Bikers' 'brawl' at Groats is all for a good cause
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It may look like a major melee at John O'Groats but this motorcycle mob had good intentions and raised charity cash to boot.
They rode into the far north village as part of the Riders of Charity (Roc) fundraising trip that began in Land's End and was set up by Victor David to honour the memory of his late mother and raise charity money at the same time.
"In 2019 my mum, Maggie, passed away from complications surrounding Alzheimer's," said Victor.
"My mum had been ill for many years, following several major strokes and Addison's disease. I was shocked by the cruelty of Vascular Dementia and how quickly it claimed her at the age of 73.
"I felt that my mum had already passed, and what was left was only a shell. I decided I needed to do something to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer's Society. Support is essential for those affected by Alzheimer's and more research is vital to hopefully find better treatment and ultimately a cure."
Victor said the Roc team were taking the "windy route" through the west coast of the UK and had covered 2700 miles up to the point when they arrived in John O'Groats.
Colin Mackay, convenor of Wick Pipe Band, was there to greet the motorcycle team and expressed his gratitude for being able to play the bagpipes at a public event again.
"It's cracking to be able to do a few things like this and keep the practice going," said Colin. "It was really busy with our 100th year celebration [in 2019] but there's been nothing happening over the last couple of years – that's such a rare thing for us."
He played Scotland the Brave, Rowan Tree and Bonnie Galloway as the charity riders arrived and later on as they celebrated. And what celebrations they were as the Roc members jumped on top of one another in a moment of spontaneous camaraderie.
Kirsty Baxter, Victor's fiancée, said: "I followed all the way in my support vehicle with all their bags and supplies. We went up from Land's End all along the coast of Cornwall and then through Snowdonia and up to Ullapool."
Victoria L Horton helped organise parts of the route and said she spurred Victor on to set up the challenge by telling him to "just do it, do it, do it".
All the bikers who partook on the trip had heeded Victor's shout-out for others to come along and support the two charities he was raising money for – Mind and Alzheimer's Society. "I have battled with mental health throughout most of my life, struggling to find balance and focus", he said.
"I was unaware of this charity [Mind] during my darkest days but now I know they could have helped me find the support and help I needed a lot sooner. Many people out there are in need of some light, so raising awareness of this charity is key.
"Mind lobby the government on key issues surrounding mental health and provide vital support to those in difficult times. When my mental health was at its worst the feeling of being alone made everything harder to face and deal with. Once we realise that we are not alone, the freedom is afforded to acknowledge and progress with recovery and management. Conversation and honesty can be as powerful as a cure."
Victor only got his first motorcycle three years ago but said he quickly fell in love with it and recalled how his mother had biked around with the mods and rockers gangs in her youth.
"I wish we could have enjoyed a bike ride out together. When she passed away I used my inheritance to purchase half a bike, my fiancée purchased the other half. The idea suddenly hit me to do a big ride in her memory. So in 2020 I started to organise Riders of Charity, planning a big ride from Lands End to John O'Groats. A small urn of my mothers ashes will accompany me on the journey, so we can have that ride together."
At Glencoe, Victor had a close call when a car overtook a caravan and narrowly missed him as he rode towards it. "It was so close. He just made it by inches,"
"Myself and [my] pillion passenger [were] unhurt, but shaken. However, as I pulled the bike to the side of the road, we got a phone call to say that another rider had been killed at nearly the same moment by a driver doing the same thing."
The Riders of Charity website is at Ridersofcharity.co.uk and its fundraising page for donations is gofund.me/66660717
Facebook page for the group is www.facebook.com/groups/rocridersofcharity/
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