Someone once said:

‘If you want to be happy for a day, drink.
If you want to be happy for a year, marry.
If you want to be happy for a lifetime, ride a motorcycle.’

Well, a couple of weeks ago my friend David asked if I fancied going out on a ride with a gang of friends from Devon Advanced Motorcyclists an independent road safety charity affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists and helps hundreds of riders gain their advanced certificate. Well, I jumped at the chance. It’s not that I have had a lot to do with motorbikes but I have had one or two memorable experiences. My best friend from primary school, Susan Palmer who I have only recently met up with again, reminded me that her dad Colin’s pride and joy was his 650 BSA Goldstar with sidecar and that he once took us to Ivybridge. Apparently, I was on the back holding on for dear life and screaming with pleasure all the way! Of course, my mother was beside herself when she found out. Hell, I wasn’t even allowed a pedal bike because they were considered too dangerous. Later in my 30’s, when she could only worry at a distance, I had a boyfriend who was a mad biker and actually sold superbikes. He used to make me laugh with tales of how his father had to make several trips with his motorbike and sidecar in order to get him, mother, brother, sister, pots, pans and all the luggage they would need for a week to Stoke Beach for a camping holiday. The sidecar literally bouncing with all the fighting and arguing. And somewhere in the misty past, I remember filming with a police motorbike display team that leapt through flaming hoops. I can see myself as clear as day in an all in one fire-retardant suit forming the apex of the triangle. Of course, I might have made that made that up. What they call false memory syndrome but it makes a good story. But this is absolutely true. In 1980 David Essex came to Westward Television as part of a nationwide tour promoting his film Silver Dream Racer. Some bright spark thought it might be a good idea to have me ride pillion as David drove across the battlements at the Citadel. Why they chose the Citadel as a venue I have no idea but they did, and we did, making me the envy of every fan in the country! Anyway back to my ride with DAM. What a cracking bunch of people. All ages and all keen to promote and encourage safer and better riding. There was Pam who only started riding 2 years ago. She suddenly fancied going across America on a Harley so she and her husband Simon did and have done it several times since. Alex’s dad was a biker with the police and paid for him to take an advanced course. Betty summed it up beautifully when I asked her what was so special about bikes. She told me with a car it’s about getting from A to B. On a bike it’s the journey in between.

If I had stopped to think for a minute I’d have realised that thanks to the looming presence of Covid I cant even hug my own sister let alone attach myself like a limpet to a complete stranger regardless of the fact that we would both be clad in at least 5 ml of leather. So I had no choice. It had to be the rabbit. Well I suppose strictly speaking he was… Born to be Wild.

Read all about it in the Western Morning News 

Alex Thomas, David Greensmith, Gus Honeybun, Simon and Pam Jeffrey