THIS coming Saturday will mark the final Dave Day – so let’s make sure it’s an occasion to remember.
Billed as The Last Ride Home, tens of thousands of bikers from all over the country are once again expected to roar into Barrow to honour one of the town’s most famous sons.
As many readers will know, Dave Myers grew up in Devon Street and went to Cambridge Street Primary School before passing his 11-plus and being part of the 1969 intake at Barrow Grammar School for Boys.
His lifelong passion for motorbikes sprang from his boyhood when his dad would let Dave sit on his BSA Bantam near their back door.
On leaving school he decided against going into the shipyard and instead studied at art school in London before eventually joining forces with Si King and taking the TV cooking world by storm.
Dave’s death at the age of 66 on February 28, 2024 was met with great sadness by Barrovians who both knew him and admired his TV exploits – not least a jaw-dropping performance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 when he and his partner Karen Hauer danced the Cha Cha to Moves Like Jagger.
Events will get into gear when bikers depart from the legendary Ace Café on London’s North Circular Road at 7am.
Me and my husband have taken part in the previous two Dave Days, and we’ll be back in the saddle for this one.
I feel sure Abbey Road and other parts of town will be lined with well-wishers, so let’s give our visitors the warmest of welcomes as we remember our half of the Hairy Bikers’ duo.
Sunday will also see activities taking place and funds will be raised for worthy charities NSPCC Childline and CancerCare.
Organising the event is no walk in the park, and so thanks must go to Woody, Lili and Adele, Paul and his team at Barrow Bid and to Team Barrow for making it happen.
The mood will change during the following seven days as Armed Forces Week is marked across the country, culminating in Barrow on Saturday, June 27 with a number of services and events for Armed Forces Day itself.
Our Armed Forces are working around the clock to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.
Personnel in the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force are the first line of defence against a range of new threats to our national security in an increasingly unpredictable world.
The threats we face include cyberattacks on defence infrastructure, British businesses and our NHS, to espionage by hostile states and misinformation on social media platforms in an effort to undermine our democracy.
Our Navy are regularly tracking Russia’s warships and spy submarines in and around British waters.
Our soldiers have been guarding NATO’s eastern border from Russian aggression and in my role as a member of the Defence Committee I’ve seen their brave actions first hand.
Our Armed Forces are rapidly adapting to meet the challenges of modern warfare. Drones, AI and autonomous technologies are being integrated into British battleplans alongside the conventional heavy metal of tanks and warships.
Stronger international alliances are being forged to tackle the major security crises of our times, with the UK Armed Forces taking a leading role in efforts to deter Russian aggression, secure the Strait of Hormuz and ensure lasting peace in Ukraine.
Armed Forces Week is our chance to thank the military community for all they do to keep us safe and protect our way of life.
I thank all our armed forces and veterans for their service past, present and future.