Farewell to the White Helmets who rode roughshod over elf ‘n’ safety
RIDING through brick walls, jumping through flaming hoops or balancing in a precarious pyramid of 21 riders — for close on a century the White Helmets of the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team have been amazing crowds. But you won’t see the world-famous troupe again because it is being retired for being too old-fashioned. Yesterday, the 30-strong volunteer team, right, rode out for the last time on their 750cc Triumph Tigers from their base in Blandford Forum, Dorset. The parade ended 90 years of stunts after a month-long farewell tour. But in our health-and-safety obsessed age, perhaps riding a motorbike on a ladder or jumping over a line of men was always going to be a leap too far . . .