JEDDAH, 6 June — About 7,500 kilometers of hard and sometimes hazardous riding lie between Trevor Woolley, sales manager of Jeddah Today, and his home city of Birmingham in the English Midlands.
He will arrive in the city, once the English motorcycle capital of the world, on a Japanese 1988 Honda V4 that has been kept in storage in Jeddah for several years.
"There’s a certain irony in that," he says.
His route initially takes him from Jeddah by ship to Suez. From there, he takes in Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, Taba, Aqaba and then moves onward through Jordan and Syria to Istanbul. There he takes a break with his family, before setting off through Greece and Italy to western Europe.
"If I didn’t do it now, I never would," he said by way of offering an explanation for the journey. "I have had a life long interest in motorcycles and when the opportunity arose to attempt this, I couldn’t resist."
Why on his own? "Initially a colleague was traveling with me, but circumstances meant that eventually he couldn’t. Once decided, I wasn’t about to turn back!"
Steve King, general manager of Castrol, nods in agreement.
"Castrol has always been interested in challenges involving motor vehicles, particularly motorcycle sport. Doing the trip alone and on a motorcycle will be a particularly tough challenge. So, when Trevor approached us, we were happy to get involved."
Dr. Abubakr Alaidarous, CEO of Arab Circle and Jeddah Today and co-sponsors of the journey, said, "Trevor has always been full of interesting ideas. This one is a real challenge. God willing, he will overcome the many hazards he is bound to find on his way."
Although Trevor is traveling solo, he will be in touch regularly with his Jeddah and Birmingham bases. Arab News will receive regular updates and follow his progress.
