Duncan Pollet passed

[Geeselad]

Heard on FB this well known stoke soul lad has passed. An amazing dancer and promotor of the bear, soul night in Newcastle under lyme during the 80's. 

[Wiganese]

One of the nicest guys you could ever meet, will be missed by many.

RIP Duncan

[Winsford Soul]

I'm still trying to get  information from some Stokie mates I hope it's not true.

Dunc was a good lad. 

[Geeselad]

4 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

I'm still trying to get  information from some Stokie mates I hope it's not true.

Dunc was a good lad. 

It's on Tim Ashley's FB page apparently. 

[Jumpinjoan]

Very sad news x

 

[Chalky]

It is definitely true, it was his funeral today. 
 

R.I.P. Northern Cowboy

[Winsford Soul]

Oh had sad. . Another soul taken far to soon. 

Rest in soulful peace Dunc and sleep well my friend 

Ste. X

Edited March 11, 2021 by Winsford Soul

[Tony Foster]

Incredibly sad news, Duncan was inspirational in his taste in rare soul music, he was also a great dancer.

R.I.P. dear friend.

Our sincere condolences to all family and friends

[Tony Foster]

It's also on martialartsplanet.com

Quote from the Richard Rae on the site.

I noticed a few folk mentioning Duncan and apologies if this has already been discussed but wanted to post this on here for those who knew him.

Duncan died of Covid in Limasol Cyprus. as per the attached.

RIP Duncan a true gent and a great fighter.

[Platters 81]

RIP mate a lovely lad

[Torch56]

Remember him from Stafford in particular due to his distinctive dancing style. If you google: Central Cannock 1991 Soul Night and go about 30 minutes in, you can see Duncan in a white top dancing to Johnny Rogers-Make a Change. He clearly had good taste. Difficult to grasp how somebody so fit and athletic (He was a martial arts practitioner and instructor) could be taken so young; he was only 56.

[Ian Stacey]

22 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

I'm still trying to get  information from some Stokie mates I hope it's not true.

Dunc was a good lad. 

Afriad so mate  .we where good mates .back in the eighties 

[Chalky]

I hope Tim @Colouredman doesn’t mind me posting this. This is what Tim said on Facebook in the Stafford group, pretty emotional and a wonderful tribute to Duncan. 

Quote

I’m sure by now everyone has heard the tragic news about Duncan (Pollett). Duncan was only 56 and therefore, inevitably, it feels like he was taken from us way way too early, and long before his time.

I spoke at length on the phone last night to his partner Jackie over in Cyprus. She told me that Duncan passed away at around 8 am yesterday morning in hospital. He had apparently been in hospital for almost a month, since February 11th. He had gone there for an appointment with a liver specialist, who had then advised that they would need to keep him in for observation, given his condition. 

Duncan had previously also been in hospital just after Xmas for 3 weeks, and actually contracted  Covid in there,  but amazingly, came through all that with no symptoms. However notwithstanding that, he did have a variety of serious longstanding and underlying health conditions with his pancreas, liver, and stomach, and as such had been unwell for some time. Jackie had been unable to see Duncan for the month in hospital, because of Covid restrictions, and had only been able to speak to him on the phone. Confident as ever, he was apparently convinced of his ability to bounce back and return to good health, and had  even spoken of going to visit Kenya, once he was well enough. 

For  many many years he had been living in a small village in Anogyra, in South West Cyprus, not far from Pissouri, and about 40 mins drive from Paphos, with his partner Jackie. I visited him there many times, and always used to tell him he had a dream job; with dream hours; about 2 or 3 per day maximum lol. He worked for a donkey sanctuary, looking after old and abused donkeys.

He’d get up early, feed the donkeys and muck out around 6 am, then the rest of the day was his, to do what he liked, until around 6pm, when he’d feed them again. On a visit there in 2018, he had me, Kristin, and Johnny and Chrissy Beggs in stitches naming every donkey, and describing its character and habits.....”This one’s Louis, this one’s Jimmy Raye, this one’s Armani, lol, etc etc”; we couldn’t stop laughing; it was Duncan at his funniest. 

The donkey sanctuary, and their house which overlooked it, is in a beautiful mountainous  setting,  with fantastic rural and coastal views, and we should be very happy for him, that his last days were spent in that beautiful sunny scenic natural environment, and not here. 

In the hours between tending to the donkeys, Duncan and Jac would enjoy a day out shopping in Limassol, or often go kite surfing at a private British Army base beach and club. He’d got in with the club after teaching some of the soldiers martial arts.

All this is a far cry from Longport where he was living with his Mum when I first met him. I first encountered him when he was only about 15 years old. I was working for SOT City Council Parks Dept, and we were doing some work at Brownhills school. Duncan and his mate; Big Chalkie, were sneaking a crafty fag around the back of the school, and came to have a bit of a chat and a laugh with us. I never really thought anything more of it, other than that they were both likeable, cheeky, and funny young guys. But a year or so later, those same two cheekie chappies, were by then  well into soul, and were blagging lifts with us to Northern venues.

I guess that was the start of his Northern journey, and the beginning of our 40 year long friendship. I think we all experienced Duncan as a bubbly, friendly, polite, energetic, confident, motivated, lively, happy, funny, action-man, always full of beans and adrenaline-charged, whether as a martial artist, or  at the Bear Soul nights he ran with Johnny Beggs, or as a dancer at Stafford, or as a collector, or up in Scotland co-running the Lau Gar Kung Fu franchises, and partying with the Scots Northern lads, who I’m sure have some great stories to tell. 

Who could forget his Kung Fu/Kickboxing accomplishments. Who would have thought that our beloved skinny soul boy from Longport would go on to represent Britain in European and World Martial Arts Championships and competitions. He and John Gwilt, and our very own Carolyn Megyesi, won countless trophies at world and European level. He travelled all over the globe competing, and I recall him winning Bronze at the World Kickboxing Championships in Austria, and becoming German International Grand Champion in Hamburg. 

After he stopped competing, he took up instructing, and was even doing it in Cyprus, instructing army personnel at British Army bases, as well as teaching self defence and  martial arts in Limassol and Episkopi.

It’s heartbreaking for us all to have to acknowledge, that in the end, the lean fit athletic body, which had served Duncan so well over the years, finally could serve him no more. But that’s the Duncan I’ll remember; always full of energy, always on a mission, always smiling, always charming and cheeky; a great fighter, a great dancer, and a great friend. 

The last time I saw him was in May 2019 on a visit to Cyprus. The photo below was taken at a lovely fish restaurant right by the sea, a short drive from where he lived, which he used to take us to. Typically the owners and staff all knew him well and clearly liked him a lot.

He made his own path, lived life to the full, created his own destiny, and left his mark, and from humble beginnings. In the course of doin so, he had a a hell of a lot of fun, had countless adventures, made many many friends, and left an enviable legacy of sporting achievement. On top of all that he undoubtedly he’s left us with many great memories of the lovely lad he was. Super sad as we are, that’s a lot to be proud of in a friend, and we should be, coz he’s one of ours; a true soul brother, a true friend, and one who will be so so missed. Love and respect always bro; Rest in Peace.

 

[Chalky]

2 hours ago, Torch56 said:

Remember him from Stafford in particular due to his distinctive dancing style. If you google: Central Cannock 1991 Soul Night and go about 30 minutes in, you can see Duncan in a white top dancing to Johnny Rogers-Make a Change. He clearly had good taste. Difficult to grasp how somebody so fit and athletic (He was a martial arts practitioner and instructor) could be taken so young; he was only 56.

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Chalky

[Mick Sway]

Sad to hear this, quite unbelievable really.

While I didn't know him personally I  so much enjoyed those Friday Soul nights at The Bear (Newcastle Under Lyme) , in the late 80's, when he ,along with Mr J Beggs,  introduced me to so many great tunes - all killers, no fillers!

I guess it's time to forgive him charging me 50p to get in at 10:30 (we were late after a wedding do) when it closed at 11 ish.

"It'll never be over for me" , "Just say Goodbye", "I'm Gone", "Crook His Little Finger", "What Good Am I"

All essential.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Mick Sway

[Tony Foster]

Fond memories of Duncan, he was kind enough to sell me his copy of Karmello Brooks - Tell me baby, at the Congleton All-nighter for £120.   Those were great days.  He just had to play it once before he handed it over.  Top Man.

[Martyn Pitt]

Sad news, another great dancer left us before his time.

R.I.P. Duncan 

[Andy Chaplin]

i’ve just read this - signed up to check if this is the right guy? 

The duncan pollen i knew - and dearly hope is not the one fore-mentioned spent a few years in glasgow in the late 90’s, which is where our paths crossed.

if this is the same duncan, then i am devastated.