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From the BBC:
Thousands of bikers have been riding through Wootton Bassett to honour the people of the Wiltshire town – and the soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Each rider has paid £5 to take part, with the proceeds going to the charity Afghan Heroes.
An estimated 15,000 bikers and pillion passengers congregated at Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire earlier.
The first batch of 500 riders left at 1100 GMT to ride to Wootton Basset via the M4 motorway.
The event was expected to last until early evening, with bikers leaving the airfield at 30-minute intervals to make their way to Wootton Bassett.
About 10,000 riders registered to take part. They were accompanied by some 5,000 pillion passengers.
‘Noise and movement’
Crowds gathered along Wootton Bassett’s High Street to watch the bikers pass the war memorial.
The town’s mayor Steve Bucknell said the “vast majority” of the people in the town “fully support” what the bikers are doing.
I decided to make a Facebook page, and it’s just taken off
Event organier Elizabeth Stevens
“Too many times the town has had to stand still in silence but today is all about noise and movement.”
Local MP James Gray added that people in the town appreciated the gesture and were “very supportive of it indeed”.
Sue Sullivan, from Gloucestershire, is one of those taking part.
She said: “We rode at 1130 GMT and I’ve never seen so many bikes.
“I’m one of thousands of people who support our girls and boys.”
Denise Harris, the founder of Afghan Heroes, said troops on the front line had sent her e-mails backing the event.
Harley Davidson
She told the BBC: “It boosts morale for them.
“I mean they just are so grateful to the general public for their support and their kindness.”
The Bike Run was the idea of 18-year-old biker Elizabeth Stevens.
The ride was organised by Elizabeth Stevens, 18, pictured with her partnerMs Stevens, a mechanics student at the Central Bedfordshire College, had only planned to ride through the town with a few friends.
“Our local bike club was throwing around the idea of a bike run,” she said in January, “so I decided to make a Facebook page, and it’s just taken off”.
Ms Stevens is riding pillion on her partner’s Harley Davidson Sportster.
Laurence Phillips from Afghan Heroes said the event had gathered pace after being posted on the social networking site Facebook.
“It’s quite a staggering spectacle and an unbelievable show of support for the troops in Afghanistan and a mark of respect for the town of Wootton Bassett.”
Ch Insp Owen Gillard of Wiltshire Police said the force was working with the Ministry of Defence and Wiltshire Council to ensure public safety, with police escorting the bikers and a helicopter at the scene.
Source:
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8566626.stmMore pictures:
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8566860.stm
Well did any of us get to take part? I bow my head in shame and admit when I visited the appropriate web site I had missed the registration deadline (security checks had to made on all being admitted to the RAF base). Well done ALL who took part, what a way to show support for our troops and what a coupe to promote us bikers in such a positive manner.
Panman from this site (a neighbour of mine) went on his BMW. I would love to of gone, but visit my mothers grave on this day every year.
read the first 3 sentences and got the jist of what hes saying..he sounds like a total asswipe to be honest. if he wants to sit there and type about emissions he might want to think that new bikes have better emissions that cars etc..retard! f*cker
quote:
Originally posted by maxread this[
!]https://blogs.mirror.co.uk/observation-post/2010/03/on-your-bike-for-the-troops.html
The bloke is clearly an idiot…all responses to the article were having a go at him
I think the event was superb and should become a regular event
quote:
Originally posted by maxread this[
!]https://blogs.mirror.co.uk/observation-post/2010/03/on-your-bike-for-the-troops.html
A contra blog has now been issued by another Mirror Journelist Graham Brough :-
https://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/2010/03/wootton-bassett-ride-out-the-b.html
Im a nutshell ….
Chris Hughes our war correspondent – one of the most decent blokes I know – was taken aback by the ferocity of the responses he got from bikers after he had a poke at the event in his Mirror blog.He asked me, as a biker, what my take on it was and if I thought he was wrong.
So I had to put him right on a few things.
I told him I could see his logic in spotting that fund-raising often follows the lines of people’s hobbies like running or cycling for charity. But he was missing the point.
To his credit, he listened and immediately started writing a response to his biker critics.
Ah yes, have now found the official apology:-
https://blogs.mirror.co.uk/observation-post/2010/03/woottonnbikers—a-response.html
He appears genuinely taken aback! The words “I apologise” ARE in his response.
Couldn’t get the last link to work TT
More positive stuff here
https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/5062865.Bikers_raise___100_000_for_Afghan_Heroes/?ref=mr
quote:
Originally posted by RadarCouldn’t get the last link to work TT
It appears that all links to Chris Hughes’s blogs regarding his comments on Sundays Ride through Wooton Bassett have been dropped by the Daily Mirror!!!!
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