10,000 bikes at Wootton Bassett in tribute to Army heroes (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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10,000 bikes at Wootton Bassett in tribute to Army heroes
11:13am Thursday 11th March 2010 in
An idea first aired on social networking site Facebook will become a spectacular reality on Sunday when 10,000 bikers cruise through Wootton Bassett to show their support from soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
The tribute, which will raise up to £50,000 for the charity Afghan Heroes, was first suggested on a Facebook group three months ago.
More than 10,000 people joined the group and have registered to take part in the ride. All the participants will pay £5 to the charity.
The group was set up by 18-year-old Lizzie Stevens from Luton but it was pensioner Julia Stevenson from Kent who has brought it to fruition by organising it.
Bikers from all over the country will be arriving in Wiltshire on Saturday night. They will meet at Buckley Barracks in Hullavington on Sunday before heading to Wootton Bassett from l1am.
The ride begins at Hull-avington and continues on A429 (north west to Burton Hill), B4042 (Priory roundabout to Callows Cross), Callow Hill to White Hill Lane and the A3102 to Wootton Bassett.
The bikers will be going straight up the High Street and the official ride will be ending at the Coped Hall roundabout.
Wootton Bassett Town Council is appealing for bikers to stay out of the town once they have completed the ride. Admin assistant Melanie Nicholls said: “The last pulse is expected to come through at about 6pm, so by then it will be getting dark and cold and there will be nothing to come back in for.
“It won’t help their cause, of that of Afghan Heroes, if they come back into the town.”
Baz Morgan, 54, of Port Talbot, Wales, grew up in Wootton Bassett and is looking forward to returning to his home town.
He was born in Lyneham and then moved to Wootton Bassett when he was a toddler.
He joined the Royal Engineers and spent time in Germany and Northern Ireland. He said: “This ride means a lot to me. It is unbelievable.”
Steve Roach , 31, comes from Melksham and rides a Yamaha R1.
He said: “There is a group of eight of us from Melksham. It is a way we can give Wootton Bassett a bit of appreciation for what they do.”
Trainee bike instructor Paul Day, 55, of Oakhurst in Swindon, said he can’t wait to take his place in the procession on his Harley Davidson.
He will be meeting more than 50 fellow members of two bike groups, the Rolling Hills Harley Davidson group from Cheltenham and the Oxford UK Chapter.
He said: “ The organisers have it spot on, as have the police, as they always do. I think it is going to be a one off and it is going to be some spectacle.”
Timetable
Saturday afternoon -
Bikers begin to arrive at camp sites and hotels in Wiltshire. warning signs go up on M4 and surrounding roads.
Sunday -
8am: Bikers begin assembling at Buckley Barracks, Hullavington. Police teams are briefed.
10.45am: Presentation of cheque by bike ride organisers to Afghan Heroes.
10.55am: Tim Pitten sings Fields Of Green, a song written for the charity.
11am: First wave of 500 bikers leaves for Wootton Bassett.
11.30am: Second wave leaves.
6pm: Bikers begin to disperse.
Comments(18)
ohyea
says...
2:19pm Thu 11 Mar 10
Worz wrote:I think you need to look at your own arithmetic Worz. a procession of bikes (staggered pairs) moving at 20 mph and occupying a 30 ft long gap will pass a single point in 1 1/2 second intervals. This means that 500 bikes could theoretically pass a single point on the high street in about 6 1/2 minutes if unimpeded. I marshalled a ride with a group of 7500 bikes throught he centre of London a couple of years ago and the entire group passed Downing street in just over 20 minutes, and we didn't have anywhere near the resources which are being made available on this ride.
OK let's collect the facts, and do the basic arithmetic: 10,000 (or more) bikes 11am: First wave of 500 bikers leaves 11.30am: Second wave leaves . Waves of 500 bikes, every half hour = 10 hours to get them all through. . Therefore 11:00am start, 6:00pm finish = twaddle. Therefore Nicola Curtis and/or Melanie Nicholls = pillock. . Adver, please can we have some facts instead of this nonsense?
The way this has been set up will IMO mean a lot less disruption than people imagine. These are motorcycles with small footprints on the road at the end of the day, not cars.
rrosco
says...
3:09pm Thu 11 Mar 10
there's really no need for such obxious comments: do people insult you regularly in your job, such that you think it is acceptable to do it to others?
Worz
says...
3:50pm Thu 11 Mar 10
.
oyeah, I've replied to the other story before I read your reply here. I'll have a look your maths and get back to you.
Worz
says...
4:28pm Thu 11 Mar 10
>
embarassing, of course, but not important.
Redevo
says...
9:19pm Thu 11 Mar 10
Bottom Of The Barrel
says...
11:41am Fri 12 Mar 10
Nick1234
says...
12:22pm Fri 12 Mar 10
vicb
says...
6:59pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Cheers, Vicb
Bikermouse
says...
8:29pm Fri 12 Mar 10
johnmaclean
says...
2:49pm Sun 14 Mar 10
Any chance of them doing something similar for the million dead civilians in Iraq? Including women and children killed by cruise missiles.
Davie B
says...
5:25pm Sun 14 Mar 10
Well done to all the bikers who took part.
exrock
says...
5:42pm Sun 14 Mar 10
rrosco wrote:OBXIOUS ? WTF ?
Worz,
there's really no need for such obxious comments: do people insult you regularly in your job, such that you think it is acceptable to do it to others?
exrock
says...
5:48pm Sun 14 Mar 10
johnmaclean wrote:""What more could you expect from "bikers"? They're not exactly synonomous with peace.""
What more could you expect from "bikers"? They're not exactly synonomous with peace. It's only natural they should give more credence to unjust occupation of foreign lands. All for oil and power.
Any chance of them doing something similar for the million dead civilians in Iraq? Including women and children killed by cruise missiles.
And that from a Glaswegian who's City is synonymous (notice the Y in there Jock !) for drunkenness, crime and all round loutish behaviour.
Physician heal thyself !!
Bottom Of The Barrel
says...
11:34pm Sun 14 Mar 10
johnmaclean
says...
4:24pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Why don't the people in that town sit down and consider the devestation caused to native people in Iraq/Afghanistan?
Ten thousand flag waving bikers is not really helpful. They're just giving a warmongering government more excuses to kill for oil.
Pathetic that other contributors should make racist comments (but not suprising)
Bikermouse
says...
8:15pm Mon 15 Mar 10
johnmaclean wrote:As a rider I found it incredibly moving to discover that British people are NOT afraid to be British and, in fact, are very proud. Remember it's the people that make Britain great. Yesterday was possibly the most moving experience I've ever witnessed and testamount to why this fair country is referred to as Great Britain.
It's disturbing to see people regularly standing in streets waving flags. Something that's happened in recent European history. Then, as now it derives from fear and ignorance. It's certainly not a healthy spectacle for young people who are easily influenced. Jingosim and nationalist hysteria always make people blind. Why don't the people in that town sit down and consider the devestation caused to native people in Iraq/Afghanistan? Ten thousand flag waving bikers is not really helpful. They're just giving a warmongering government more excuses to kill for oil. Pathetic that other contributors should make racist comments (but not suprising)
johnmaclean
says...
6:07pm Tue 16 Mar 10
I'd also like to respectfully ask Bikemouse why not do something similar for the thousands of innocent civilians killed in Iraq/Afghanistan by allied bombs? Are they also valid?
Some people are just not up to questioning the motives of the war. Also unable to define the word "brave". Maybe that word should be attributed to a woman in Afghanistan who's had her whole family wiped out by "friendly fire"
It's certainly not brave to fire missiles into civilian areas of Baghdad to kill women and children. It's not brave when you have an arsenal of weapons behind you that could take out China.
The military are not in the middle east to protect our lifes and limbs. They're there for oil and stategic power.
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Wiltshire is used to seeing bikes on the roads, like at the annual motorcyle meet in Calne, above, but nothing like on the scale of Sunday’s ride
Paul Day will be joining in the bike ride
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Worz says...
12:16pm Thu 11 Mar 10
10,000 (or more) bikes
11am: First wave of 500 bikers leaves
11.30am: Second wave leaves
.
Waves of 500 bikes, every half hour = 10 hours to get them all through.
.
Therefore 11:00am start, 6:00pm finish = twaddle.
Therefore Nicola Curtis and/or Melanie Nicholls = pillock.
.
Adver, please can we have some facts instead of this nonsense?