Thousands of bikers make annual pilgrimage to Staffordshire war memorial to honour the fallen

From the Newshound archive · first published 4 October 2026.

Some 6,500 bikers registered to ride to the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens in Staffordshire this weekend for the 19th annual Ride to the Wall, with convoys arriving from across Britain and Europe. Veterans, serving personnel and bereaved families made up many of the riders, ending their journey with a service of remembrance at the Armed Forces Memorial. The event also marked the first major gathering since the site's controversial name change from the National Memorial Arboretum, which thousands had petitioned against.

RAF veteran Julian Roberts, who has attended every Ride to the Wall since 2009, called it 'a pilgrimage to pay respects to the fallen.'

Founder Martin Dickinson said the second worst thing a family can suffer, after losing a child, is that child's name being forgotten.