❤️ IN MEMORY OF BIGGLES – A LEGACY THAT COULD SAVE A LIFE ❤️
❤️ A LASTING LEGACY FOR LES ‘BIGGLES’ BOWDEN ❤️
This is one of those installations that means a little bit more than simply putting another defibrillator on a wall.
Earlier this month, during Blam Blam Fever 8 Ska Weekend in Redcar, we had the privilege of unveiling a new 24/7 community-accessible defibrillator and bleed control kit outside The Gypsy Rover, dedicated to the memory of a very special man: ❤️ Les ‘Biggles’ Bowden ❤️
Always in our thoughts.
Blam Blam Fever is a brilliant annual weekender bringing people together through their love of ska music. This year's event ran from Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th September, with bands and DJs from the UK and overseas.
People travel from across the country to be part of it, including friends making the journey from Scotland, Leicester, Coventry and beyond. Over the years, this amazing group of people have also raised money and supported different charities and good causes.
But before any defibrillator was unveiled, there was a very important Blam Blam tradition to uphold! 😂🌊
First thing on the Saturday morning, it was time for the annual Dip in the Sea.
And when this lot do fancy dress, they certainly don't do it by halves!
SpongeBob, Minions, bananas, superheroes, nurses, sailors and plenty more all headed down to the seafront before braving the North Sea.
It might have been a little chilly 😂🥶, but year after year they do it. People sponsor them, buckets are filled, friendships are strengthened and every donation adds up.
As Jackie put it afterwards:
❤️ “Each year jumping in the sea & putting change in the bucket all adds up and saves lives.” ❤️
And that's really what this whole story is about.
🎥 WATCH THE STORY UNFOLD
Alongside the photographs from this very special weekend, we're sharing three videos that really capture what this is all about.
🎥 The pre-dip video – everyone gathering on the seafront in their fancy dress before taking the plunge into the North Sea.
🎥 Carl Milburn's interview alongside Alfy – a longer conversation from down at the beach, talking about Les, MISSEDABEAT, the fundraising, the friendships and how everything has developed over the years.
🎥 The official unveiling – the moment Les's family and friends came together outside The Gypsy Rover to officially unveil the community defibrillator dedicated to Biggles.
If you have a few minutes, particularly for Carl and Alfy's interview, please give them a watch. It gives you a real understanding of the people and friendships behind this project. ❤️
❤️ REMEMBERING BIGGLES❤️
Les was a massive supporter of MISSEDABEAT, but his support for charity went much further than us.
He believed in helping people and supporting good causes, and after everything Les and the wider Blam Blam family have done over the years, we wanted to give something back.
We started talking with his friends about what we could do that would create a genuine and lasting legacy.
Carl Milburn, one of Les's closest friends, has been pivotal in pulling everything together. Carl, Ste Cook, John Allen, Dean Young, the Aycliffe Skankin Crew guys and girls, and many others were involved in those conversations.
There was one location that just felt right:
❤️The Gypsy Rover❤️
As Ste said after seeing the finished installation:
❤️“The memorial means so much because Les had so many great times at the Gypsy Rover.”❤️
The reaction since the photographs were shared has been quite emotional to read.
“Les would be buzzing!”
“What a tribute to Les.”
“Les would be so proud.”
And from Les's family, simply:
❤️“So special ❤️”
That probably says more than we ever could.
It also meant a great deal to have Les's family there for the unveiling, including his mam Anne, his sister Debbie, and Tristan.
Seeing them standing alongside the cabinet bearing Les's name really brought home what the day was about.
This wasn't simply another defibrillator installation.
It was about remembering Biggles, celebrating the person he was and creating something positive in his name that could potentially save somebody else's life.
Having Les's family, his close friends and the wider Blam Blam family together for that moment made the unveiling even more special. ❤️
💛❤️ TWO BUSINESSES – ONE COMMUNITY DEFIBRILLATOR💛❤️
The location of the cabinet is important too.
It sits between The Gypsy Rover and Nate Andrews Independent Funeral Directors, with both businesses helping us ensure this isn't simply installed and forgotten about.
Because of concerns around the surface we were fixing the cabinet to, Mark from MISSEDABEAT carried out the installation using a substantial supporting board, ensuring the cabinet was securely and correctly mounted.
Beneath it now sits a very special plaque:
💛❤️In Loving Memory of
Les Bowden ♡ Biggles ♡ 💛❤️ Always in our thoughts
MISSEDABEAT has worked alongside Pinpoint Electrical Services to provide the electrical connection required for the heated cabinet.
A massive thank you goes to Nate, as the electricity supply is connected internally through his business. Nate has agreed to oversee that supply going forward and look after the associated costs, helping ensure the cabinet remains powered throughout the year.
Another huge thank you goes to Jackie at The Gypsy Rover, who has agreed to become the guardian of the defibrillator, supported by Nate.
Jackie has also taken one of our MISSEDABEAT charity boxes, allowing people visiting The Gypsy Rover to throw in their change and help towards future replacement pads, hygiene kits and other consumables needed to keep this equipment emergency-ready.
MISSEDABEAT will provide additional support by carrying out quarterly checks.
We also want to give a massive thank you to Les Brewster, who captured so much of this very special day for us.
From the photographs and atmosphere down at the beach, to the interviews with Carl and Alfy, and then the official unveiling outside The Gypsy Rover, Les was there capturing the moments, the conversations and the emotions that helped tell the whole story.
These are more than just photographs and videos. They're memories that Les's family, his friends and the whole Blam Blam family will be able to look back on for years to come — and they'll also help ensure that the story behind Biggles' legacy continues to be shared.
Thank you, Les, for giving your time and for capturing the day so brilliantly. It really is appreciated. ❤️📸🎥
⚠️ PUTTING ONE ON THE WALL ISN'T ENOUGH⚠️
Something that happened while we were there demonstrated exactly why that ongoing commitment is so important.
Jackie quite rightly mentioned that there appeared to be a number of other defibrillators around the area.
So while we were there, Mark carried out a live availability check.
Unfortunately, at that particular time, the two closest 24-hour community defibrillators we checked were showing as unavailable.
We're not mentioning that to criticize anyone. There can be numerous reasons why a defibrillator is temporarily unavailable, and we'll be reaching out to see whether there's anything we can do to help.
But it demonstrates something we constantly talk about at MISSEDABEAT:
Installing a defibrillator is only the beginning !
It needs a guardian !
It needs checking !
It needs maintaining !
And most importantly, it needs to be available when somebody needs it !
This new defibrillator will also be registered on The Circuit, helping ensure its location and availability are known to the ambulance services.
❤️ BIGGLES' LEGACY MAY GO EVEN FURTHER...❤️
We're already having conversations about another venue connected with the Ska family in Leicester, where the annual LeicSka event takes place in February.
There is already a defibrillator inside that venue, but we're going to explore whether we can help move it outside into a suitable cabinet and potentially turn another existing device into a 24/7 community-accessible defibrillator.
Imagine that.
Something which started with a group of mates, a love of ska music, some ridiculous fancy dress, charity buckets and an annual run into the freezing North Sea could ultimately help make life-saving equipment available to communities in different parts of the country.
And all while continuing the legacy of a man who believed in supporting others.
❤️ MORE THAN JUST ONE WEEKEND❤️
What has probably stood out to us most is the friendship behind all of this.
Every year the Blam Blam family comes back together.
The annual dip gets bigger !
The friendships get stronger!
More people get involved !
More memories are made !
And we'd love to see that continue year after year !
More people joining the dip. More ridiculous fancy dress. 😂 More money being raised for good causes. More communities potentially benefiting from life-saving equipment.
But above everything else, it's about a group of friends continuing something that means so much to them.
Because while Les may no longer physically be there taking part, Biggles is still very much part of it. ❤️
He's there in the stories people tell, the photographs they share, the laughs they have and now in the life-saving equipment carrying his name.
We hope the annual dip, Blam Blam and the friendships surrounding it continue to get bigger and bigger, bringing old friends back together and welcoming new ones into this amazing group.
And as it grows, so does Les's legacy.
Hopefully, years from now, people will still be gathering on that Redcar seafront on a Saturday morning, pulling on some completely ridiculous fancy-dress costume and preparing themselves for that freezing North Sea. 🌊😂
Some will have known Les personally.
Others who join in years to come perhaps won't have had that privilege.
But they'll know who Biggles was. ❤️
They'll know why his name is on that cabinet outside The Gypsy Rover.
They'll know about the friendships, the fundraising and the difference this group has made.
That's how a legacy really lives on !
Keep the friendships growing !
Keep the annual dip growing !
Keep the music playing. 🎶
Keep filling those buckets. ❤️
Keep helping others !
And apparently... keep jumping into the North Sea dressed as bananas and SpongeBob! 😂🌊
A massive thank you to Anne, Debbie and Tristan, and to Carl, Ste, John, Dean, Lee Garnett (Alfy), the Aycliffe Skankin Crew, Jackie, Nate, everyone involved with Blam Blam, Pinpoint Electrical Services, and every single person who has dipped, donated, sponsored, collected or supported these guys over the years.
Because you never know whose life all of that friendship, fundraising and madness might ultimately help save.
Most importantly..........
❤️Keep Biggles' memory alive – forever and ever. ❤️
❤️In loving memory of Les ‘Biggles’ Bowden.❤️
❤️Always in our thoughts. ❤️
#MISSEDABEAT #LesBigglesBowden #RememberingLes #BlamBlam #BlamBlamFever #Redcar #GypsyRover #CommunityDefibrillator #BleedControlKit #TheCircuit #CommunityMatters #SavingLives
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