Previous Events
Bike4Life 2024
A team of SaPAR members attended the Bike4Life Festival again this year, they were Steve Clarke (Team Leader and Catering Manager), Nigel Clifford, Stuart Trotter, Tada Sakai, Bryan Murphy (Gazebo erection and general communications team) and Ken Swinton (Chief Pointer).
After a slow start the thousands of riders arrived led by the usual VIP persons and many police outriders. SaPAR were offering a discount to attending visitors of £20 off the joining fee if they apply online anytime this week, a total of 29 left us their contact details.
The festival was very well attended and had many food and accessory stalls and rides for both kids and adults. The weather forecast was grim but thankfully the thunder and lightning they promised did not happen, just a mild shower at the end of play.
After a slow start the thousands of riders arrived led by the usual VIP persons and many police outriders. SaPAR were offering a discount to attending visitors of £20 off the joining fee if they apply online anytime this week, a total of 29 left us their contact details.
The festival was very well attended and had many food and accessory stalls and rides for both kids and adults. The weather forecast was grim but thankfully the thunder and lightning they promised did not happen, just a mild shower at the end of play.
Bike4Life 2023
SaPAR regularly attend this event with a view to promoting Advanced Riding in Shropshire and the surrounding areas. The prime purpose of the Bike 4 Life event is to raise funds for The Midlands Air Ambulance at RAF Cosford, which was attended by approximately 3,500 motorcyclists.
As in previous years we had a stand at the event and this year we had members from RoSPA West Midlands Advanced Riders with us on the stand.
Our stand was attended by Robin Padgett (who organised and co-ordinated the event for SaPAR), others attending and assisting with assembly of the gazebo and greeting the public were; Bill (3 shirts) Croxon, Ken Swinton, Charles Bridgman from SaPAR and Duncan Gleig, Iain Suggett, Gary Forster and Caroline Pricip-Beresford from West Midlands Advanced Riders. The stand was visited by a large number of motorcyclists and both the West Midlands Advanced Riders and ourselves had numerous motorcyclists show an interest in becoming advanced riders.
Everyone on the stand spent a great deal of time talking about the benefits of training and promoting our groups to the numerous motorcyclists that visited us. We obtained their details and our training officer will be following up to organise ‘try before you buy’ sessions with them.
Our stand was attended by Robin Padgett (who organised and co-ordinated the event for SaPAR), others attending and assisting with assembly of the gazebo and greeting the public were; Bill (3 shirts) Croxon, Ken Swinton, Charles Bridgman from SaPAR and Duncan Gleig, Iain Suggett, Gary Forster and Caroline Pricip-Beresford from West Midlands Advanced Riders. The stand was visited by a large number of motorcyclists and both the West Midlands Advanced Riders and ourselves had numerous motorcyclists show an interest in becoming advanced riders.
Everyone on the stand spent a great deal of time talking about the benefits of training and promoting our groups to the numerous motorcyclists that visited us. We obtained their details and our training officer will be following up to organise ‘try before you buy’ sessions with them.
Bike4Life 2022
This year a small group of committee members and partners were on hand to erect and look after the stand. Sadly we didn’t make a good job of it and the gazebo took off in one of the mighty gusts off wind that were blowing across the airfield. Despite that we were able to attract a good number of people to what remained of the stand (a picnic table and a few foldup chairs) and maybe we will attract some new members.
Images courtesy of Michelle Jennings, Kevin Fletcher and Ken Swinton
Bike4Life 2019
Members of SaPAR attended this event again for the 2019 Edition of the Annual Bike4Life. Committee members were due to build the stand on Saturday afternoon in readiness for the event on Sunday. However, on arrival to the centre of a windy airfield in the midst of Storm Hannah it was decided that the build should be abandoned until Sunday Morning. This of course meant that the traditional Sunday morning lie-in and hearty bacon and egg breakfast had to be forgone in order to get to RAF Cosford in time to build and fill the gazebo with tables, chairs and all the paraphernalia that goes into having a successful day. The morning began quietly with bikers drifting in and mooching around in the tranquillity of what would soon be utter chaos when the VIP’s and another thousand or 4 motorcycles arrived in a steady stream until there was barely room to stand. The guests this year were Steve Parrish, again, Foggy, again, Mark from TV’s Paramedics, again. New faces were Neil Hodgson a former motorcycle racer and now a Moto GP pundit for BT Sport and Ron Haslem. My apologies to anyone of importance that I have missed. The day continued to be busy with a steady stream of visitors to both ours and the adjoining IAM (SAMM) stand. Many showed an interest in joining and attending the forthcoming joint Assessment Day to be held on Sunday 19th May at Montford Bridge Picnic Area on the A5 at Shrewsbury.
Photographs courtesy of Ken Swinton & Robin Padgett
Bike4Life 2018
SaPAR manned, and ladied the gazebo at RAF Cosford again this year managing to escape the drudge of parking some 3,500 bikes at Meole Brace. The weather was mainly kind to us and the hoards of marauding bikers as they made their way to the show. There was plenty of interest in SaPAR with a decent number of people signing up for the forthcoming Meet & Greet on the 13th May and even a new member. Entertainment was provided by Jamie Squibb and his band of brave souls who clearly will not be enrolling with SaPAR.
Photographs courtesy of Glyn Jones, Kevin Fletcher and Ken Swinton