On Friday, May 18, North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes escorted our Blood Bike Rider Russell Curwen’s funeral to the parish church in Kendal, along with his family, who all lived in Endmoor.

Russell was in a road collision on May 5. He was carrying very urgent bloods from Westmorland General Hospital to Royal Lancaster Infirmary and died as a result of the injuries he received.

The hurt and pain suffered by all 360 of our volunteers was enormous, but nothing compared to that felt by Russell’s mum and dad, brother and sister and wider family. It was a tragic loss of such a lovely man, who gave up his own time to help save others, and ended up giving his life.

There were some 500 motorcycles escorting the cortege, with Blood Bikers from as far away as Cornwall, Sussex, Scotland, Wales and even Dublin as well as other bikers, and we were all proud to do it, even though at times emotion got the better of us. As a result we practically closed off Kirkland for an hour or so and many drivers were held up, for which I apologise.

We were led by a police motorcyclist, who openly admitted after the funeral that emotion got to him too, but the thing that stood out above all else was the reaction from the people of Kendal. This was especially so when passing Westmorland General, where not only staff came out and applauded as the cortege passed, but so did patients in dressing gowns and wheelchairs.

There were also people on every street corner, right through to the church, and with police officers saluting, it really was something else, which my vocabulary can’t find a word to describe it.

This letter is from us to the people of Kendal. On behalf of my committee, trustees and members of North West Blood Bikes Lancs & Lakes I would like you to pass on a huge thank you to all for the respect you showed. It was heart-warming to say the least to us, and Russell’s family, and when I am in Kendal again, I will salute you.

Paul Brooks JP

Trustee/Chairman/Central Area Rider

North West Blood Bikes Lancs & Lakes