WOMAC enjoyed a fantastic at the Ace Cafe on Sunday 21 August - we raised just under £750 - which meant that the Ace Cafe customers and those the bikers present for the Unity Ride were most generous - and much appreciated! We obviously made a great impression with the Ace Cafe as they have said they would like us back again next year!
We weren't quite sure what effect the Unity ride would have on our months of planning for the Ace Café's Ladies' Day. Owner Mark Willsmore and Operations Manager Claire Phillipson had pulled out all the stops for us, and the effect of 3,000 or so bikers turning up after their anti-terrorism ride through London was something of an unknown quantity.
We needn't have worried. If ever there was a day when petrolheads in all their diversity showed support for a common cause or two, 21 August 2005 was it. The celebration of women who enjoy vehicles took the form of a display comprising standard, classic, custom and American cars and bikes, along with trikes and even a spectacular drag racer.
The WOMAC team, comprising Janet Wilkinson, Sue Loy, Kim McHugo, Sarah Bradley and Charlotte Blight worked their heels off with an auction, raffle and goodie-bag giveaway, although to our delight a considerable number of people simply shoved money at us. It quickly became clear that cancer had affected a lot of people there that day. And from sunrise to sunset, DJ Kaz Be Bop kept spirits raised and the momentum going with a fantastic Fifties soundtrack, while also managing to oversee the raffle prizes and read out the winners. The day was blessed with bright sunshine, which made all the vehicles look excellent and certainly helped to boost visitor numbers. Come mid-afternoon, just as things were slowing down a little, the Unity riders arrived en masse with all the noise, drama and excitement that a successful several-thousand-strong ride can possibly muster. Seeing them off in the morning had been moving: hearing them return in their thousands made the hair stand up on the back of everybody's necks. Police riders, Fifties rockers, stunt bikers, first-time visitors and seasoned Acers sat side by side, strolled around the massed machinery on display and enjoyed the sunshine. It was heartening to see so many female petrolheads turn up, as we had no idea how many to expect. We duly went around shaking cans and talking to everybody. What a lovely bunch of people without exception, all greeted our interruptions with a smile and a chat. Then, at four o'clock, the Union flag, which had hung at half-mast since the London bombings, was raised and the entire crowd held a minute's silence. It was an extraordinary sight.
The sombre task completed, it was time to party and the Ace kept rocking well into the evening. Our heartfelt thanks, then, to all the Ace staff for their hard work, to the men, women and children who came to support us and to the Unity riders who were so generous towards our own cause. It was an unusual day, and one which nobody involved is likely to forget.
The Ace and WOMAC are toying with the idea of doing a repeat event in some form next year and maybe including another ride. So keep those motors ready, ladies!
