40,000 Bikers in Town
2007: Burn Up Photos
The Ace Cafe Reunion Run, or the Brighton Burn-Up as it is known, in September is one of the biggest, perhaps the biggest, motoring events to fill the tarmac along Madeira Drive—this year on Sunday, 10th September. Some claims put the total number of participants as high as 40,000. But whatever, the city is certainly heaving with motorcycles of all shapes and sizes on the day.
Ace Cafe is the famous bikers’ cafe on London’s North Circular Road. Built as a cafe for road haulers in the 1930s, it became the favourite haunt of Britain’s motorcyclists, part of teenage culture and post-war rock ‘n’ roll. It closed in 1969—the end of an era.
But in 1993, Mark Wilsmore had the idea for the Ace Cafe Reunion, an annual event at the old Ace Cafe site. And so it’s gone from there, and in 1997 the old cafe itself was reborn.
The Ace Cafe Reunion is for both Mods and Rockers—young and old—bikes and scooters—young and old.
Bikers come from all over the country—in fact, all over Europe—and maybe even further afield.
It’s a sight worth seeing!
© David Gray imagesbrighton.com
© David Gray imagesbrighton.com
