Dave Myers (1957 – 2024)

“David’s warm smile, hearty laugh, and genuine love for people were not just the ingredients of his success but a reflection of his zest for life.

“His presence brightened our screens, and his heart and soul inspired all who knew him and many others to embrace the simple pleasures of sharing a meal with loved ones.”

~ Robson Green

I’ve watched my fair share of Hairy Biker episodes in my time, and will admit to shedding a tear this week to hearing that Dave Myers at the age of 66, one half of the duo, is no longer with  us.  The two of them seemed to be so joined at the hip, that your heart goes out to his “brother” Si King.  How many towns and cities in the U.K. and around the world did we visit with them, in search of culinary inspiration?  Last night, I watched them in Mississipi and New Orleans…

Birth Chart

Dave Myers had the Sun in Virgo, a sign known to be interested in health, diet and hygiene.  The Hairy Bikers experimented with all sorts of regimes, and produced a book for each, among which were Veggie Feasts, and Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes.  They set up The Hairy Bikers Diet Club.  Dave’s Sun was conjunct Mercury, the ruler of Virgo, accentuating his Virgoan qualities.  But his qualification as a Biker Archetype permeates the picture painted by his birthchart.  First of all, he had the Sun conjunct Mars, then he had the North Node in Scorpio, the Moon opposite Pluto, and finally Mercury closely conjunct Mars, all going to make a convincing recipe for a Biker.  That’s also a lot of energy.  The Mercury/Mars conjunction in particular gave him very sharp mental and physical reactions.  He was born close to a Full Moon in Pisces, giving him that childlike wonderment which was part of his enthusiasm about life and food.  His Moon was also trine Neptune, indicating a sensitive Soul, and being opposite Pluto it will have made him deeply emotional.  He had a very artistic side, with Venus in Libra, loosely conjunct Neptune, and used his artistry earlier in life in connection with disability (Neptune).  Jupiter closely sextile Saturn provided excellent balance and judgement, and Jupiter sextile Uranus gave him the Entrepreneur Archetype.  Together with Simon, he sold a lot of books!  Saturn closely trine Uranus gave him a constructive sense of how to bring the old and the new together, while Jupiter trine Chiron gave him insight into healing.  He made a good recovery from his recent cancer, in order to create a comeback series of programmes with Si.  We do not have his birth time, which would provide a more finely tuned picture.

Life and Career

Dave Myers was born in Barrow-in-Furness, and Si King was born in Kibblesworth, Co. Durham, giving rise to a duo of distinctly northern accents.  Dave’s father was a foreman in a paper mill.  After he left school, he went on to study Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, London, which was followed by an M.A. in Art History (Venus in Libra).  He subsequently worked as a professional make-up artist, and specialized in prosthetics (Venus conjunct Neptune).  This constituted 23 years of his life.  While working on a period drama in 1995, he met Si King (when his progressed Sun moved to his natal Venus, indicating a significant partner in his life).  The first television show they appeared on was The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook on BBC (2006).

I remember thinking at the time, that the format was similar to the slightly earlier Two Fat Ladies.  Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson were born a decade or two before the Hairy Bikers, and began their television journey a decade before, but travelled in Paterson’s Triumph Thunderbird motorbike, with Dickson Wright occupying the sidecar.  Clarissa had Mercury sextile Mars, a variation on Dave’s Biker astrological themes.  Myers and King together took the format to another level.

A 30-part series was undertaken from 24th August 2009, touring Britain, saw transiting Pluto sextile Dave’s natal Neptune (an in-depth undertaking) plus Pluto trine his natal Pluto (a supreme effort, and self-empowerment), while for Si Jupiter was trine his natal Venus (a successful achievement).

An even longer series, of 40 parts, took place starting on 25th October 2010, comprising of competitions between families, and entitled The Hairy Bikers’ Cook Off.  The transits seemed more significant for Si this time, with Jupiter on his natal Saturn (uplifting) and Neptune trine his natal Sun (spiritual).

Having launched their Hairy Dieters series in 2012, they created The Hairy Bikers’ Diet Club in 2014, inviting the engagement of their fans.

Their roving motorbikes took them all over the world, from Portugal to Morocco, taking us with them. In 2015 they wrote their autobiography The Hairy Bikers: Blood, Sweat and Tyres.

Si King

Theirs was a wonderful working partnership.  Si is a Libran, a sign which expresses itself best through collaborative partnership.  Dave, as the Virgo, represents the desire to give of service.  In their synastry, they both share Virgoan and Scorpionic placements, in itself an indication of harmony.  Crucially, King’s Mercury sextiles Myers’ Mars, itself a Biker aspect.  But even more significantly, King’s Pluto conjoins Myers’ Mars, another Biker interaspect, and one engendering great dynamic energy between them.  The major transit occurring for Si King this week on Dave’s passing was Uranus exactly trine Pluto to the day, life being changed due to a passing – as seen his natal Pluto being exactly conjunct Dave’s Mars (“The Hairy Bikers”). King wrote that his “best friend is on a journey he can’t follow.”

Liliana Orzac

His wife, whom he married in 2011, describes Dave as “a wonderful, brave man”.  They met in 2005 while Dave and Si were filming in Romania on their first series.  The Hairy duo walked into a Hotel’s reception, where Liliana worked, and made an instant impression.  In the intervening years, they kept in touch and years later, she visited England and says she was bowled over by his kindness, that being a quality treasured by many in their eulogies.  Dave  picked her up from the airport and asked her ‘What do you want me to cook for you?’ She explains “I’d never ever in my life had a man cook for me …My heart melted”.  He became very close to her children.  She finished her Facebook announcement this week by saying “Till next time we meet!”

Recent Years

On 5th May 2022 Dave Myers announced a diagnosis of cancer, though he did not specify what type.  At the time, Mars was opposite his natal Sun (a challenge), and Uranus was trine his natal Sun, a change of lifestyle, which resulted in him withdrawing for a while.  In the meantime, he underwent a regime of chemotherapy.  In January 2023, he announced that they were making a new series of The Hairy Bikers show (Go West).  This must have been enormously demanding physically, but he obviously felt up to it, and the completed series started airing this month, taking them from Scotland to Devon.  In the first episode, Dave said “It was a dream come true…I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back in the saddle again.  There was a time I couldn’t balance, I couldn’t walk”.

This week, Mars was transiting his natal Chiron (healing crisis), Uranus was trine his natal Mars (riding high on his new series), and Pluto square his natal Neptune (end of an era).  For someone with such joie de vivre, he had had a last hurrah.  How much he seemed to enjoy his life and work, infectiously so.

“He was an absolute joy to work with,” Tebbutt said. “He was just so down to earth, self deprecating, he was normal. There were no airs and graces.

“He was a genuinely lovely guy who genuinely enjoyed and loved what he did. I think that shines through in all the shows.

“The nation loved him because he was that bloke that you could relate to. Whether you saw him out in the shops or down the pub or wherever, he was just a normal, nice guy.”

~ Matt Tebbutt

Aspects

Today’s aspect is a square between Venus and Uranus.  It may be an abrasive day for meetings.  The way through is to use your intuition, and stay one step ahead.  Relationships can be disrupted, and subject to misunderstandings.  On the other hand, on another level, it can open up telepathic communication between individuals  on a higher level.

Tomorrow (Monday 4th) brings us two congenial sextiles, the first between Mercury and Uranus.  This aspect gives rise to spectacular and unusual communications.  This encourages us to use all the new technology for our communications, and brings new ideas, heightening intuition and telepathy.   This aspect can amaze you and help you find that “wow” factor.

The second sextile, between Mars and the North Node, is an opportunity to express warriorship reasonably safely. You may be able to get your message across directly and actively, in speaking your truth or setting an example.  If you are a follower of Dan Millman (the “Peaceful Warrior), I’ll be preaching to the converted…  If you are a timid type, there is scope to embolden yourself slightly.  It’s a good aspect for bikers, both earthly and celestial.

Midweek sees a hiatus from aspects, so I am reaching out to the Fixed Stars to see us through Tuesday 5th and budget day Wednesday 6th.  There is an alignment at that time with the Star Achernar from the constellation of Eridanus (The River).  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld reveals to us:

“This star has the capacity to increase the mental functioning needed for the ability to work in multiple dimensional understanding.  This can be helpful for some individuals who not only seek to understand the relationship of mathematics and science to the everyday world, but who also have a concept of the limitations of science at the current time.  This can be helpful to individuals who have blockages to science and mathematics in themselves, assisting them to bridge these blocks.  This star is helpful for individuals who seek to teach science and math to individuals of an artistic bent.”

Around 5th to 7th (Chiron Ephemerides vary), the North Node conjoins with Chiron at 17 degrees Aries.  Here in this conjunction, the potential for crisis or healing combines with collective karma.  For example, we may see groundbreaking health innovations during this time, or international crisis talks about the state of the world (for Ukraine, the Middle East, or about Putin).  A ceasefire for Gaza may be in that picture.  In our own lives, we may be shown where we next have the need to focus our healing efforts.

Mercury conjoins Neptune on Friday 8th, at 27 degrees of Pisces.  This conjunction can link you mentally with your spiritual sources, and provide the inspiration much needed at this time. It is a good time to ask for guidance, though you may have to sift reality from illusion, even in the guidance you receive.

On Saturday 9th we end with a square, just as we started with one at the beginning of the week.  This one involves Mars and Uranus, which can be hair raising, explosive or brittle.  So it is advisable to chill out, and urge others to do so, and hope the message radiates.  This square can also be accident-prone, so if you are out riding your bike, make sure your helmet is firmly held on.  There may be some escalation of aggression in the current wars.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – abrasive
  • Tomorrow – congenial: spectacular communication; expressing warriorship safely
  • Tuesday – multiple dimensional understanding
  • Wednesday – crisis talks
  • Thursday – healing applications
  • Friday – channelling
  • Saturday – need to calm situations
Date: Mar 3rd, 2024 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities · Obituary