Twenty Wakefield MAG members gathered at Stork Lodge Tea Rooms in Wakefield, on Saturday 22nd May, to participate in Leeds MAG's Celebration Run. We set off shortly after 11:30, taking a bit of a detour around Wakefield city centre to avoid the road works, before heading out of town on Aberford Road (A642). We stayed on this road until just after Woodlesford, where we took a left onto Newsam Green Road, heading towards the A63 at Colton. We passed through Cross Gates, meeting the A64 at Seacroft, then a short distance to the run assembly point at the Red Lion public house (on the A64, just inside the Leeds boundary).
A good few bikes were already gathered, ready for the run start time at 13:00. Shortly after, our police escort of three bikes and one police car arrived, and the marshals briefing was conducted. Helping Leeds MAG marshal the run was GEMS MCC, Team Sober MCC and East Leeds Lions MCC.
We set off bang on 13:00, along the A64 and into Leeds City Centre, with all junctions blocked for the run, initially by the police, then maintained by the run's roving marshals, until we had all safely passed. The route through Leeds took us straight through the city centre, effectively twice, which was packed with Saturday afternoon shoppers. There is nothing quite like riding in a huge convoy of bikes, with a police escort, with all junctions and traffic lights cleared for our passage. The procession of bikes was a huge spectacle and we were clapped and cheered through the city, with many photographing and videoing the procession of bikes and trikes.
We then made our way out of town along Whitehall Road, towards the end point, which was Leeds MAG's HQ, The Dragon on Whitehall Road (A58). Following the Celebration Run, a 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' Bike show was hosted by Leeds MAG at the Dragon.
A great turnout by Wakefield MAG and it was good to support our neighbours in Leeds MAG. The weather could not have been better, hot and dry all day, although dare I say it, it was actually a little too hot, at least for slow riding through a city centre. How come you never really feel the heat coming off your engine in the depths of winter ?!?!?!
A huge thanks have to go to West Yorkshire police, the bike cops swap shifts and work on their shift rest days, just so they can marshal this annual run. Good effort guys.