94 yr old veteran dispatch rider wishes to sit on M20 for the last time. I'm on it!
I've been approached by one of his friends, the gent is receiving a medal tomorrow (Thursday 31st) from the Dutch at a special ceremony, and it's come out that he's previously mentioned that he'd like to sit on an M20 for the last time. So mine is now on the trailer coupled up ready to shoot off early in the morning to get over there.
It's going to be a total surprise for him, and I believe that the BBC is covering it as well.
I'll be honoured to do this for him.
Re: 94 yr old veteran dispatch rider wishes to sit on M20 for the last time. I'm on it!
Well despite the pouring rain, it went very well. Lewis got his medal presented by a Brigadier up stairs, meanwhile due to the weather, we man-handled the bike into the foyer of the building, so when the medal ceremony had been completed they brought him down and he saw the bike, he was like a child with a new toy, volunteers lifted him onto the bike, he was over the moon, then started telling stories of his dispatch times whilst sitting on the bike, he only got off after about 30 minutes to go to the loo, whilst he was in there, another WW2 dispatch rider had a sit on it, but as Lewis came out of the loo, said "Oy! what are you doing on MY bike?"
Once the rain cleared, we got the bike outside again, and they both had a sit on it with the engine running, loving it, talking about their memories.
Just look at that smile on a 94 year old.
Lewis in 1944
Lewis today in 2017
Re: 94 yr old veteran dispatch rider wishes to sit on M20 for the last time. I'm on it!
And here is my old mate Ted Poulton age 86 riding Peter Miller's Welbike. The last time he rode one was in Salerno in 1943. And again at age 96 sat on Lex's ex Salerno Welbike. He only looks miserable because we didn't let him ride it this time as it could have ended in tears. Ron