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About 20,000 motorcyclists took part in a 300-mile procession from London to Barrow-in-Furness to pay tribute to the late TV chef Dave Myers.
Myers, who was one half of cooking duo Hairy Bikers alongside Si King, was born and raised in the city of Cumbria. He died of cancer on February 28, aged 66.
Police praised motorcyclists who attended Saturday’s procession – which was dubbed ‘Dave Day’ – for their “safe riding style” and said no arrests had been made.
“We estimated that approximately 20,000 motorcyclists attended and I’m pleased to say there were no major incidents on the road network,” said Cllr Andy Wilkinson of Cumbria police, adding that motorists traveling on the A590 and M6 should be aware of the increased number of motorcyclists returning from the procession.
The event raised money for the Institute of Cancer Research London and the children’s charity NSPCC and was followed by a concert and service in memory of Myers.
King thanked the cheering crowds in Barrow at the end of the race, saying they had made his friend “very proud” and hailing the procession as “absolutely remarkable”. “All the bridges all the way from London to Barrow-in-Furness, people [were] waving and showing kindness and courtesy – amazing,” he told the BBC.
The distance between the first and last motorcyclist to arrive in the procession was estimated to be around 16 miles, and onlookers described it as “an absolutely extraordinary sight”. “It took about an hour and a half for the bikes to get us from the first to the last of the group,” one eyewitness told BBC North East and Cumbria.
Many of the motorcyclists who traveled from north London in the morning were dressed in flamboyant Hawaiian shirts to honor Myers’ colorful wardrobe. “Everyone has that wonderful Dave sartorial elegance, ie. the sophisticated shirt,” King said.
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He described the day as a “celebration of Dave’s life”, while Myers’ widow, Lily, said “Dave Day” was helping her grieve. “It just makes me feel like I’m not alone in all of this,” she said before the event.
She later gave an emotional speech to the crowds in Barrow: “Dave was always a Barrowian at heart. He loved Barrow and wanted to put Barrow on the map. And today, beyond his grave, he did it again.
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