A Boy George impersonator is paying tribute to his friend, the late Dave Myers, with a ride-out in his memory.
The Hairy Bikers star – who lived with his wife Liliana in Rodmersham near Sittingbourne for many years – died in February, aged 66, following a battle with cancer.
On Saturday, his TV chef co-star Si King will be leading a tribute ride for him, dubbed Dave Day, with thousands of bikers expected to travel from London to Barrow-in-Furness – Dave’s hometown.
But closer to home, Matt Endersby. who owns Matt Matt’s café in Chaucer Road, Sittingbourne, is hosting his very own two-wheeled tribute to his dear friend.
The 56-year-old, a former Boy George impersonator from Milstead, met Dave more than 10 years ago. He said: “He was a lovely guy who loved life and never said a bad word about anyone.
“People say he’s Dave the Hairy Biker, but he wasn’t to me – he was just Dave. He’d phone you up and have a chat.
“Everybody would stop and talk to him, and he’d talk to everybody he’d never say he was too busy.
“He was just a decent bloke through and through.”
Now Matt is hosting his very own Dave Day, with bikers travelling from his café to Herne Bay and Faversham.
He explained: “After the funeral everybody had been talking about this bike ride going from Ace Café in London to Barrow-in-Furness. So far there are more than 10,000 bikers who are going.
“I spoke to Dave’s wife Lily and said ‘I don’t have a bike, but I do have a café, would it be possible to set up my own?’ and she was more than happy to do that.”
The ride will set off at 10am from Matt Matt’s Café, where he will be selling bacon rolls and coffee to raise, money for Dave’s charities: the Institute of Cancer Research and NSPCC ChildLine.
Bike enthusiast Ian Maggs is in charge of the route, and the pair expect up to 150 riders. There will also be a trophy for the best bike on the day.
Matt added: “All I ask is the riders go through Rodmersham as that was his village.”
