruislip, Middlesex Stadium, Breakspear Road, HA4 7SB. If you are travelling and arrive early you can go to The clubhouse for tea and coffee/use facilities. The family ask for no flowers, however donations will be greatly received to a cancer charity to be confirmed at the funeral.
Peter’s Wife Sheila asks that you wear colourful, smart – casual. Pete hated wearing a suit!
Sheila and Pete were regulars at Old Deer Park (and indeed at club houses across the country) having been Supporters for 50 years! Pete was a mainstay at almost every fixture in recent years since project reset in 2017, the time that the Club needed him the most.
Pete was a man of great warmth and had true passion for London Welsh, something clearly that he and Sheila shared. Pete will be sorely missed as we enter the 2022/23 season and he will no doubt be incredibly annoyed at missing our return to the National Leagues! However, we are sure that he will be with us and watching from afar. We will raise more than one glass to Pete when the season opens and he will always be a part of our family.
Sheila and the family have provided us with their memories and thoughts for Pete below:
‘ We were informed that Pete would have a few months to live but unfortunately he didn’t survive a week. This was a huge shock for the family and everyone. He was a purchasing manager for various companies until he retired 10 years ago.
When he was in his thirties he was a keen cyclist and belonged to the Bath Road Cycling Club. He was still cycling until the end of May and managed 20-30 miles each week. He loved mending bikes, in fact the newsagent sent the paperboys to Peter if they had a problem with their bikes.
Peter also belonged to the Rover 75 club, he loved his car and organised breakfast meets so they could have a chat about their cars. If there was a problem there was always a member to solve the issue. Peter loved his food and wouldn’t want anything more to eat that day only a long sleep.
Now we come to London Welsh, my Mum and Dad were from Swansea, my younger sister had a crush on JPR (didn’t we all girls). She pestered my dad to take us to London Welsh. Peter and I had just got engaged so we all became supporters and followers, watching our famous players. Pete and I got married on the 5th June 1971, after the British Lions famous victory, poor Pete soon started supporting Wales. My Mum and Dad vouched for us to become members. We followed London Welsh to away games all over the country, at home games in the evening at London Welsh we would spend time talking to close friends about the match and having drinks. Then the singing would begin and it was a wonder the roof stayed on the clubhouse. Such happy memories.
Pete was so looking forward to the start of the season. I will be there shouting my head off for the team, hoping Alan my brother or one of our girls will take me.
I would like to thank the London Welsh family for all their kind words of support and love, it has been very comforting in this difficult time.
Wishing the team a successful season.
All the best Sheila and family xxx ‘
