Many people ask me why I have been going to the TT for so many years....

I have a lot of reasons to go on this annual pilgrimage, one to start my list is that I go to remind myself of my early days when my parents told me that we were going to a magic island. They enthused about it and that enthusiasm was passed on to me without any doubt. My Dad took time to get me interested, and I think this is my main reason. Just before Dad died in 1995 I made a quick trip over to that years Friday races on his insistance and with his blessing, for I realised he would not last much longer. He said "Well Ian, I was an avid TT fan but the way you are involved with it is far and away ahead of the interest I ever had ! ", and he was an avid fan !!! As a consequence, I have tried to simulate his total involvement and I have only recently really understood how he passed on the "bug".. He spent time showing me the background to the TT, got me into places so I could meet the riders and officials. So in the 60's, when I began to bring friends and colleagues or met first-time visitors I spent similar time with them doing what my Dad did and some of these people are still coming over with their families and friends.

This brings me to the second reason, the fact that the TT has become a central point for friends and colleagues who also return year after year...Each year we meet either on the ferry on the way over or at selected venues on the island to start chatting as though we had just parted the night before. We also keep in touch by modern means, from e-mails to Skype, from letters to individual websites and latterly Facebook and Twitter.

Another reason is that I enjoy being able to meet up with the first-timers and I offer my experience and knowledge to ensure these people who I meet in the pubs and at places round the course will return the next year, and the next year. I often end up in the press office talking about past TTs and also advise where to go to watch the TT..

I stay with a family and it has been wonderful to see the kids grow up, from tiny tots to the college girls and boys they are now.

Even after 65 years I still have not seen all of the island and now set myself time each year to see something extra. I haven't seen the real Faerie Bridge yet but a group of us are planning to go in 2012 to pay our respects.

I am an asthmatic and I find that two weeks breathing Manx air does me the power of good.


STEVE HISLOPS STATUE AT ONCHAN

Unfortunately a number of friends are buried, commemorated or scattered on the island and I make a point of visiting some of them each year. It is a sad part of the TT but it is part of life.

I have other less obvious reasons but I think I have mentioned the main ones.