Bikes from Panthera MC and Herts MC giving newlyweds Tony and Laura a surprise escort to their reception.
Biker escort
Motorcycl
e enthusiast Tony Gill reports that he and his new bride Laura Strachan were given a biker escort to and from their wedding ceremony on the 14th of May. Tony has been working as a Stores Technician in the basement for the past year, although many staff and students will remember him from his days behind the counter in the Cybercafé.
Tony and Laura first got together after a motorcycle rally and they are both loyal members and supporters of Panthera Motorbike Club, based at the Cottenham Social Club, so he had arranged for a biker escort to accompany Laura on the way to the ceremony, which was held at The Missing Sock pub on the back road to Newmarket.
The 14th of May turned out to be a gloriously sunny spring day, so everyone was able to gather in the spacious garden to watch Tony and Laura as they said their vows. But as the newly married couple left, they were taken by surprise as another 10 or 15 bikes pulled out of a layby to give them an even larger escort to the reception (arranged by the president of the club).
Skulls & Roses theme
Reception at Cottenham Social Club
Tony says the reception, which was held at the Cottenham Social Club where Panthera MC meet, was a great success. Members of several other clubs joined in the party, which featured a DJ, singer, and an AFAB Drag Queen (a drag queen who was assigned female at birth, going by the name of Ella Gants). The decorative theme was ‘skulls and roses’ much of which was designed by Laura herself. “She is very artistic,” Tony explains proudly.
Tony says his interest in motorbikes started developing about 15 years ago, and he has been a member of several motorbike clubs since. He currently owns a Bandit 600 and ZZR1100, both of which are “nice and easy to ride.” “The smaller one (the Bandit) I use for day to day commutes, the other one for the longer road trips though as it’s 30 years old, I have to do a bit of work on it at the moment!” he says.
Tony enjoys being a member of Panthera MC, explaining: “We’re just a group of friends who like to go out riding together. We meet weekly at the club, but we also have planned outings a good couple times of week.” Although Laura doesn’t ride a motorbike herself, Tony says: “Laura is definitely a supporter of the club. She has only been on the back of my bike a few times and even drives a car for our outings sometimes, which shows it’s not always about the bikes, but more about ‘honouring the brotherhood of family.”
Congratulations to Tony and Laura and we wish them much happiness.
