2024 Cumbria Life Awards: all the winners revealed

Finalists, sponsors and guests all confirmed their love and respect for Dave Myers with a standing ovation as the Hairy Biker was announced as the 2024 Cumbrian of the Year at the Cumbria Life Awards.

It is the first time the honour has been awarded posthumously and Lili Myers, Dave’s wife, said in a video message that she would treasure it for the rest of her life.

She said: “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking of Dave and giving him this recognition and I will be forever grateful. Thank you very much, and I'm sure Dave would be absolutely delighted.”

In another film recorded exclusively for the event, Dave’s fellow biker Si King said his friend “would have been so proud”. “So thank you so very much on his behalf for this award. We’re all, all of us that's involved with the Bikers, very touched by it,” he added.

Cumbrian artist Graham Twyford, who was one of Dave’s oldest friends having gone to school in Barrow and university in London with him, said: “I think Dave would be amazed at the impact he's had on people. He'd be amazed to receive this award and also the spectacular Dave Day, the outpouring of love and enthusiasm for Dave and what he meant to people, that massive cavalcade of bikes coming up to Barrow, fantastic.”

It was an emotional moment in an evening of tears and cheers as winners gave heartfelt thanks to communities and customers for their support, and stories of dedication and resilience emerged from some of those who made the final.

The awards, sponsored by H&H Insurance Brokers, were a celebration of readers’ favourite café, restaurants, pub and artisan producer, arts venue, visitor attraction, salon or spa and independent retailer. There were also prizes for the best environmental project and fundraising feat of the year as well as the Cumbrian of the Year title.

This year a record number of votes – more than 8,000 – were cast and more than 220 guests joined the celebration dinner and awards presentation at Low Wood Resort on Windermere, hosted by Border TV’s Kate Walby.

Cumbria Life Awards 2024 host Kate Walby Image: Johnny Becker Cumbria Life editor Sarah French said she hoped everyone who had made the final felt proud to be there.

She said: “The unique and fantastic thing about the Cumbria Life Awards is that we don’t have a panel of judges who choose our winners; we open the awards up to our readers and the public and we ask them to first nominate their favourites, and then to vote for our finalists.

“Our finalists know, therefore, that they have hundreds of fans out there who love what they do. And what our finalists do is really exceptional.”

She added: “For me, an important aspect of the awards is how they allow us – as the flagship glossy lifestyle magazine of Cumbria – to champion on our finalist’s behalf their wonderful businesses, organisations and projects.

“Cumbria Life plays a really vital role in showcasing and sharing everything that’s amazing about our county, both in our magazine and on our new website. It’s an honour to be that voice, and to be able to honour our finalists and winners at our annual awards. This year was bigger and better than ever, and once again we send massive congratulations to all our winners.”

• A full round up of the winners’ stories and pictures from the event will be in the November issue of Cumbria Life, out on October 19.

The Cumbria Life Awards at Low Wood Bay, on Windermere Image: Johnny Becker