‘Amazing’ - South Shields grandmother surprised with a 70th birthday Gold Wing ride out
A South Shields grandmother has celebrated her 70th birthday by ticking off a bucket list item.
A South Shields grandmother has ticked off a bucket list wish of riding on a Gold Wing motorbike following a surprise for her 70th birthday.
Stef Mullin, 70, has wanted to ride on a Gold Wing for around the last 30 years but has never had the opportunity to do so.
Ahead of her 70th birthday, her family arranged for her to experience a surprise ride home on Friday, July 17, after staying the night at the Seaburn Inn, in Sunderland.
Border Wings, the club who agreed to grant Stef’s bucket list wish, rode along Sunderland seafront with the grandmother before turning around and heading towards her Westoe home.
‘Something I’ve wanted to for 30 years now’
Stef told the Shields Gazette that she narrowly missed out on a Gold Wing ride through Paris three decades ago and described the experience as “once in a lifetime”.
She said: “It is absolutely amazing, I’ve looked all around to try and get hold of a Gold Wing but I couldn’t find anyone.
“It is something I’ve wanted to for 30 years now, I had the chance when I was in Paris years ago with my husband’s mam and she wouldn’t go on one.
“Ever since then, I’ve really wanted to do this as I’ve never been on one in my life.
“The fact that I’m not going to fall off the back is a big appeal and it is a once in a lifetime thing for me - I don’t think I’ll be able to do this again.
“Just looking at it, I know it is going to be amazing.”
‘She absolutely loved it’
Niccola Charlton, Stef’s daughter, explained that it means a lot for her family to be able to grant Stef with a bucket list surprise on her milestone birthday.
She commented: “She absolutely loved it and she was just grinning when she arrived at her house - I think it will take her a while to come down from it.
“It was nice for us to arrange this for her because she is always doing a lot for other people so it was nice to give her an experience like this.
“We’re now going to have some family and friends around our house later for a little birthday tea celebration.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to Border Wings as they made it such a brilliant experience for her.
“They made her feel really welcome and she had great time.
“I’d like also to say thanks to my cousin and his wife, Michael and Abi Mullin, who arranged it all - they did all the hard work and I just coordinated the day.”
‘Fits with what we do’
John Mason, the assistant rep at Border Wings, has given an insight into what it means for the club to be able to fulfil Stef’s life-long wish of riding on a Gold Wing.
He stated: “We were contacted by Stef’s family and asked if we could arrange a ride out for her.
“We do a lot of charity work ourselves doing something like really fits with what we do.
“We’re often approached for things like this and people offer payment but we don’t accept that and all we ask if for a donation to charity.”