Oakley Charity Motorcycle Spin 2005

Our small island roads today witnessed the Oakley Charity Motorcycle Spin, an event to help raise money for a caravan to be located at Church Farm Holiday Park where ill children from Guernsey can enjoy some time away.

The was the dream of six year old Oakley Waterman tragically diagnosed with cancer and who passed away this Friday. I never had the fortune to meet the little chap but the local paper referred to him as a brave soul who didn’t let his illness bring him down and remained both cheerful and cheeky.

Local motorcycle club Full Boar organized the event and they told the local press they were expecting around 150 motorcycles in attendance. I arrived to a packed Charles Frossard House car park with my sister, brothers and brother-in-law a little after 2:00pm and briefly chatted with Phil and my sister Laura who were very happy at the turn out.

I have never seen so many motorcycle in one place – from Harley’s to R1’s, quads and scooters, the place was truly packed. The picture on the right is just one of the three areas bikes were parked or, in the case of at least one bike with a flat battery, left running.

Shortly after 2:30 Oakley’s family waved us off on our ride and we toured round the island coast in a massive convoy. We had just one designated police officer at the front of the ride, and indeed I saw no others en-route. Motorcycle clubs tend to have their own way of dealing with things and instead of police and escorts riders from the clubs would peel off from the front the ride and ensure no cars got in the way. It was all very fluid and the event completed, to the best of my knowledge, without a single incident. For the most part the cars were tolerant and crowds dotted along the streets in various places around the island. Those a little more clued-up obviously knew what the ride was in aid of, waving and cheering as we went past.

I can’t say what time we got back as it was the last thing on my mind but as we flowed back into Frossard House I was told that an impressive 370 to 400 motorcycles took part.

I think Oakley would have been impressed too.

The local paper is confirming 344 riders and more than £3,500 raised.

[)amien