Thank you to all supporters of light parade

Thank you for the kind comments I’ve received already about the Scarborough GoldWing Light Parade. Although event manager Janet Houseman and I might steer it in the right direction, we couldn’t stage it without a lot of assistance.

We’ve had invaluable help from members of the White Rose GoldWings group which provided the practical volunteer help over the weekend.

Scarborough TV News, John Bates Photography, Andrew WoodardPhotography,LeeCollings Photography, The Scarborough Tourist and the late Carl Racey have all provided professional promotional images and videos for our exclusive use.

We are indebted to the South Bay Traders’ Association and I thank them all for their excellent prize contributions, support and the fabulous fireworks display.

It’s priceless too to have Scarborough News and Yorkshire Coast Radio involved in our event, so thanks to Susan Stephenson, Chris Sigsworth, Paddy in the Morning and their team for giving the event a refreshing live presence boost and to Scarborough News for their stories and features promoting our event.

Thanks to Brian and Ann Bean of The Redcliffe Hotel for their incredible support and holiday prizes, Cayton Bay Holiday Park, Val Hotchin of The Barrington Guest House, Browns Holiday Park and Cayton Village Caravan Park for all donating holiday raffle prizes. I also thank the brave Yorkshire Rows Ladies and their families for coming to Scarborough to start the parade and thereby giving the event some all important advance publicity throughout Yorkshire.

Susan Stephenson of Scarborough News and Tom Hooper of Yorkshire Coast Radio also receive our thanks for coming to judge the best lit GoldWings.

I must thank James Corrigan forhisterrificsupportanddonations over the years, seven days a week, day or night, it’s never been a problem for me to contacthimbytelephoneforinstant help or advice.

Thanks too to John Senior MBE for similar support and donationssinceourfirstGoldWing Light Parade nine years ago.

Scarborough Borough Council’s Rowena Marsden gets a big round of applause from our team as the “Rock of Scarborough”. Scarborough traders are lucky to have such a brilliant event officer, with her enthusiasm, advice and practical help. It was Rowena that had faith in our first-ever light parade in 2008.

Motorbikes were never popular in the past, but over the years motorcyclists are proving their worth through dedicated volunteer and fundraising activities raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for a multitude of UK charities.

The tremendous support from you all spurs me on to plan for 2017 by promoting this event over the next 12 months by sending press releases and picture stories throughout the country.

The 2016 Scarborough GoldWing Light Parade was indeed another fabulous event with a council estimated 15,000 spectators, so organisers would like to say a very big thank you to all who played a part … the bikers, the spectators and the supporters. The total sum raised for the RNLI Scarborough Lifeboats at this year’s event is £5,940.75 – a brilliant effort.

Our GoldWings Grand Total raised for Scarborough and Filey Lifeboats since we began in 2008 has far exceeded our expectations and now stands at £45,517.63.

Please accept my apologies if I missed anyone from this list but it would be impossible to remember all those who have helped. Finally I would like to mention my partner Jean Sharman, who gives me incredible support and encouragement plus she gives the event its own super dedicated web site www. goldwing-light-parade.co.uk. John Bates, Scarborough GoldWing Light Parade

Event Organiser