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John Cleve Graham

I am saddened to hear the news that Cleve Graham passed away on 12th January 2005.  Cleve Graham was a well known name in the motoring circle and indeed especially when it came to 3-wheelers, of which his book “The 3-wheelers Almanac” with over 1,200 listings of 3-wheelers testified.  In the early days of creating this site Cleve sent many emails full of information to fill the many missing gaps that it had.  In July 2004 I had the pleasure of meeting him whilst he left Tamworth, Australia and set out on what seemed to be a World tour.  A few weeks later he was passing the UK and so called by and hiring a Smart Car drove up from London to Tamworth, UK to visit me.

I picked him up from his hotel and then took him around Tamworth like a tour guide showing him all the historical land marks from the early Norman castle up to quite recent history, the land that Reliant Motors once stood on.

Cleve had many stories to tell and was interested to see how this web site was all put together. So back at my house we went through the web site and I dug out my copy of the  “3-wheelers Almanac” written by Cleve.  Cleve then signed it for me.  I joked that it was funny that when I brought the book I had never heard of Cleve, and then just over 3 years later he travels across the world to my house and signs it. Who would have thought it? (The photo above is Cleve in my dining room with his book).  We also had great mirth when later that day we went to an Italian restaurant for a meal.

Cleve ... at my home in Tamworth, UK.

With a personality that en-captured everyone Cleve told the waiter that he had come a very long way to eat here.  The waiter asked, “where have you come from?”.  Cleve replied, “Tamworth”.  For a moment the waiter was most puzzled as we were in Tamworth until Cleve then said, Tamworth, Australia.

Cleve didn’t arrive home from his overseas travels until September 2004 and e-mailed me to say that he had arrived home safe but not sound.  At this time he was diagnosed with cancer and I am told that it then progressed rapidly.

My deepest sympathies go out to his family.

Elvis Payne.

January 2005

 

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