Anniversary tribute to Fusilier Lee Rigby, 10 years on

10 years since Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered on the streets of London by two Nigerian jihadists,  Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, outside Woolwich Barracks in South London.  Fusilier Rigby was returning to barracks after his period on duty at the Tower of London. Stunned and incapacitated when they drove a car at him, killed with knife and machete, and almost beheaded. Adebolajo made a speech to a passerby’s mobile phone camera, brandishing the bloody machete as he did so, justifying the murder as Muslims are also dying in the world.   Both jihad murderers were convicted and are serving life sentences for murder.

The 10th anniversary has actually been mentioned on BBC London tonight, in what my husband described as a positive tone.

Most years I have met friends in Woolwich to lay flowers at his memorial tree but this year I couldn’t. These are photographs taken by my friend Cliff Dixon, with information from the footage taken by others.

The Memorial Ride of Respect surpassed themselves this year.

Classic bikes, new bikes, modified bikes, police motorcycle escort bikes, three wheelers, trikes, four wheelers, some vintage cars and scooters.

Forget the old trope of bank holiday Mods v Rockers this was wheels united.

The local South London football teams, Millwall FC and Charlton Athletic FC have always shown upmost respect.

Flowers and tributes were laid by the memorial tree which is on a patch of green on the corner of John Wilson Street some yards from the actual spot of his murder.

Take this from the day; Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale are rotting in prison. Adebolajo will die there; if Adebowale is ever released he will be a very old man.  Lee Rigby’s son is growing up with the makings of being a fine young man.

…as the tenth anniversary of his death approaches, Jack, 12, is speaking publicly for the first time about the hero dad he has heard so much about.

Determined to honour Lee by fundraising in his name, Jack is walking and running a marathon over the course of a month for the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which supports bereaved military children and young people.

Exercise, he says, helps him cope with grief. “I want to raise £1,000 for every year my dad has been gone and would absolutely love to raise £10,000 for the 10-year anniversary,” he says. “I feel proud doing the May Marathon in honour of my dad…”