DOZENS of veteran and vintage motorcycles made their way to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington for a Bank Holiday celebration of Golden Era bikes and "Rolling Thunder".

For the first time this year the museum combined its vintage motorbike festival with the "Rolling Thunder" spectacle of its three biggest live jets in a fast taxi down the runway of Elvington airfield.

Around 40 pre-1931 motorbikes left the airfield for a run around the country roads through the morning, in the event organised by the Yorkshire branch of the Vintage Motorcycle Club.

The museum's Ian Richardson said: "The motorbikes attracted a lot of people, who came to see them arrive back at the airfield, and a highlight was the eight pre 1914 machines - all more than 100 years old."

The oldest machine was a 1907 Phelon and Moore 411cc bike, made in Cleakheaton.

And although the wet weather meant the planned flypast of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight had to be cancelled, the rain only made the "Rolling Thunder" even more impressive, he added.

"The jets kick up a lot of water when the roll down the runway, so it was a very impressive site."

Around 1000 people visited the museum for Monday's event, and the next event at the air museum on Saturday, September 7 will see a memorial parade and commemorations as part of Allied Air Forces Day.