November 2024 - It’s been a funny old week. There’s been snow on the ground each morning for the last three days, which would have made today really interesting, but thankfully it’s all gone now. Today, is just a cold, wet Sunday morning, like most of them are at the end of November, the kind of morning where you could easily turn over in bed for another five minutes and find yourself falling back to sleep until dinner time. But today isn’t any old Sunday. Today is a special one because it’s the day when the best part of 500 of the finest bikers from Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas, converge on the bet365 Stadium for the Annual Christmas Toy Run. There’s work to be done today, and you can sleep when you’re dead.
Now in its 46th year, and after last year‘s cancellation because of the snow, the bikers will once again set out to ride across the city collecting toys and gifts to be distributed to those who might not otherwise get a visit from Santa if these fine men and women didn’t do what they do. Santa’s Elves, Staffordshire Branch, you might say. In their own words, their mission is “to help families and children in need!”
Previously the ride took place at the beginning of December but as the weather hasn’t been too kind in years gone by, the organisers decided to trial an earlier run in the hope that the elements don’t cause any more cancellations, which makes this week’s snowfalls more than a bit ironic. Damned if you do, eh?
The gathering begins slowly around 10.00 with those that have arrived early having a lot of catching up to do with those they might not have seen for a while. Half an hour later though and the car park is getting quite full. A bit of posturing is taking place here and there, with the odd biker, who just might have spent the kid’s inheritance on something for themselves, showing it off and waxing lyrical about torque, gear ratio, displacement and other select terms ignorants like me couldn’t begin to understand. I’m guessing all of this of course, as I’m not bold (or stupid) enough to ask the finer details, but I bet I’m not too far wrong in some cases.
There’s a myriad of bikes and trikes, some new, some old (but cherished), some with sidecars and some with trailers. Most of them are festooned in tinsel, holly, mistletoe and every other kind of Christmas decoration known to man, all designed to embrace the festive spirit. If the bike hasn’t had the Christmas treatment, you can bet your life that the biker and passenger has. For some it’s a simple case of draping a length of tinsel around themselves or hanging the odd bauble off any available place, for others however, nothing less than a full Santa or snowman suit will suffice. Someone somewhere has made a killing on helmet sized Santa hats, that’s for certain.
Honda’s, Yamaha’s, Harley’s - Triumph’s seemed to be a particular favourite - have all been serviced, polished and tuned within an inch of their mechanical lives, ready for duty and to make the families and children of Stoke on Trent happy on Christmas Day.
Ten minutes before the allotted hour of 11.00, the word goes around that the ride is about to begin. Helmets and gloves are donned comfortably, mechanical steeds are mounted and engines roar into life. The smell of so many engines all in one place is intoxicating and it drowns out the cold and wet that’s still lingering in the air.
On the hour, the bikes start to leave the Stadium and head towards Trentham via Sir Stanley Matthew’s Way, before heading to Blurton, Longton, Bentilee and Abbey Hulton. From there they’ll head to Baddeley Green, and Sneyd Green - it hasn’t gone unnoticed however, that they’ve taken the easy route and stayed on Leek New Road to head into Hanley, no diversion on to Milton Road and the nightmare that is ‘Heartbreak Hill’ like the Potters Half Marathon boys and girls have to suffer - must be something to do with taking extra care of all the prezzies and not wanting to take risks, that’ll be it ! ! From Hanley, they’ll head through Northwood before hitting the home straight of Leek Road directly into Stoke town itself and a huge welcome from the many that have assembled to show their appreciation.
At the Town Hall itself, the anticipation is building for their arrival, which is scheduled for anywhere between 12.10 and 12.30. There’s a huge van parked up waiting to be laden with said prezzies, various other vans are selling burgers, hot dogs and anything else that’s been designed to give me indigestion these days, and the proverbial mobile disco (ahh, the memories) is there, currently blasting out a medley of hits from ELO - nice.
The rain is doing its best to start up again and there’s a healthy breeze blowing through at times, but it’s being kept at bay by the will of those heading through the chicane, under the railway bridge, over the ‘d’ road, around the newer part of the Town Hall towards Stoke Minster and the sharp right turn into the car / bike park.
The 98th Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Lyn Sharpe, lead the final parade to the Town Hall in one of those four wheeled things, with electric windows and a sunroof. Mayor Sharpe is resplendent in a long, bright red Santa-esque style coat emblazoned with the mayoral ceremonial chain and the obligatory Santa hat with pom-pom as tradition dictates.
The journey must have been a relatively smooth one as the procession arrives at 12.10 exactly, horns tooting triumphantly at another successful ride. The Road outside the Minster is lined with well-wishers applauding everyone as they arrive loaded with bags containing all sort of goodies. The trikes have made the most of their additional carrying capacity and are loaded to the brim, one is even decked out sleigh like for maximum effect. The roar of the engines now echoes all around Kingsway and that intoxication from hundreds of cc’s begins to take effect once more. One by one and slowly, but surely, they start to unload the precious cargo, and it all gets loaded into the back of the van by the volunteers, without whom it just couldn’t happen.
With everything safely delivered, it’s time to socialise again with those that hadn’t been seen at the start or had joined in along the way. Mysteries are explained as bikers find out who was actually waving at them, and the immortal phrase of “I wondered where you were” gets said a hundred times or more.
Marshall’s hug each other, grateful as they’re done for another year - well, until Easter anyway - friendships are rekindled and the banter begins as the other immortal phrase of “what the ‘ell ‘ave you come as” gets uttered also a hundred times or more.
I’ve seen this all play out for a few years now and I’m always amazed at the amount of camaraderie and respect that’s on show. It’s easy to think that we live in a cr*ppy world sometimes, but it’s days like today when your faith gets restored, that you’re reminded that there are good people in this world and on the right day, at the right time, they get together and they do the right thing.
Long may it continue.
The Star Bikers ride again for the annual Easter Egg run next year on either the 30th March, 6th April or 13th April at a rough guess, on the basis that Easter Sunday is on the 20th and more information can be found by clicking here… …I’ll update this as soon as I find out.
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