Thousands of motorcyclists are travelling from the world famous Ace Cafe in London to Cumbria to celebrate the life of the late Hairy Biker Dave Myers.
The Ace Cafe on London’s North Circular Road is the legendry destination for motorcyclists and other petrol heads who celebrate all things automotive.
Thousands of bikers met up today at 7am to ride of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria as part of ‘Dave Day’ to celebrate the life of the celebrity chef and motorcyle enthusiast Dave Myers.
Among those at the Ace Cafe this morning was Dave’s long-time TV partner Si King.
Dave died in February aged 66 of cancer.
Hairy Biker Si King, pictured, who is taking part in Dave Day, a memorial bike ride for his late Hairy Biker co-star Dave Myers, praised the motorcycling community for their support
Some 20,000 motorcyclists are expected to take part in the ride from London to Barrow-in-Furness
Hundreds of bikers met up at the Ace Cafe in Stonebridge Park in north west London at 7am
The bikers are stopping at the Welcome Break service station on the M40 at 9am.
From there, they are going to the National Motorcycle Museum at 10.45 in Birmingham. After that, the motorcyclists will stop at the Moto Services in Knutsford at 12.30pm.
The penultimate stop will be at the Moto Services in Burton-in-Kendal before arriving in Barrow-in-Furness at 4pm.
On the route, the bikers will pick up Dave’s widow Lili, who he met during the first series of the Hairy Bikers in Transylvania.
Dave Day has been organised in his home town of Barrow-in-Furness on Saturday to celebrate his life.
His tribute day will include a motorcycle procession from London to Barrow-in-Furness, a music concert and a service of remembrance.
The day will raise funds for cancer charities and children’s charity the NSPCC.
King, speaking to BBC Breakfast from north-west London on Saturday morning, said the event would be a ‘celebration of my best friend that we’ve lost’ and it will be ‘very emotional’.
Speaking of the crowd of bikers gathered in Hawaiian shirts around him, King said it was ‘pretty amazing’, adding: ‘Everybody’s got that lovely Dave sartorial elegance about them, ie dodgy shirt. Some of them have had them specially printed, it’s remarkable. I mean, you wouldn’t buy a second-hand car from them, would you?’
Dave Myers, pictured left with his best friend and fellow Hairy Biker Si King, died of cancer in February
The bike convoy will pick up Dave’s wife Lili, pictured left, who he met while filming the first series of his TV cookery and travel show while they were filming in Transylvania
Hundreds of bikers met up at the legendary London venue ahead of today’s marathon ride
The convoy is travelling from the Ace Cafe in norrth London to Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria along the M40 and M6
King added: ‘It’s a celebration of my best friend that we’ve lost. And, yeah, it is, it’s very emotional.
‘You never know how these things are going to impact you, you know, it is a celebration of Dave’s life.
‘That’s why we’re here because he was so irritatingly positive all of the time. And we love him and that’s why we’re here.’
King added he wants people to say they are having a ‘Dave day’ instead of a ‘great day’.
He said an estimated 20,000 people will take part in Dave Day.
King said cancer is a ‘ruthless disease’, adding: ‘It doesn’t care who it takes. And that’s part of the reason that we’re here.
‘We’re all like-minded folk, you know, and it’s diverse and it’s as varied as every motorcycle that you see, all the characters and personalities here are just great.
The riders have described today’s event at ‘Dave Day’ in celebration of the late Hairy Biker
The group are expected to make it to Cumbria by 4pm this afternoon
The group, pictured here at the Hangar Lane Gyratory system on the North Circular Road were about to head north west along the A40
The trip including a couple of stops is expected to take at least eight hours
‘That’s the whole thing about a journey, because motorcycling isn’t about A to B, it’s about the bit in the middle and that’s the bit of life that we all celebrate. That’s what it’s about.’
One of the bikers taking part in the day is Stan, who told BBC Breakfast he was diagnosed a year ago with cancer and said the day would be ‘phenomenal’.
Myers’s widow Lili Myers told BBC Breakfast: ‘We have people coming from all over the country. We have people coming from Texas, from Malaysia, from all over Europe.
‘Oh, it’s endearing. It just helps me go through my process of grief. Because it just makes me feel that I’m not on my own with all this.
‘He always cooked, that was his territory. I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen, just to clean the kitchen and, I tell you, he would cook for an hour, I will clean for two. He knew how to create a moment. That was his forte.’
Many of those attending today’s event were wearing colourful shirts which were a favourite of the late TV chef
Jason Woodcock, Dave Day organiser, told BBC Breakfast: ‘I went to see him the day before he passed. ‘Lili asked me for a couple of bikes together for his funeral, which I did. Some of the guys that are here today were there as well. They got to the funeral, had a few beers as you would do. And then the idea came up during the conversation of let’s do a memorial ride’
Jason Woodcock, Dave Day organiser, told BBC Breakfast: ‘I went to see him the day before he passed.
‘Lili asked me for a couple of bikes together for his funeral, which I did. Some of the guys that are here today were there as well. They got to the funeral, had a few beers as you would do. And then the idea came up during the conversation of let’s do a memorial ride.’
He added the people in Barrow have been ‘amazing’, offering spare rooms and gardens for people to camp in as there is no accommodation left.
People in Barrow-in-Furness have been inviting those involved in the ride to stay at their homes