09-06-2025
Aberfeldy's 'distinguished gentleman' digger driver rakes in £10k for charity
By day he's a hoodie-wearing digger driver.
But inside Geoff Mumford there's a 'distinguished gentleman' just waiting to be unleashed.
For 10 years now, the Aberfeldy biker has indulged his alter ego, raising thousands of pounds for men's health charities along the way.
Geoff, 62, is a proud ambassador for the worldwide Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.
Once a year, he and fellow classic and vintage motorcyclists dig out their most dapper togs and set off in style.
For Geoff, that means trading his grubby jeans and work boots for a tweed suit with matching bunnet and accessories.
It's quite a gear change.
But Geoff is so devoted to the cause he even joined in on a holiday to Christchurch in New Zealand with his other half Heather Conway.
'We got the gear in a charity shop then took it back the next day,' he laughed.
There's a serious reason for all this dressing up.
The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride raises money and awareness for men's mental health and prostate cancer research.
It has raked in more than £44 million in 108 countries since its inception.
Participants show off their classic and vintage motorcycles, the older the better.
And when Geoff's not at the controls of his digger, his vehicle of choice is his Harris Magnum II or his Honda CBX 1000.
He is one of more than 127,000 bikers who took part in the 2025 Distinguished Gentleman's ride in May.
And over his 10 years, he's raised more than £10,000.
Geoff's first Distinguished Gentleman's Ride was just along the road from Aberfeldy, at Killin in 2016.
It was the first time he'd heard about the event. And his wardrobe isn't exactly crammed with fancy gear. So a pal supplied him with a tweed jacket, tie clip and shirt with all the buttons.
Geoff has since taken part in rides in Edinburgh, Glasgow and now Inverness, as well as New Zealand.
He even ran the Perth event for a couple of years.
'We go at a steady speed, and normally stick to city centres,' he said.
'People notice you when you're dressed up like a gentleman so it's a really good way to make the public aware.
'A lot of men don't like talking about their health. But one in eight men will get prostate cancer and if you do something about it sooner rather than later it could save your life.'
You can still donate to Geoff's Distinguished Gentleman fundraiser by clicking here.
