VJ Day wreath laying and 101st birthday celebration

The York Inset Scooter Club are heading out to the Derwent Valley Light Railway at Murton Park on Sunday 9 August, and it's a double celebration. The day marks VJ Day, the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the 101st birthday of the club's president, Ken Cooke.

Cooke is a name that carries a fair bit of weight around here. He's the city's last surviving veteran of the D-Day Normandy landings, having run onto Gold Beach as a teenage private with the Green Howards on 6 June 1944. He was recently awarded the freedom of the city, and this ride is as much for him as it is for the anniversary.

The day starts with a ride from Digby's Cafe, which looks out over Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield, and winds its way to Murton Park, with the riders arriving around 11.30am. The remembrance service follows at 12.45pm, where Cooke lays a wreath on the war department diesel locomotive stationed there. At 1pm, the train and guests set off on a short journey. The Lord Mayor and the Civic Party will be there to meet the riders, and the whole thing raises funds for the Yorkshire and Scarborough Hospitals charity.

So, if you're around on Sunday 9 August, you'll find the club riding from Digby's Cafe to Murton Park, arriving by 11.30am, with the service at 12.45pm and the train leaving at 1pm.