BIKERS were part of the solemn funeral procession for Anthony Pring, of Tunbridge Wells, who lost his battle against cancer aged 53 and who was described this week as a "leader of men".
Motorcyclists wearing leathers and riding bikes including Harley- Davidsons and Triumphs gathered at Mr Pring's home in Waterdown Road, Ramslye.
The devoted family man lived there with wife Rebecca, with whom he had four daughters - Tanya, 23, Sophie, 21, Kim, 19, and Carli, 16.
They accompanied the cavalcade on Wednesday last week along Eridge Chanel Replica Handbags Road, up Frant Road and along Forest Road to a packed service at Kent and Sussex Crematorium.
Mr Pring's coffin was carried inside to Bon Jovi's Superman Tonight, where mourners crowded around the walls, in the aisles and out in the foyer.
Mr Pring had been diagnosed in June 2007 but had been stoical throughout his illness, even working at his company Pring and Frier up to within weeks of his death on January 21. He had been cared for at home until his last few hours, when he was moved to Hospice in the Weald where he died surrounded by his family.
Those who knew Mr Pring said his life was roughly divided into two halves - the first until he married aged 27 was filled with bikes, and the second was as a man devoted to a family he adored.
He was a founder and vicepresident of the Tunbridge Wells bikers' group The Rebels Motorcycle Club, formed in the mid-1970s, which then "morphed" into the Rebels South East, of which he was president.
Some of the former members dug out their old Rebel badges to wear at the funeral.
Fellow biker and friend Nigel "Snug" Williams, 51, of St Richard's Road, Crowborough, said he was a natural leader and a man of honour, loyalty and integrity.
He said he was a hard worker and a man who lived for his family. He added that out of all of the bikers, Mr Pring was the cleanest living, was healthy and kept fit.
Prada Replica Handbags He added: "He was a modern man with old-fashioned principles, a working class hero really and very proud of his roots. He was a born leader and a few people have said in the past few days, he was the sort of guy that if there was a war he would have been a sergeant major. He just commanded respect."
Excelled Mr Pring, one of six children, grew up in Sherwood and later Ramslye. He went to Huntley's School where he excelled at 800m and 1,500m.
He continued to run as an adult and encouraged Rebecca and his daughters to join him.
He was a voracious reader, particularly of history, for which he had a huge capacity for retaining information.
He had worked as a mechanic at Lifestyle Ford in Mount Ephraim and Replica fendi wholesale then on the railways for Balfour Beatty Rail, but retrained as a plumber.
Another friend and biker Mick Hopper, 53, of Connaught Park, said: "Without him, many of us would not have had the gumption to have got anywhere. We'd probably be sitting round in pubs." His mother Sylvia said: "He never complained and he must have been in pain. He was a good lad. His family meant everything to him, everything."
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