In the sixties I was taking exams and concentrating on learning. However the TT just happened to conflict so I had to compromise. So Mum and Dad went over for the full two weeks and I joined then during the middle weekend by flying over from Newcastle then at the end of the TT we all returned together.

This worked well for a couple of years but one year the exams happened to fall in race week !........So a new arrangement was tried..... I went over with Mum and Dad for practice week and was very happy to be able to get up for all of the early morning practices, plus the evening sessions and the bonus Thursday afternoon practice. ......We used to see more in the practice week than we did in race week !

Sadly this particular year, my exams fell in race week so I flew back to Newcastle and once I was home I felt desparate to follow race week some how........

We lived in No.9 and in No.14 was our family friend Ernie who owned a radio shop just down the road......So before going into school for my first exam I waited until his shop opened and I asked him if he had a small radio I could borrow for a few days... He kindly obliged and it was one of the first portables which had a huge battery inside.....I carried into school and put it in my desk. .

When it was race time and it was still a while before the exams I excused myself to go to the loo.....Once in the loo I sat in a stall with the seat cover down and switched on the radio ... In those days we had Walker father and Walker son commentating via BBC from the Island. It was a race to remember..

When the race was over I returned to my classroom and got on with my revision...My teacher appeared at my elbow and said that I had been a long time away, was I alright ? I told him I was but he told me that one of my classmates had said that strange noises had been heard in the loo ...... I admitted that I had a radio and received a bit of a ear-bashing.

The friday came and this time I disappeared down the school field to where the naughty boys partook of a ciggie or two. The Senior race was very good and I was sad when the TT ended.

Mum and Dad returned and they were very surprised how much I knew about the Junior and Senior races ! When they found out that I had scrounged a radio they were not pleased but Dad admitted later that he felt I had shown great initiative to follow my love of the TT