I am sad to relay the news that late last week, Chris Tunbridge of CT Motorcycle Services in Kent (Tunneruk) passed away.
No further details are available at present.
I can't see it posted on here unless I've missed it and apologies if I have.
I know Chris posted on here a while back so some of you may know him.
He was a very talented guy and has sadly been taken far too soon.
Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
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Tonibe63
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Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
.Never met Chris but admired the quality of his work via the forums. RIP Chris and condolences to his family and friends.
Open your eyes and you see what is in front of you, open your mind and you see a bigger picture but open your heart and you see a whole new World.
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IanB
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Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
Very sad.
R.I. P. Chris.
R.I. P. Chris.
Time knows no limits for days such as these.............
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OnHellas
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Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
I knew Chris for about 10 years and rode with him a fair bit on and off.
A very keen motorcyclist and he certainly got in to the modification type work that lots of us seem to be/have been in to.
I know a lot of have seen this before but it was my take on a custom bobber build.
Chris did the work to an exacting standard.
There were so many subtle modifications that went in to this bikes transformation, and some not so. He was very patient, things had to be right. No ‘that’ll do!’ stuff was allowed.
A very keen motorcyclist and he certainly got in to the modification type work that lots of us seem to be/have been in to.
- E9ADE566-FB6F-4719-8E04-AD167245593F.jpeg (241.15 KiB) Viewed 4037 times
Chris did the work to an exacting standard.
There were so many subtle modifications that went in to this bikes transformation, and some not so. He was very patient, things had to be right. No ‘that’ll do!’ stuff was allowed.
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Tonibe63
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Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
A sad update posted on UKGSer which I've copied over in the hope it will help others :-
"Chris Tunbridge (Tunneruk) – further information
This is not an easy message to write, or to read. It has been scripted with the assistance of Chris’s close friend Chad and Karen, Chris’s long-term partner.
It is hoped that in bringing this information to light, it may be helpful to other individuals who are experiencing similar circumstances.
It pains me greatly to report that Chris took his own life. It was entirely unexpected by those closest to him, and especially Karen with whom he was so incredibly close. What has become apparent subsequently, is that Chris was fighting some considerable inner demons, and had been doing so for a very long time. That, along with the inevitable pressure of running a small business, proved to be more than he could cope with.
The reason no-one knew what Chris was dealing with, was because he internalised it entirely. Anyone who ever dealt with him knows that his outward persona was irrepressibly positive, passionate and helpful. There will be plenty of us who know that what should have been a 2 minute stop at his workshop to drop off a part usually turned into a one hour chat, with a cuppa, as he enthused over current work and shared his ideas for your own job. He always had time, for everyone - that’s the only Chris we ever saw.
So it feels tragic that he was clearly wrestling with such weighty issues, but never shared that with anyone. Maybe he didn’t want to burden anyone else with it, maybe he’s a product (like so many of us) of a time and an upbringing that encourages us to just deal with things ourselves.
Whatever, the recent outpouring of respect, concern and love for the man shows that even within this community there are tens, maybe hundreds of people who would have done anything to help him, rather than see this happen. If only he’d seen that.
So what good, if any, can come of this?
The sad truth is that Chris will not be the only person on this forum to be dealing with difficult, possibly overwhelming issues, and tragically he will not be the last person to contemplate ending it all. Karen is particularly keen that people should be aware of this story, and that if they feel that they are experiencing anything similar, they really should seek assistance.
That might come from speaking with a healthcare professional, or a mate or a partner. Things are usually more easily solved than are immediately apparent, problems can in reality be smaller than they seem and to quote from a previous thread, Chris would have been surprised to see the number of people who genuinely cared for him and would have helped him.
If this resonates with you in any way, or maybe there’s someone you feel may be similarly affected, think about Chris’s story and know that there is always another option."
"Chris Tunbridge (Tunneruk) – further information
This is not an easy message to write, or to read. It has been scripted with the assistance of Chris’s close friend Chad and Karen, Chris’s long-term partner.
It is hoped that in bringing this information to light, it may be helpful to other individuals who are experiencing similar circumstances.
It pains me greatly to report that Chris took his own life. It was entirely unexpected by those closest to him, and especially Karen with whom he was so incredibly close. What has become apparent subsequently, is that Chris was fighting some considerable inner demons, and had been doing so for a very long time. That, along with the inevitable pressure of running a small business, proved to be more than he could cope with.
The reason no-one knew what Chris was dealing with, was because he internalised it entirely. Anyone who ever dealt with him knows that his outward persona was irrepressibly positive, passionate and helpful. There will be plenty of us who know that what should have been a 2 minute stop at his workshop to drop off a part usually turned into a one hour chat, with a cuppa, as he enthused over current work and shared his ideas for your own job. He always had time, for everyone - that’s the only Chris we ever saw.
So it feels tragic that he was clearly wrestling with such weighty issues, but never shared that with anyone. Maybe he didn’t want to burden anyone else with it, maybe he’s a product (like so many of us) of a time and an upbringing that encourages us to just deal with things ourselves.
Whatever, the recent outpouring of respect, concern and love for the man shows that even within this community there are tens, maybe hundreds of people who would have done anything to help him, rather than see this happen. If only he’d seen that.
So what good, if any, can come of this?
The sad truth is that Chris will not be the only person on this forum to be dealing with difficult, possibly overwhelming issues, and tragically he will not be the last person to contemplate ending it all. Karen is particularly keen that people should be aware of this story, and that if they feel that they are experiencing anything similar, they really should seek assistance.
That might come from speaking with a healthcare professional, or a mate or a partner. Things are usually more easily solved than are immediately apparent, problems can in reality be smaller than they seem and to quote from a previous thread, Chris would have been surprised to see the number of people who genuinely cared for him and would have helped him.
If this resonates with you in any way, or maybe there’s someone you feel may be similarly affected, think about Chris’s story and know that there is always another option."
Open your eyes and you see what is in front of you, open your mind and you see a bigger picture but open your heart and you see a whole new World.
Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
I have no idea how to respond to that without using enough expletives to get me banned. A sad face although woefully inadequate will have to do 
The secret of a long life is knowing when its time to go.
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frenchy3
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Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
I have experienced family members and friends who were in such a bad place they took their own lives. Although i can never understand how bad things could be to make someone do that i send my condolences and best wishes to his family and friends.
Re: Chris Tunbridge - Tunneruk
Over on UKGSER we are having a collection to assist his partner with the funeral; the collection is now over £3500 and we would like it to get past £4500 so, i'm posting this here in case anyone would like to help out. Thankyou.
"In the wake of Chris Tunbridge's (Tunneruk's) recent tragic passing, a few members here have asked whether they can contribute something to assist in anyway.
Karen, Chris's long term partner, is currently wrestling with a number of issues, but the one which is looming largest is the impending cost of the funeral. If anyone would like to make a contribution, this would be enormously appreciated and it would significantly help to take some of the weight from her shoulders, as well as reminding her of the respect and friendship that so many of us felt for Chris.
Karen is unaware at this stage that we are planning to help in this way, so it will come as an incredible surprise to her, she could do with a little good news right now.
Chris's passing has made a surprising number of us contemplate life's bigger questions....
If that includes you and you would like to donate something, Bryn has been extremely kind and offered to make his PayPal account available. Funds should be sent there, and Bryn will transfer them in tranches to Karen. We will also publish the balance periodically, so we can all see the sum of the contributions.
Thanks to everyone in advance for any contributions made."
Anyone wanting to donate please pm. me for the PayPal details.
"In the wake of Chris Tunbridge's (Tunneruk's) recent tragic passing, a few members here have asked whether they can contribute something to assist in anyway.
Karen, Chris's long term partner, is currently wrestling with a number of issues, but the one which is looming largest is the impending cost of the funeral. If anyone would like to make a contribution, this would be enormously appreciated and it would significantly help to take some of the weight from her shoulders, as well as reminding her of the respect and friendship that so many of us felt for Chris.
Karen is unaware at this stage that we are planning to help in this way, so it will come as an incredible surprise to her, she could do with a little good news right now.
Chris's passing has made a surprising number of us contemplate life's bigger questions....
If that includes you and you would like to donate something, Bryn has been extremely kind and offered to make his PayPal account available. Funds should be sent there, and Bryn will transfer them in tranches to Karen. We will also publish the balance periodically, so we can all see the sum of the contributions.
Thanks to everyone in advance for any contributions made."
Anyone wanting to donate please pm. me for the PayPal details.
