Earlier this week I attended the funeral of a friend of mine who, as so many seem to be doing, had succumbed to the insidious grip of cancer.

Again, as are so many, he was younger than me.

I'd known him for nearly 20 years and, like many friendships as we had drifted to different places our path crossings occurred less frequently, mainly at the occasional biker rally or coastal run.

In fact even prior to my own cancer to date I doubt I'd seen him for 4 or so years.

But that didn't diminish my memories of him and the times we'd spent in each other's company, sinking a beer, laughing and having that mutual bond of brotherhood that came from being a biker.

And so this week I attended his funeral which, like many such biker layings-to-rest saw him transported in a motorcycle and side car hearse with a huge phalanx of biker outriders and similarly large cortège.

The gathering was so large that the crematorium was unable to accommodate everyone and, as a consequence a very large number of people had to stand outside where the service was easily heard via a PA system.

And here's my gripe.

These supposed "brothers" couldn't be bothered to keep their mouths shut. During the entire service and eulogy the noise from outside fought and occasionally over powered the words of the celebrant from inside.

Indeed at one point he actually stopped the service and requested, none too quietly that those outside should shut up.

It made no difference, they still gabbed on; laughing shouting and behaving more like they would at a rally than they should have done at a funeral.

At one time, several years ago, I would have said that bikers were the most respectful group towards their fallen brothers. All funerals I have attended (and there have been too many) were respectful, sedate and thoughtful.

The wake afterwards would be the place for noise; drinking, laughing, carousing and wholesale reminiscing of times with the deceased.

But there was always respect !

I had always felt and believed until my own run in with cancer started the crack through that belief that bikers were the most reliable and dependable band of brothers outside of the armed forces.

But somewhere along the pathway of passing time that attitude seems to have dissipated and many have become as blinkered, philistine and un-caringly self centred as the vast majority of the inhabitants of this pit of despair we call modern life.

In hindsight I actually wish I hadn't gone to the ceremony. I'd rather have had a memory of how it used to be when emotional reactions were true and heartfelt and not loud conversation about last nights curry!