4 days ago
Cumbrian couple making journey on 1970s Lambretta from Spain to Cumbria
Two Cumbrian scooter riders are looking to raise money after undertaking an epic journey from south Spain to Scotland.
Paul Baxter and Julie Bowman set off from Los Alcazares in Spain and journey up to Bilbao on a classic 1970s Lambretta.
Paul and Julie's Lambretta (Image: Supplied) After catching the ferry to Portsmouth, the pair have travelled the length of England before arriving for a scooter festival in Ayr, Scotland.
Paul and Julie are raising money for Blind Veterans UK and Cumbria's own Eden Valley Hospice which they visited on Monday, June 30.
'We planned to do this five years ago and we started raising money before COVID but unfortunately COVID check in and stopped us from doing it,' explained Paul.
'On the first day we were planning on going up to up to Madrid with our ultimate destination being Santander but when we got to Madrid because it was such lovely riding conditions, I said to my girlfriend that we'd carry on to the next biggest town which is another 200 kilometres away.
Paul and Julie (Image: Supplied) 'We ended up passing there and we got to within 90 kilometres of Santander which was 801 kilometres in a day which is a hell of a long way on a 1974 scooter.
'They were never designed to do what we're doing. They were designed as shopping trolleys to go about your business and for commuting but we're now sticking bags on there and front racks and storing stuff wherever we can.'
Paul found his love of scooters in Cumbria and was a member of several scooter clubs in the country.
Scooter enthusiasts are a very tight knit community and people from Cumbria have been very generous in their support of Paul and Julie.
'I saw a motorbike in the siding and acknowledged the motorbike and about 300 metres down the road, the motorbike rider lifted his helmet, and it was one of my school pals who'd been following us and he'd ridden down to join us in the rain.
'Later we stopped at a fuel station to have the crack with a guy that had been waving us frantically.
'He said I've been chasing you and I've got an envelope for you
Paul and Julie with Frank Gardener (Image: Supplied) 'He was in his late 70s or early 80s and had been following us on the internet.
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'He'd made a donation on the internet, but wanted to come and meet as personally, gave me an envelope, which said "thank you so much' which was just amazing.'
Paul and Julie will now be making the journey back from Cumbria to their home in Spain.
Anybody wishing to donate can do so online.
