It’s Christmas Eve, and I can still remember the thrill of waking up at dawn one Christmas and reaching out to feel the exciting shapes hidden within the pillowcase hanging on the end of the bed.
I carefully unwrapped the first present – a pair of bicycle clips, with a note attached which said “These are no good unless they’re attached to something useful. Take a look under the bed.”
So I looked. And do you know what was there?
A pair of trousers!
The motorcycle community often create a negative image in the minds of the public and in the media.
Mention the word “bikers” and immediately, big, hairy types covered in tattoos spring to mind. They’re tough as nails, don’t shave for days, never wash their leathers, drink Jack Daniels straight from the bottle, hang around bars and billiard halls and if you look at them the wrong way they’ll gang up on you and give you a right hammering!
And the men are even scarier.
But those are images of bikers in American films, in which the bikers are all members of Hells Angels chapters and have no visible means of income apart from robbing convenience stores at gunpoint.
British bikers aren’t at all like that. They rob Early Learning Centres!
Look, if you can’t take a joke, you shouldn’t have left the house dressed like that.
Trust me folks, here the biker world is made up of amazing people who pull together and support each other, their communities and many charities.
For example the annual “Hoggin’ The Bridge” event, in which 3,000 or more bikers cross the Severn Bridge, raises thousands for charity.
Locally, I have seen them raise tremendous amounts of money, donate gifts, toys and Easter eggs to hospitals for children who are unable to be at home to celebrate with their families. They continue to do so much good with very little praise or publicity.
So as I have an opportunity each week to say anything I like, practically, I thought I’d speak up on their behalf.
Saturday 13th December saw a spectacular demonstration of the biking community coming together. It was the second year of the Bad Santa Bikers Toy Run. Last year’s took place in atrocious weather, but this year it was bright, cold and icy.
Seventy bikers left M & P Motorcycles, Gorseinon, dressed as Santa and went through Burry Port and Kidwelly and on to Glangwilli Hospital, visiting the chidren’s wards and baby unit.
From there, they went to Oakwood Ward at Morriston hospital and then their final stop was Singleton hospital.
They distributed 140 gifts between Glangwilli and Morriston, all raised by raffles and donations, £300 of which was generously doubled to £600 by Eddie Beer of Silurian Security Swansea, which will be used for the special care unit at Singleton hospital.
So please raise your Christmas party hats to this brilliant band of big-hearted bikers!