The Wall

This is at the bottom of the bank that leads up to 'The Memorial Wall' at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA). 
Today a few of us rode up from Gloucestershire to Strensham Services, on the M5, where we were joined by another group from South Wales and the South West. The meeting up was pre-arranged and there was about 30 of us. We then set off for the NMA, up the M5 initially. The NMA is between Burton and Lichfield, to the North of Birmingham. Others come from all points of the compass and accents can be heard originating from Tyneside, London, Cumbria, Wales, East Anglia, we come from everywhere.
Our annual memorial run is specifically for the Royal British Legion Riders Branch where we have a service, conducted by 'Bish', the Riders Branch padre (Bish is short for Bishop of course!), and the names of those friends and fellow Riders that we have lost over the past 12 months are read out. There was quite a lot this year, mostly passed away through age or illness, very rare we have anyone died from motorcycle accidents.
It's a solemn service but it also a great time to meet old friends that we haven't seen for some time, a few I hadn't seen since before the Covid fiasco.
One in particular came up to me, Simon, who lives up in Walney Island, Barrow in Furness. It was because of him that I joined the RBL Riders. He helped me when I was rebuilding the 1989 Suzuki GSX750FK. He siad he would help me as long as I joined the RIders Branch, best thing I did since retiring, it's given me a real purpose in life, and now I'm the Gloucestershire County Rep!
The story of the Suzuki is HERE if anyone is interested
A few extras of the day. The 1940's singing lady was with a group doing a show, mainly aimed at children, all about 1944. I caught a bit of it when they put on an act involving an air raid warden. It looked really good. There was also the local Military Wives Choir.