Sheffield man Andrew 'Gus' Dawes to be honoured with huge funeral procession

Motorcycles and powerful cars will stream through Sheffield on Friday in memory of a man who would 'help anybody out'.
Andrew Dawes' funeral is in Sheffield tomorrowAndrew Dawes' funeral is in Sheffield tomorrow
Andrew Dawes' funeral is in Sheffield tomorrow

People from as far as Blackpool will come to the city for Andrew 'Gus' Dawes' funeral.

The procession will be huge. Hundreds of bikes and cars are expected to take part as drivers pay their respects to Mr Dawes.

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The riders will set off from Peace Funerals on the corner of Wilcox and Halifax roads, at 1.30pm.

From there, they will head into the city, turning left at the Sheffield Motorcycle Centre - a favourite of Mr Dawes - and head through the Wicker Arches and up Spital Hill and Burngreave Road.

The ride takes in Minna Road, Cooks Wood Road, Shirecliffe Road, Moonshine Lane, Southey Green Road, Wordsworth Avenue and Deerlands Avenue before joining Halifax Road again.

Turning right, the riders and drivers will head up to Wheel Lane and Middleton Lane, meeting some of Mr Dawes' relatives at Cinder Hill Lane before heading to Grenoside Crematorium for the 3pm service.

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Afterwards, there will be a wake at a nearby farm which was the site of the Yellow Jersey Beer Festival.

One of Mr Dawes' closest friends, John Hibbert, remembered a 'loveable rogue' who would give anyone a hand.

The pair were friends for about 20 years.

One of his fondest memories of his big, strong mate was when the pair were riding motorcycles one day.

Mr Dawes stopped his mate from tipping his bike over after they stopped at an embankment, and Mr Hibbert had dismounted on the wrong side of the machine.

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"A massive hand came out of nowhere, grabbed me and pulled me back upright like it was nothing," he siad.

"He just started laughing, and said 'what are you doing that for?'"

He said Mr Dawes was a 'big, friendly giant', who had time for anyone.

"He would absolutely help anybody out with things to do with cars or DIY," he said.

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Mr Dawes was just 39 when he died after complications arising from a motorcycle crash on Rivelin Valley Road on August 27

He suffered extensive injuries, including broken sternum, ribs, collarbone, and a bruised heart.

He died two weeks after the accident, on September 10.

A crowdfunding page has raised more than £3,000 for Mr Dawes’ family, with more than 100 people donating.