by John Prince
A retired soldier has taken to the road to raise money for a veterans support group, by riding thousands of miles on his bike to the northernmost part of mainland Europe.
Ian Blowes, 48, from Thorngumbald, who is a Royal Signals veteran, set off at the weekend on his Honda Africa Twin motorcycle for the ride up to Nordkapp in Norway, which is located above the Arctic Circle on the island of Magerøya.
Ian is doing the ride on his own through 12 countries over the next five weeks. He’ll ride to Norway through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, keeping to safe routes and away from the Russian border.
It’s to raise money for the Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs (AFVBC) that are free, informal, community-based organisations that bring veterans and serving personnel together in a supportive and welcoming environment.
There are nearly 500 in the UK with more than 15,000 members, all helping to combat loneliness and isolation.
Ian said: “I came out [of the Army] in 2001 after an injury. When I first came out, you do feel lost, and the ethos of the breakfast club is ‘return to the tribe’.
“The more people we can get to know about the breakfast clubs, the more people we can get to go to them.
“They can go and turn to them and it’s just like being back, you know. You talk about old times with colleagues and it’s like you haven’t left.”
Ian will be taking with him some camping gear, and high-protein snacks such as nuts, and vitamins and minerals to sustain up to eight long hours in the saddle.
Also coming along for the ride are two soldier teddy bears made by people in Withernsea, and a remembrance cross to lay at the grave of a veteran’s relative who died in the Second World War on an island off Norway.
Ian has a flexible plan with no fixed meet-ups but he’s open to riding with others. He intends to visit a Norwegian veterans’ holiday camp to spread the word about the breakfast clubs.
This is his biggest ride to date and first-ever European motorcycle tour, having completed long rides before for the Royal British Legion and to the National Memorial Arboretum in the UK.
He added: “So far we’ve raised about £900 on GoFundMe. I’m hoping to raise £1,800 so we’re halfway there.
“I’m not nervous about the trip. I’m actually more nervous about not completing it and letting people down.”
To follow Ian’s progress go to his Instagram page by searching for the code BC2NK. To donate, his GoFundMe page is “Nordkapp and back”.