Dave Myers 'a lovely man' who put Cumbria and Barrow on the map

Artist and life-long friend Graham Twyford on a visit to the chef's home in Normandy, during which he did a painting as a thank you to his host

TV presenter and chef Dave Myers, one half of the Hairy Bikers along with Si King, died from cancer aged 66 on Wednesday. Friends and former neighbours have paid tribute to a "natural comic" who never forgot his roots and put Cumbria on the map.

In Barrow-in-Furness, where Myers was born and raised, and where he lived for many years, he is remembered as a "lovely man" who always talked up his home town.

He had many enduring friendships, including with artist Graham Twyford, whom he met at Barrow Grammar school in 1973.

Mr Twyford first met Myers when he sat down next to him in an empty seat in the dining hall.

• Dave Myers on how cooking duo became friends before Hairy Bikers

"Me and another friend, Pete Thompson, rolled up to the dining hall and there's only a couple of seats left, right next to the bald lad," he recalls.

"Most other boys sported long Cavalier locks, so he rather stood out.

"Some daft immaturity came over me and I was a bit unsure, as I took my seat next to Dave Myers, the lad with alopecia.

"He was completely welcoming and friendly, and we hit it off with a shared passion for art.

"Here began the lifelong friendship that took us to flat sharing in London to pursue our fine art degrees and all the adventures ahead."

After school, the pair ended up as flatmates in Peckham, London.

Myers, who was awarded an honorary fellowship by the University of Cumbria in 2015, said the people in his home county of Cumbria had a strong sense of identity and "brilliant" food

When they would travel back to Barrow to visit family and friends, Mr Twyford recalls Myers and Peter Thompson going to the market for fresh food and cooking up a feast for them all.

"Dave and Pete would cook for us until the early hours of the morning, all adventurous dishes," he said.

"He was very loveable, full of enthusiasm, the same off-screen as on-screen.

"I loved Dave, he always had some adventurous plan he was going to try.

"He was just full of enthusiasm and a zest for life."

Myers and pal Graham Twyford on a trip to the Lakes in 1978, where they took it in turns to drive and shared a helmet

His favourite memory from their enduring friendship was going to Brixton to a big motorbike warehouse and Myers buying his first ever bike.

However, he did not have a licence and Graham had to drive it, with Myers in the sidecar. When Myers got his licence, the pals went on trips back to Cumbria from London.

Graham said: "I remember it was a Cossack Ural 650cc with a sidecar.

"The picture was taken on an early trip up to the Lakes from London in 1978.

"We took it in turns to ride the bike with one helmet between us."

'Shouting from rooftops'

Cumbria is one of the top culinary destinations outside London, with a total of 16 Michelin Stars across 13 restaurants.

Simon Rogan runs L'Enclume restaurant in Cartmel, south Cumbria, which has three stars.

He said Myers was a great ambassador for the county and helped grow its culinary reputation.

"He was always shouting from the rooftops about the produce and the people and he had a genuine love for the area," Mr Rogan said.

"I think he was proud of the restaurant scene and what was going on in the North West, predominantly in Cumbria."

Roa Island, where Myers lived for many years, has a population of about 100

Myers also lived in Roa Island for many years.

It is just over half a mile (1 km) south of the village of Rampside, at the southern most point of the Furness Peninsula in Westmorland and Furness and has a population of about 100.

It is a tight-knit community and friends and neighbours are saddened by his loss, but remember the TV personality fondly.

The yellow house on Roa Island where Myers lived for many years

Former neighbour, Ian Honeyman said: "It's sad news, I knew he'd been ill but I didn't realise it was as serious as that.

"We were both born in Devon Street and we used to joke about which part of the street did we come from, was it the rough end, that kind of thing.

"He never forgot Cumbria and I think he did such marvellous work publicising it, which was great.

"He was a real natural comic and such a lovely guy."

Ian Honeyman, a neighbour of Myers in Devon Street on Roa Island, said Myers was a natural comic

Even those who did not know him personally were struck by his natural warmth and down to earth nature when they met him in the flesh.

During a trip to Glenridding in the Lake District a couple of years ago, Olivia Clarke spotted two big motorbikes in a car park and her hopes were raised that they might belong to her two biking and cooking heroes.

She said: "We had a couple of minutes chat. They weren't filming, they were just on a boys' jolly, having lunch."

Myers and King pictured while filming their latest series, The Hairy Bikers Go West

Ms Clarke said her overriding memory of the encounter was the pair's chemistry.

"It just stuck with me because their energy, even off-screen, was there, this was well before Dave was ill," she said.

"He had this smiley face, this look on him, this swagger and you just knew you could talk to him."

She said Myers' and King's connection was "spectacular".

"They didn't just turn the magic on, it was real and they actually finished each other's sentences, like an old married couple or a pair of comfy shoes."

Old neighbours from Roa Island remember Myers as a "cheerful" man who put his home county on the map

Malcolm Flynn, who was another one of chef's neighbours when he lived on Roa Island, said he regularly took photographs of the town and sent them to Myers.

He said: "I'd often walked round the park or go on the bridge and take shots for Dave and send them to him.

"If you saw him he would always stop and speak, he always had the time and was always cheerful.

"He was a true Barrovian and we will miss him."