The unmistakable sound of almost 200 Harley Davidsons roared into Abington Street this morning as the motorcycle run celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The bikes, which again came from all over the county and region, set off from Sixfields at around 10.30am, making their way down Weedon Road in convoy before descending into Northampton town centre, filling Abington Street with the noise and smells of the iconic bikes.
The April Fools Bike Run, which was again organised by Councillor Terry Wire (Lab, St James), raised money for Cynthia Spencer Hospice through bucket collections.
Hundreds of people lined the street to welcome the bikes into town.
Councillor Wire, who first organised the rally in 2004 after he was diagnosed with cancer, an illness he is still fighting, said the event had now become part of the town’s calendar, with people coming travelling to see the bikes in all their glory.
He said: “I can’t thanks these guys “the biker owners) enough.
“They come from all over and it is fantastic. The council now recognises that this has become an annual event and they are very supportive.
“We started off with 40 bikes and from that we have grown over the last 10 years.”
Councillor Wire said he was hoping to have raised around £2,000 from the bucket collections in the town. And he said business in the town were also benefitting from the growing event.
He added: “I really do believe this brings people into the town centre, it is free and people come to look at the amazing spectacle of all these wonderful machines coming into town.”
Sue Bownass, from Friends of Cynthia Spencer, said: “It is fantastic, it has been absolutely brilliant again.
“Considering Terry has been unwell it is great he has organised it again.
“Each year it gets bigger and better and people come from all over the place to take part.
“People phone us up know asking when it is going to take place and when we got here at 9.30am this morning there were already people here waiting.”
To donate to Councillor Terry Wire’s Just Giving page visit www.justgiving.com/Terry-Wire