Ride to the Wall 2026: an intimate act of remembrance on a grand scale
Ride to the Wall returns to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Saturday 3 October 2026. Thousands of motorcycles will make the journey, but when I think back to attending a few years ago, the bikes are only part of what I remember.
What has stayed with me is the emotion. The veterans wearing their cherished forces berets. The sense of solidarity. The humbling feeling of being among people for whom remembrance carried a significance far beyond anything a passing spectator could fully understand.
It was an intimate event on a grand scale. That might sound an unlikely combination, yet it describes the occasion better than any attendance figure. Thousands could gather together while the reason for being there remained intensely personal.
As the 19th Ride to the Wall approaches, that is the story worth telling: the people who make the journey, the memories they bring and the volunteers who give them somewhere to come together.
Why Ride to the Wall feels so personal
Those berets made a lasting impression on me. You could see how cherished they were. I could not know every wearer’s history, or what memories the day brought back, but their presence gave the gathering a dignity that has stayed with me ever since.
For some attending, remembrance means a name they know. For others, it is an expression of gratitude, a family connection or a wish to stand alongside people who have served. There is room for those different reasons within the same occasion.
That is where the solidarity comes from. You do not need to have shared someone’s experiences to show them respect. Sometimes being there is the contribution you can make.
Motorcycling provides the means of gathering. It offers something familiar to talk about and a journey to share, while leaving space for the more difficult reasons people may have come. My own lasting memory is of the feeling among those present: emotional, humbling and deeply connected.
How a small ride became a lasting commitment
The idea for Ride to the Wall grew from a group ride to the newly opened Armed Forces Memorial on Remembrance Sunday in 2007. Martin Dickinson founded the event the following year, wanting to remember those lost since the Second World War and help younger generations understand their sacrifice.
His published account describes it as a lifelong commitment. That matters: an annual event requires people to return to the work long after the motorcycles have gone home.
Another organiser, Alan Ross, recalls first attending in 2010 simply for the bikes. The emotion of the Arboretum and remembrance service overwhelmed him. He subsequently spent six years marshalling a route.
His experience helps explain the event’s reach. A person can arrive with an interest in motorcycles and leave with a deeper connection to the purpose of the gathering.
A bereaved father and a new family on two wheels
John Foster’s account brings that purpose into particularly sharp focus. Listed on RTTW’s website as its Family Liaison Officer, he describes taking up motorcycling after his son Robbie was killed in Afghanistan in 2007 alongside two fellow Royal Anglian soldiers.
He passed his test, bought a Honda Pan European and found a riding community. His involvement with RTTW includes helping bring bereaved families into the day’s proceedings.
No hobby can make such a loss smaller. What a community can offer is company, practical purpose and people willing to stand beside you. John’s story deserves to be told with that distinction intact.
It also reminds us what the names at a memorial represent. Each belongs to a person with relationships, everyday habits and a life beyond their service record. Behind remembrance are families whose connection continues throughout the year.
The quiet organisation behind thousands of arrivals
I remember individual clubs having to book time slots so the organisers could stagger arrivals. Even with so many people involved, there was a sense that the occasion was being carefully looked after.
The police appeared to take a discreet supporting role during my visit, allowing the organisers to manage proceedings. That is my recollection of the event I attended; it is not a description of this year’s policing arrangements.
What impressed me was the responsibility being taken within the gathering itself. The organisation helped preserve the atmosphere rather than becoming the focus of attention.
RTTW says it is run entirely by unpaid volunteers who give their spare time at their own expense. Route planning, registration, marshalling and welcoming participants all require work. When those arrangements function well, visitors can give their attention to the reason they came.
There is something especially fitting about people giving their time to help others remember. Their contribution continues the same spirit of solidarity that is so evident on the day.
A salute that captures the spirit of Ride to the Wall
One documented moment expresses that respect particularly powerfully. At the 2024 event, Forces News reported that Northern Ireland veteran David “Blu” Sheaf stood to attention for five hours, saluting riders as they passed. www.forcesnews.com
Five hours is an extraordinary commitment. It is also a simple gesture, repeated for each arrival, acknowledging the people making the journey and what brought them there.
The practical legacy lasts beyond the gathering. The National Memorial Arboretum reported in 2025 that participants had raised more than £1.83 million since the first ride to support its work. That is a dated total, but it demonstrates years of sustained generosity. thenma.org.uk
Ride to the Wall 2026: remembering together
This year’s ride takes place on Saturday 3 October. Anyone planning to attend should check the official RTTW website for current routes, registration arrangements and instructions before travelling.
For those who have never been, I would say this: be prepared for the occasion to affect you. It certainly affected me. I still remember the berets, the emotion and the powerful feeling of solidarity years later.
The scale is impressive, but the intimacy is what endures. Thousands of people can make a shared journey while carrying their own private reasons for doing so. Ride to the Wall gives those reasons a common destination, and gives everyone present the opportunity to show that remembering matters.