Skegness Light Parade 2015

The second Skegness Light Parade took place on 25 September 2015 and once again wingers from all over the country descended on Skegness to take part.  This year we had 114 parade inscriptions together with a Prize Draw Raffle (with prizes donated by the Golden Palm Resort), which all went to raise £1811 for the Skegness RNLI Lifeboat fund.  In addition, the ladies in the RNLI Shop ran a Jumble Sale and Cake stall on the day which collected another £255, making a grand total of £2066 for the 2015 event.

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The weekend started on Friday with Goldwings arriving at the Golden Palm Resort to take up their great accommodation offer covering the whole weekend.  Having comfortably settled in our static caravans, we all started engines and moved our wings over to the Shopping Centre Carpark where space had been reserved for us to do an evening static display.  The bikes were judged by the Golden Palm Staff to pick the best Bike and the Best Trike.  Having showed off our bikes for an hour, we then parked up and retired to the Tropicana Club for a well earned drink and some great entertainment. 

 Click here for the full 2015 SKLP Photo Album

Static Display at the Golden Palm Resort

10.00am Saturday morning  and wingers were already assembling in large numbers at the RNLI Car Park for the static display.  Parking started at the Lifeboat station and spread all the way down the road to give a great display of wings to anyone who wanted to wander along and chat.  Yes we had loads of visitors all interested in our bikes and we gave them a challenge to find any two wings that looked the same - no-one managed it !!.  Everyone wanted to know what the buttons did, what the Satnav looked like, what the engine sounded like and most of all - what did they cost.  Here are a few of the bikes on display and some examples of the beautiful artwork decorating a few of our machines.

Between 12.00 and 12.30, the bikes were once again judged for best Bike and Trike, after which Stephen and Lynne, and Trevor and Marion, moved their wings up to the Hildred's Shopping Arcade so that they could distribute leaflets and direct spectators both to the Static Display and also to the Light Parade to be held later in the day.   Here we are in the middle of the shopping mall where we had lots of requests to sit on the bike for a photo. 

One little chap named 'Jack', who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, absolutely loved the bikes and his face lit with delight when I started the engine for him.   Unfortunately, he is quadriplegic and his arms and legs are very stiff with little range of movement.  However, with help from his Grandmother 'Cath', he sat on the bike for a photo and you can see the great smile and look of delight and happiness that he had.  Although Jack couldn't speak to us, he made it very clear that we had 'made his day'. 

At 16.00, the Goldwingers dispersed to get an evening meal (and a well earned rest) and then we re-assembled at the RNLI for the start of the parade at 19.00.  Our route was longer than last year, taking us from the RNLI Car Park, along South Parade, then back to Lumley Road, up and around the one way system.  Back down to the Clock Tower, then along the North Parade to the North Car Park, where we circled up through Park Avenue and Castleton Boulevard, back to the North Parade and back home to the Clock Tower and the RNLI Car Park.  With fine weather and lots of advertising, we had loads of spectators lining the streets.   Here are a few pictures of the bikes getting ready for the parade and a short video clip showing the bikes returning to base.

You Tube Videos

 Lynne Taylor - 'Back to Base'

Alison Hillman - Skegness Light Parade 2015

Alison Hillman - Skegness Light Parade 2015/2

Debbie's Facebook Video

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Our sincere thanks go to everyone that contributed to this year's parade, for the many bikers who came from all over the country to help make the event a success, to the RNLI and to the Golden Palm Resort for their excellent support and to the Town and officials of Skegness who made it all possible.  At the end of the event we inscribed 114 bikes and this income, added to the collection buckets and the proceeds from the Prize Draw, raised over £1700 which goes to the RNLI Lifeboat Charity.  On top of this, the Lincs Wings Region of the Goldwing Owners Club of Great Britain want to thank Sandy and Jayne for organising and spearheading such a great weekend. 

The Management !