Carl Fogarty: Legendary Blackburn racer makes surprise visit to popular bike meet-up

‘Foggy’, a four-time World Superbike champion from Blackburn, likely made many bikers’ day last week as they unexpectedly got to rub shoulders with him at a Two-Wheel Tuesday gathering hosted by the Ox & Plough pub in Norfolk.

The superbike icon, who won I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2014, was in Norfolk on business catching up with Bikesure, the motorcycle insurance broker he has been brand ambassador for since 2012.

58-year-old Foggy, father of Love Island star Claudia Fogarty said: “It was a fantastic evening and an amazing turnout of bikes.

“The weather was amazing, it’s a great free event. I’ve been to quite a few bike meetings over the years, but I’ve never seen anything like that one before. It was a huge turnout.

“I was mucking in, flipping a few burgers and pulling a few pints, and if I’m ever down in Norfolk again I’ll definitely be calling in on the Ox & Plough on a Two-Wheel Tuesday.”

Visiting the popular event on the village green also gave Foggy the opportunity to catch up with his long-time friend 62-year-old Martin Williams, at whose wedding, Foggy’s wife Michaela was the maid of honour.

Martin, also orginally from Blackburn, said: “I’m used to walking around with him in places and us getting stopped. It’s better than it used to be, it was manic in the 90s. But I still rip Foggy when it happens. We used to have a laugh by me pretending to take photos for fans and actually just taking a load of selfies - and one picture of the person with Carl obviously. It was nice to catch up and see some bikes, including the Ducati he made a short trip on to arrive. I hadn’t seen him for six months and it’s always great to catch up, he’s a top bloke.”

One attendee, 41-year-old Carl Thomas from Norwich, said: “I come every week, it’s my local place to come for a meet. It’s great to meet new faces and, obviously, you never know who might turn up,

“It’s great Foggy was here... he’s a rider isn’t he so he’s a hero. I’m a biker so they all are. I let him do his thing, I’m not one of these who would jump all over him. He’s got more than enough people.”

Steve Kingston-Miles, who says he got a “sneaky photo” with Foggy, commented: “I didn’t know he was coming. I came up because I thought he (friend, Carl Thomas) might be here and he said: ‘Foggy’s coming’ and I was like ‘is he?’ We were looking for him and obviously we found him. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to him, I didn’t have a clue - probably ‘you came in the van didn’t you?’

“I am surprised to see him in Norfolk. I’ve never met him before but I have seen him race.”

Two-Wheel Tuesday was launched by former pub landlord Ben Devlin in 2013 and it continues to flourish and attract thousands of bikers and non-riders alike from the first Tuesday in April until the end of October.

Dave Tranmer, the current proprietor said: “We’ve never had anyone as famous as Carl Fogarty here before. It was a privilege to have him here and that he was even interested to come. It just proves how popular Two-Wheel Tuesday is. He had a great night as far as I’m concerned, it was a pleasure to have him.”