AT one o’clock on Sunday the world’s largest poppy should be lining up around the perimeter of London.

Two hours after the Prime Minister will have laid his wreath at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, 15,000 bikers are scheduled to be synchronising their machines to link up around the M25 and create a bird’s eye poppy, coloured by their clothing.

Vince Bowers, 42, a scaffolder of Seaton Close, Haydon Wick, will be leading riders from Swindon, with a meet at Junction 16 of the M4 at 10am, before riding on to meet bikers from Reading at a service station near the town.

He is one of seven people across the country who have been trying to co-ordinate this effort after plans were initially dreamt up on October 10.

It has not been easy.

“I had thought of the idea a few weeks before we actually sat down to do it, and at that time I thought there was absolutely no chance it would get done for this year,” he said.

“It’s been an absolute nightmare since October 10. I get up at 5.30am, take phone calls, reply to messages on Facebook all day at work, get home, sit in front of the computer replying to messages, and then go to bed before doing it all again the next day.”

In order to document the achievement, if it comes to pass, organisers have appealed to Google Earth for satellite coverage and Sky News for two helicopters. Neither option has yet been confirmed, though fingers are crossed.

Appeals have been posted across Facebook, Twitter, radio, magazines and even a Moto GP race, to attract attention from the nation’s motorcycle clubs, in order to make up the 15,000 needed to make this dream a reality.

“Our event on Facebook is saying we only have 1,000 definites at the moment, but Facebook isn’t for everyone and Julia Stevenson, our chief organiser, has said she has 8,000 plus in place.

“Her phone has been off the hook continually. We think it’s going to work out pretty well.”

The two-minute silence will be observed by Vince and his western contingent at Reading services at 11am.

A former veteran of the Territorial Army and biker himself, Vince is committed to raising the profile of the biker community as a part of this remembrance salute.

“The biker community does get a hard time of it. We want to show respect to the armed forces in our own way.

“It is a time for us to show them respect.”

Any motorcyclists interested in attending the ride should contact Vince on 07878 829 144.

Where to go to pay your respects

There are a host of events taking place in and around Swindon to mark Remembrance Day this weekend.

The first will see the Lydiard Park Field of Remembrance open at 11am tomorrow and it will remain open each day until Sunday, November 17 from 9am to 4pm.

On Saturday the Run to Remember will start in Lydiard Park at 11am and Sunday will see the majority of Remembrance Day services and parades.

These include:

 

  • Swindon Cenotaph, Regent Circus at 11am

     

     

  •  Cricklade Remembrance Parade, at the War Memorial, in High Street from 10.40am

     

     

  •  Wroughton War Memorial at 11am

     

     

  • Radnor Street Cemetery, in Old Town, at 2pm

     

     

  • Royal Wootton Bassett Remembrance Parade, in High Street at 2.15pm.

     

     

  • Remembrance Service at the Steam Museum at 3pm.