Farewell to biker, 78; HELL'S ANGELS GIVE FITTING SEND-OFF FOR THE GRANDAD WHO BECAME HARLEY FAN LATE IN HIS LIFE

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), July 8, 2008

Byline: By KATY SIMPSON

BIKERS said their final farewell to Tyneside's oldest Hell's Angel.

Pensioner Frank Allan, of North Shields, died of a heart attack while riding his beloved Harley Davidson.

The 78-year-old died doing what he loved, and was given a fitting send-off by pals from the Geordie Chapter of the Harley Owners Group Worldwide.

More than 50 riders followed the funeral procession on their motorbikes, which set off from the Just Harleys shop in Sandyford, Newcastle, where Frank bought his first bike, which he swapped for a pounds 20,000 three-wheeler last year.

At the head of the cortege was a designed trike carrying Frank's coffin in a sidecar.

The rally roared past the rows of motorbike shops on West Road as it headed to the Westgate Road Crematorium.

Decked out in their leathers and wearing bandanas and sunglasses, the Hell's Angels' hard exteriors did not stop the tears rolling as they said goodbye to a much-loved grandad.

Black ribbons decorated the bikes as they rode through the city centre.

Pals told of how the ageing angel was a dedicated member of the 320-strong Geordie Chapter.

"He loved the camaraderie of it," said committee member Grant Anderson, 52, who is sales manager at Just Harleys. "He was a very outgoing person. He was one of those people everyone talked to and everyone loved.

"He was very active. He used to go to just about everything. He was out almost every day. It's almost unheard of to ride a bike at his age."

Frank, from Heaton, Newcastle, developed his passion for bikes late in life, when his wife Sheila died seven years ago.

The retired joiner died while out with friends from the Chapter on a trip to Whitley Bay. He had just pulled back on to the road after stopping at a cafe, and was travelling at 15mph.

Despite attempts by bikers to revive him, he died there of a heart attack.

Grant said: "I remember the first time he came in with his daughter and he fell in love with his bike straight away.

"When he started to get ill, he bought a three-wheel Harley that was over pounds 20,000. It's a lot easier to manage.

Harleys are quite heavy. He died when he was on his bike on a trip to Whitley Bay. It's almost every Harley driver's dream - if you've got to go, it might as well be doing something you love."

Nephew Andrew Berry, 43, of Con-sett, said Harleys have been Frank's life for the past seven years.

"He always loved motorbikes and never got round to getting one until his wife died," he said. "Everything came together, and he just thought: 'I'm going to live life to the full.'

"He was never in the house. He was always out with his friends.

"He did a lot of fundraising for the air ambulance, and did the Christmas run with the Geordie Chapter at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary."

Friends and family, including son Michael and daughter Sandra, lined the road at Westgate Road Crematorium to watch the cortege of Harleys arrive.

Wreaths spelt out words including brother, grandad and "badlander", the name for a small group of Harley mates.

Chapter director Julie Horsfield said: "He went to all of the Chapter events, including several tours of Norway, Scotland and various rallies.

"Last year he took himself off to Daytona Beach to savour the Harleys American style and completed America's mother road Route 66.

"He went on to take his Institute of Advanced Motorcyclist test and passed making Frank the oldest associate in the North East of England. He also gained his Safe Rider Skill award from HOG too."

To see video footage of Frank's funeral log on to: www.chroniclelive.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

EASY RIDER: Frank Allan with his bike; TWO-WHEELED PROCESSION: Mourners at the funeral of biker Frank Allan; FINAL JOURNEY: The coffin of Frank Allan, who was known for his outgoing personality, is carried into the West Road crematorium in Newcastle PICTURES: DAVE CHARLTON www.chroniclelive.co.uk/buyaphoto ref: 01324247; TRIBUTES: Flowers and messages for Frank