Ride Out: RTTW 2026
A few weeks after catching up with James and photographing his Harley amongst the colourful backdrop of Northampton's street art scene, I found myself once again photographing motorcycles.
This time there were a few more of them!
Armed with considerably less coffee than I probably needed, I headed to Junction 15A to photograph and film local riders gathering for Ride to the Wall (RTTW).
For those unfamiliar with RTTW, it began back in 2008 when a group of motorcyclists rode to the National Memorial Arboretum to pay their respects to Britain's fallen service personnel. Since then, it's grown into an annual event bringing together thousands of riders from across the country, all travelling for the same purpose: remembrance and respect. [rttw.org], [gardens.br...ion.org.uk]
Waving from the bridge over the M1 on a drizzly Saturday morning was a fun moment. I had quite a few beeps from passing traffic. I just hope they could see the camera and weren't questioning my life choices. Thankyou to everyone who gave me a wave as they drove underneath me!
I'm easily impressed, and a few of the bikes made some fantastic sounds as they passed beneath the bridge in convoy. There was such a variety taking part too, from old-school classics to modern sports bikes. But everyone was joining forces for one cause.
As with so many things, the bikes are only part of the story.
Hundreds of riders, under police escort, rolled away in convoy heading north towards the National Memorial Arboretum. For James, it was his eighth ride. If you spotted the badges on his Harley in my previous blog post, each one tells the story of a year he's made the journey. (with a few to add yet!)
I forget how often photography gives you a front-row seat to moments you'd otherwise never experience. One week it's a friend and his beloved Harley in a Northampton car park. The next it's hundreds of riders setting off together with a shared purpose.
Either way, I felt like I had to document it.
After all, I had the easy job.
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