History of Ride to the Wall - RTTW

In 2007 Martin Dickinson, the then Director of Nene Valley Harley Owners Group, rode to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire with a couple of other Harley owners, to attend an Armistice service at the Armed Forces Memorial. This memorial, constructed with 200,000 Portland stone-faced bricks, is 43 metres in diameter and is made up of three walls with panels containing the names of the men and women of our Armed and Merchant Services who have lost their lives in conflict, as a result of terrorist action or on training exercises since the end of the Second World War. This is the only place in the UK that records the names of those killed since that time.

During this visit, Martin decided to do something to enable all HOG members throughout the country, to experience what he felt and at the same time raise funds for the upkeep of this memorial. The walls of the memorial inspired him to organise an event along similar lines to Rolling Thunder, where motorcyclists from all over the United States of America join an annual organised ride to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC.

Martin outlined his idea at the Harley Owners Group Directors meeting and his own HOG group, both pledged their support. Participants would pay a fee and in return receive a commemorative pin and year bar. The money raised, once all costs had been covered, would be donated to the National Memorial Arboretum.

After lots of planning, on Saturday 11th October 2008 the first Ride to the Wall took place. Hundreds of bikes, not only Harleys, and over 1100 participants met at Tamworth Service Station and together rode the 17 miles to the Memorial Arboretum. On 12th December 2008 Martin presented the National Memorial Arboretum with a cheque for £10,300.

The event attracted widespread interest from the whole of the motorcycling community and at the end of October 2008 'Ride to the Wall' was set up as a volunteer, stand alone organisation with the remit to organise an annual event.

Since then the Organisation has grown from strength to strength. Following this huge success Drayton Manor Park became the new starting and assembly point and overnight camping was made available for those riders wishing to arrive the day before.

In 2009 the introduction of online event registration proved extremely popular, with 2938 people signing-up before the day, and together with the merchandise, all available to buy online, we were able to make a donation of £29,600 to the National Memorial Arboretum.

In 2010 the ride followed the same format as the previous year and monies raised through event registration and merchandising meant that, in March, Martin presented a cheque for £52,750 to the Duke of Kent on behalf of the NMA at the foot of the Armed Forces Memorial.

The event has now been booked at the NMA for the next 4 years and has become a 'must do' on many bikers calendars to enable us all to 'remember those who can no longer ride by our side.'