Evensong and Blessing of motorcycles from the 59 Motorcycle Club

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Evensong and Blessing of motorcycles from the 59 Motorcycle Club

Evensong and Blessing of Motorcycles from the 59 Motorcycle Club will take place at Westminster Abbey on Sunday 8th May 2022 at 3.00 pm.

By Westminster Abbey

Date and time

Sun, 8 May 2022 15:00 - 16:30 GMT+1

Location

Westminster Abbey

20 Deans Yd London SW1P 3PA United Kingdom

About this event

On Sunday 8th May 2022, Evensong will be held at Westminster Abbey at 3.00 pm in the presence of motorbike riders from the legendary 59 Motorcycle Club who are currently riding under the careful stewardship of Father Sergiy Diduk motorcycle enthusiast and Chairman since 2018.

Following Evensong, members of the Club will be able to mark this memorably historic occasion by having 15 of their motorcycles blessed at the Great West Door outside the Abbey.

The original '59 Club' was founded by The Reverend John Oates as a youth club at the Eton Mission, Hackney Wick and was opened by Sir Cliff Richard on 8th January 1959.

Moving on from early days when HRH Princess Margaret visited the Club with her husband Lord Snowdon, as Patron of the National Association of Youth Clubs, the Club founded a motorcycle section of their youth club under the command of Father Bill Shergold and with a move to St Mary's Paddington and the assistance of curate Father Graham Hullett, they became known as the "59 Club of Paddington".

The club was to move back to Hackney Wick and remained there until 1993 when following the loss of premises, they needed to move again. The club are now based in Plaistow with meetings on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Celebrating their 60th Anniversary in 2019, the club has close to 30,000 members and connections worldwide.

Admission to Evensong with parking is possible by applying here for online tickets. Please only apply here if you wish to park. Public seating will also be available. Parking will be available for a maximum of 215 bikes. If you would like to attend with a bike, click on REGISTER above. To allow as many as possible to have a chance to apply, you will be allowed up to two tickets per bike and will need to give the details of those you apply for. Enter the details you need to, then click on REGISTER. You have to give your name and email address to do that.

A link to your ticket(s) will be sent to the email address you have provided. Please print out each ticket or take an image on a mobile phone and bring the ticket(s) with you to the service. The Abbey does not share any data you leave with third parties.

Ticket holders and their bikes are to meet at the Ace from noon for departure to the Abbey at 1.00pm. Non-ticket holders without bikes should arrive from 2.15pm as seating will be provided on a first come first served basis.

Please note for security reasons, there will be a bag search before entering the church.

The nearest toilet facilities are located in the Abbey Cloisters .

Members of the congregation are requested to be seated by 2.45 pm.

FAQs

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event? 15 motorbikes will be parked outside the Abbey's Great West Doors, up to 100 motorbikes will be accommodated in the Abbey Sanctuary in front of the Abbey and a further 100 will be parked in Dean's Yard, the Abbey's small square adjacent to the Sanctuary. Once those spaces are filled, motorbike riders will need to park in nearby streets before making their way to the Abbey and may attend Evensong as members of the public.

When will the blessing of motorcycles take place ? This will happen after Evensong at approximately 4.00 pm at the Great West Door.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket(s) to the event? Yes, please bring tickets for each person attending or be prepared to be able to show an image of your ticket on your phone to the Abbey marshal at the entrance.

What time do the doors open? 2.15 pm

Covid-19 : The Abbey is a well ventilated space. Please do not attend the Abbey if you are feeling unwell.

How long will the Service last? Evensong will last approximately 45 minutes, there will be then be a short gap in time as the clergy say farewell to the congregation, before the blessing takes place at 4.00 pm.

What if I have special needs? The church has easy ramped access for those in wheelchairs or with walking aids. Please contact Matthew Arnoldi by email special.events@westminster-abbey.org so we can assist you.

Organised by

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