The service yesterday (Tuesday, January 2) at York Crematorium was packed with more than 300 people filling the White Rose Chapel and areas outside where they could watch and listen to the service on screens.

Read more: Tributes paid to Paul Andrew Martin

Many of the mourners were members of the National Chopper Club, a motorcycle club devoted purely to riders of custom machines.

Outriders accompanied the funeral cortege from Haxby to York Crematorium (Image: Kevin Glenton)

As well as representation from the Jorvik club, where Paul - known as Whitey - rode his Harley Davidson, ‘patches’ of members from Macedonia, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Surrey, Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Mercia were visible among the many worn by those attending the service.

The patches often indicate the length of a member’s connection to the local club.

Paul was decorated in 2019 for 15 years as full member at Jorvik.

Celebrant Fiona Brown said that one of Paul’s friends had ridden his Harley to the service and that the funeral cortege had been accompanied by outriders from his mother’s home in Haxby to the door of the chapel.

Fiona said: “Bikers are more than a community.

“Paul was with the National Chopper Club for 19 years and had been the rep for Jorvik.

“He rode all over the UK and abroad on club runs – his mum used to hear the Harley roaring away and knew that he was off one some adventure.”

Laughter and applause followed the recounting of stories from fellow Jorvik club member Bri Stephenson, and Adam Frame MBE.

Paul on his motorcycle just before going on stage to collect a 'flash' for 15 years as a full member of Jorvik NCC (Image: Supplied)

Bri told of their ‘many adventures out on the road’, with recognition of long service awards from the club from journeys to Belgium, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands.

Fiona said that from an early age, Paul loved anything mechanical and enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together again.

This included a fascination for trains, recounting a tale of Paul bunking off school to see Flying Scotsman on tracks in York.

Fiona said: “Unfortunately, he and his friend were spotted by their teacher who was driving past, wound down his window and said, ‘I will see you later Paul Martin.’”

Paul’s love for machinery, his entrepreneurial spirit and ambition Adam spoke of drove him to apprenticeship work with Elm Tree Garage in New Earswick, developing into setting up his own vehicle recovery business at 19-years-of-age.

Following employment at an English garage in Marbella, Spain, Paul returned to train as an MOT tester in Shipton.

Another passion which Paul developed had been for boats – he helped set up Northern River Service Limited and one of his final jobs was making pontoons for City Cruises on the River Ouse.

Fiona Brown ended rounded off the service with other tributes stating the Paul was a ‘gent, respectful and a real pleasure to talk to’.

Paul died suddenly aged 57 of suspected Motor Neurone Disease on December 2, 2023.

He leaves his mum June, brother David, and partner Debbie Eve.