Clovis Salmon

Clovis Constantine Salmon OBE (13 April 1927 – 18 June 2025), better known as Sam the Wheels, was a Jamaican-born British filmmaker and bicycle repairman.

Early life and career Salmon was born in Jamaica on 13 April 1927. As a young man in Jamaica he ran a bicycle shop. Upon moving to London in November 1957, his first job was at a Claud Butler shop on Clapham Manor Street and later Holdsworth Cycle Co.

Documentary work Salmon was a self-taught filmmaker who filmed hundreds of hours of footage covering community life in south London, although he was not widely recognised until 2021.

In the 2024 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to Culture and to the Black Community." That year, he also received a Lifetime Achiever Award from the National Diversity Awards.

Personal life Salmon was married. He lived on Railton Road, Brixton, London. In his later years, Salmon was a Pentecostal minister. After retiring, he ran a bicycle repair program out of his home.

Salmon died at King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, on 18 June 2025, at the age of 98. He was survived by his wife Delores, five children, and ten grandchildren.