An information Page about Chester Lions and Lions Clubs International has now been added to this website and you can view it by clicking here.

This Light Parade is turning into a dream of a prospect and an opportunity for Wingers of all Clubs (or no club) to enjoy taking part in a real spectacle for a jolly good cause.

Chester Lions are turning our to be be very, very good at organising and getting things agreed by officialdom and local businesses so Saturday April 21st promises to be a stunning Event – and for Wingers a very attractive weekend fixture.

Chapel Street is the main and best pedestrianized shopping area in Southport.

This is a fantastic public viewing area for our Wings and also great news for the Goldwing specialists.

It is also great news for the Queenscourt Hospice in Southport, our chosen charity, as it will maximise the collections for them.

Some of the Sponsors (such as Appleyards) may also be supporting the Chester Event too.

Please remember our event sponsors when you make your purchases of services or goods which they supply.

A 15% discount on normal rates applies providing you quote “GoldWing Event” when you make your booking and there is no deadline for this deal – although the Site has limited places (70 caravans/motorhomes plus 20 tents) so best to book early to avoid dusappointment.

Further information can be viewed by clicking here.

The innovative part is the partnership approach – pooling the local knowledge, resources and skills of a service organisation like Lions with the capacity of a GoldWing Club or Region to invite lots of Wingers to turn up and enjoy themsleves while showing off their bikes in a good cause.

It helps to have an attractive location too (the centre of Chester is really attractive and really pulls the crowds even without Goldwings there) and a place where Wingers can stay overnight at reasonable cost and socialise if they wish.  But it doesnlt have to be a seaside resort, as GoldWing Light Parades have all been so far.

The partnership is a very powerful one.  The locals have the contacts and use them to set things up with the Council and the Police etc – and the GoldWing Club can concentrate on inviting Wingers along and making sure they are provided for properly.

Wingers then turn up and park their bikes in a nice place for the day, the Ladies get to enjoy sites and the shopping and the Lions get to exploit the GoldWings to collect lots of money for charity – hopefully in this case well over £10,000!

This is an exiting new idea and hopefully lots of Wingers will want to come along and enjoy it, see how it works and maybe take away ideas for their own similar event.

Pam donating £50 to the RNLI

If you attended the 2011 Llandudno GoldWing Light Parade, you might have been accosted by 3 people carrying loads of professional photo gear….. and wearing hi-vis vests bearing the word “Photographer”.

This was John, Sharon and Frank – aka JAS Photographic from Merseyside – who gave their services freely to help us in our attempts to raise money for the RNLI.

We’ve just added to our gallery page hundreds of the wonderful photos they shot of the event – mostly of Wingers posing proudly beside or on their beloved machines……. so go take a look!

One of the photos you’ll find there is of Pam Turner who came all the way from Birmingham on a bus to see the event, and then donated £50 to the RNLI in order to ride the parade on the back of a trike. Very well done, Pam! Not only that, but she enjoyed it so much that she went straight home and ordered a trike! We look forward to seeing her in Southport on it.

The Main Venue is the large and splendid Prince of Wales Hotel, in a prime position on Southport’s premier Shopping Street, Lord Street.

There are options to stay for one, two at a special rate and if you stay longer it gets even cheaper!

Family rooms, upgrade room options, secure parking, excellent large function room – it ticks all the boxe!

For more detail Click Here.

GoldWings in Southport

Following a hugely successful event in Llandudno this year, it has just been announced by the Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs that their premier Light Parade will move to Southport for 2012.

A plan was hatched some time ago that GoldWings North West and GoldWings North Wales, the two founding Federation Clubs, would take turns to hold an end-of-season Light Parade to continue the spirit and fun of the Blackpool Light Parade when that could no longer continue – and so for 2012 we have another yet new Light Parade Resort to look forward to experiencing!

Jeff Thornton of GoldWings North West is the Lead Organiser and he confirmed to his Club Meeting last Sunday that all the fundamentals for a great Light Parade Weekend are already in place with a keen and cooperative Town Council, excellent cooperation from Merseyside Police and a cracking venue, the 154 bedroom Prince of Wales Hotel on Lord Street, the Town’s main street, in Southport.

This website will be updated shortly and booking information which has already been released to Federation Members will be available on here as soon as possible.  All Wingers are welcome – regardless of club or other affiliation – and there are no extra charges for non-Members of the host Club. This is an Event for all Wingers and you can even book your family into the Hotel for the weekend if you wish – there are no restrictions. You will however need to quote the Booking Code to get the special deal, and this will be posted on here – together with the contact details – as soon as practicable.

We have received the attached letter from the Mayor, Cllr Greg Robbins, congratulating us on such a spectacular event, and expressing his hope that we will repeat the event next year.

He has also invited us to bring some of our well-lit GoldWings to enhance the town’s Christmas Light Parade on December 3rd – so watch out for us there!