The funeral, Saturday 14th October

Bikers from all over the western cape as well as many from as far afield as Johannesburg, I saw the Mohicans' National President and his wife there, started gathering at the Phoenix bar from 09h00. Within minutes the huge parking area was crowded and they kept on coming, this was something the likes of which we had not seen before in Vredenburg, testament to the popularity of Mercia within the biking community.

 

Many, many Capetown clubs were represented with lots of them traveling up specifically for the funeral and then heading back afterwards to attend another biking event in the Cape.

The mass ride was a sombre affair, we formed up in a double column and followed the hearse slowly across town to the church, the Traffic department did an excellent job ensuring that we did not have to stop at traffic lights and intersections along the way.

 Someone said that there were 160 motorbikes in the mass ride, the streets were lined with people taking videos and photographs as the bikes proceeded slowly but noisily along, I saw women crying on the sidewalks, people with hands raised in solidarity and the tears dripped out of the bottom of my helmet. It was an incredibly moving experience.

Pastor Errol conducted the ceremony in a church filled to overflowing, people lined the walls inside and some had to stand outside. After the ceremony the coffin was placed back into the hearse which left through the columns of bikers holding helmets high in salute to our departed sister.

 Back at the Phoenix bar after the ceremony the crowd was enormous and the sombre mood lightened as Mercia herself would have wanted it.

We wish Alex the strength to overcome his loss, the amount of love and brotherhood surrounding him that day hopefully helped to ease his burden and he will not lack for support locally.