TV chef Si King has hailed a memorial motorcycle ride in honour of his late Hairy Bikers co-star Dave Myers as “absolutely remarkable”.
Thousands of motorcyclists travelled from London to Myers’ hometown in Barrow-in-Furness on Saturday as part of the first Dave Day.
Myers, who was part of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo with co-presenter King, died in February at the age of 66 after suffering from cancer.
In a video shared by BBC North East and Cumbria, King told crowds after finishing the ride: “It was just absolutely remarkable. What a remarkable reception. Just mind-blowing.
“All of the over bridges all the way from London up to Barrow-in-Furness, people waving and showing kindness and courtesy – unbelievable.”
King and Myers’ widow Lili later appeared on a stage in Barrow-in-Furness were they thanked those who had come out to pay tribute to Myers.
In videos shared to social media, Lili can be seen thanking those who helped organise the day, saying: “The love that you’ve put into this is not going unnoticed, thank you very much.
“I want to thank all the people that have made the effort to come today, some of them from Malaysia, some of them really struggled in different ways to make their way here but they did, they are with us tonight.”
She said some of the cancer stories shared with her have been “moving her heart” as she can relate to their struggle, adding: “The past couple of years have been horrendous.”
She encouraged the crowd to reach out to anyone they know living with or supporting someone with cancer as she praised her friends who have been by her side.
Following Myers’ death, his hometown in Cumbria organised the tribute day which also included a music concert and a service of remembrance.
The day raised funds for the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and children’s charity the NSPCC.
King, speaking to BBC Breakfast from north-west London on Saturday morning, said the event would be a “celebration of my best friend that we’ve lost” and it will be “very emotional”.
“You never know how these things are going to impact you, it is a celebration of Dave’s life”, he added.
“That’s why we’re here because he was so irritatingly positive all of the time. And we love him and that’s why we’re here.”
King added he wants people to say they are having a “Dave Day” instead of a “great day”.
Speaking about cancer, the TV star described it as a “ruthless disease”, adding: “It doesn’t care who it takes. And that’s part of the reason that we’re here.
“We’re all like-minded folk and it’s diverse and it’s as varied as every motorcycle that you see, all the characters and personalities here are just great.
“That’s the whole thing about a journey, because motorcycling isn’t about A to B, it’s about the bit in the middle and that’s the bit of life that we all celebrate. That’s what it’s about.”
Myers’s widow Lili Myers told BBC Breakfast that seeing the support for the tribute day helps her through the “process of grief” as it reminds her she is not on her own.
The organiser of Dave Day, Jason Woodcock, said the idea for the memorial ride was formed between him and some of Myers’ friends during the TV chef’s funeral.
He added the people in Barrow were “amazing” in the lead-up, offering spare rooms and gardens for people to camp in as there is no accommodation left.
