A farmer in County Durham turned grief into a Viking costume, a set of bagpipes and a fundraising effort that has brought in £86,794 for brain tumour research.
Terry Forster, 76, founded The Biking Vikings North East in 2019 after the death of his son Adam, who died in 2014 aged 42.
“Watching my son fight that and not being able to save him broke something in me, my world changed forever,” he said.
Forster said he originally vowed to raise £50,000 to help find a cure after Adam died 11 months after a glioblastoma diagnosis.
He started by learning how to walk on stilts and attempting to travel 1.6 kilometres while playing the bagpipes for a sponsored walk. Looking for something to cover the stilts, he settled on a Viking costume, then persuaded friends to dress up and play instruments too.
“Raised a canny bit of money on the day, but it just snowballed,” he said.
Forster and Adam worked together on their farm near Shotley Bridge “every day for 22 years of his working life”, he said.
“He spent his happiest days working the land and caring for his animals, his courage during his illness touched everyone who knew him,” Forster said.
He said Adam “used to get up to all sorts of daft tricks, so he wouldn’t have been surprised at all” to see how the group was raising money.
The motorcycle-riding, pipe and drum-playing Vikings have travelled around the North East and Cumbria, performing and giving talks at events including the Northumberland County Show, Skelton Show in Penrith and dementia cafes in Darlington.
The group sets out drums for passers-by to join in, and performance fees and donations go to the charity Brain Tumour Research.
Member Liz Bailey, 63, said performing in Viking furs on hot days was hard work, but “we just love every minute”.
“The best thing is watching the children as they drum along with huge beaming faces,” she said. “We can also see the parents smiling at their own children or dancing or clapping along.”
Bailey said the group had been trying to keep Forster off the stilts after a health warning last year, but he “keeps threatening to get back up”.
Forster said he, his daughter and granddaughters have also organised charity balls and auctions, and are now aiming to raise £100,000.
“Through this fundraising we hope to honour Adam’s life, keep his memory alive and help bring hope to other families facing the same heartbreaking journey,” he said.
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