Ridgeon Rides Again – recommended reading
George Ridgeon has lived a remarkable life – and not always remarkable in ways which we would envy. As a fireman of 13 years, his career and his life as he knew it came to an end on the night of November 16, 1981 when, attempting to rescue a man from a burning building, he was severely injured. After 10 days in hospital, he was transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital where the news was broken that he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
A keen motorcyclist and a young man with an eye for pretty ladies, he knew that life had changed forever and he had little truck with helpful souls who suggested he shouldn’t think about that, but do something else like write a book. Fortunately, for us, he didn’t write a book then, and equally fortunately, he has written one now, because, since those first dark days and months, there has been so much more to tell.
But Ridgeon Rides Again starts from the beginning with a thoroughly entertaining and engaging account of his years growing up in the 1950s and 60s with which so many people will identify – find out why George doesn’t like fish to this day and what his record for eating rice pudding is! After starting his career as a butcher, he joined the fire brigade in 1968 and graduated from his first bike, a Francis Barnett 225cc to racing on the Isle of Man.
At the age of 37, that was all taken away and George doesn’t sugar coat how terrible those initial months were. But, despite his own dire circumstances, George still found a way to help other people, as he had previously done in countless charity activities – the sillier the better! – before his accident. While in Stoke Mandeville, he managed to get Barry Sheene’s autograph for a very ill young girl as well as arrange a trip in a police car for Malcolm, a fellow tetraplegic and police enthusiast.
The book culminates with an in-depth account of the event for which many people know him, his ride around the mountain circuit on September 3, 1983, strapped on the back of Mick Grant’s bike (Mick has written the foreword for Ridgeon Rides Again with his version of that ride). Of course, it was to raise money for charity. But, since then, George has done so much more – yet more charity fundraising, becoming a champion bowls player, standing as a candidate for the Monster Raving Loony Party – and we can only hope for a second book of his post-1983 adventures in the future. For now, Ridgeon Rides Again is a very entertaining read that will both make you laugh out loud and bring a lump to your throat. I hope you raise a glass of cider to him at the end.
As you might expect, all profits from Ridgeon
Rides Again will go to spinal, cancer and Manx charities. The book is just £15 which includes post and packing. Drop an email to Sue Moore at bobandsuiz@hotmail.co.uk for further details or contact George on 01452 857160.