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SOME OF MY BEST YEARS

I have often been asked to relate my favourite years......

After 65 years I find I have a number which I classify as my personal best visits to the TT.

However I have trimmed down a long list to some very special years and here they are, in order.


1947 -I AM EIGHTH FROM THE LEFT SIDE SITTING JUST DOWN FROM THE CREG


1947 was but a memory of rows with my cousin, never-ending coach trips and time getting sea air on the beach while in the distance I could hear Motorcycles. In 1947 we went out to the races and I enjoyed filling in the lap charts in the card programme but that was it.

1948 - The year the TT bug really hit me...was totally different because Dad got me into the paddock with a proper pass and showed me the workings of the TT. 1949 was even better but 1950 was a major milestone because I met Geoff Duke and he talked to some length with me. He sent me certain items such as his back number and the number plates off his bike......I still have them !!

1955 - This has to be one of the best years when my Dad was part of the Norton team and we ended up at Ramsey Hairpin as signallers for the team. The story is related by my father earlier but from my point of view, to see the Senior race unfold and to be so close to the action, places this years experiences high on my list.

1961 - I had seen the arrival of the Japanese and was pleased to be able to get involved with Honda.


MY OFFICIAL HONDA PENNANT


1962 - We were up just home side of Windy Corner when we saw Derek Minter on a privately entered (Hondis) Honda win the 250 race beating the works entries !

1963 - By now I was "helping" all the Japanese teams by running errands and watching the mechanics at work. I was friendly with Tony Godfrey who was riding the Yamaha 250 as team mate to Fumio Ito. In the race the Yamahas were absolutely flying..



Then the news came through that Tony had crashed at Milntown and for the first ever time a helicopter had gone to transfer him to hospital. This was the beginning of the service which has saved other riders since. Tony survived but was ill for a long time.

We also saw the return of the 350cc and 500cc Gileras under the Scuderia Duke banner ridden at the TT by Phil Read and John Hartle.

1965 - "Agostini off at Sarahs Cottage !" - then- "Hailwood off at Sarahs Cottage !".....Mike remounted but Ago retired. Mike won with a heavily damaged MV in appalling weather conditions. It was a year where I had been over for all of practice week, but returned to work for four days then came back to the Fridays races by Motorcycle club Coach trip..

1979 - I leap over a few years, not because they were not memorable but because the big race this year saw the battle between Mike Hailwood on a Suzuki RG 500 and Alex George on a Honda 1000..A race I still consider one of the very best. Alex won by only 3.4 seconds




THE ACTUAL BOARDS FROM THE 1979 RACE SCOREBOARD
9 WAS ALEX GEORGE AND 6 WAS MIKE HAILWOOD

1989 - I took my friend Ben over because he was trying to decide whether to race in the Manx in 1990. I showed him round and I introduced him to a number of riders. They were very good, giving Ben masses of advice. We met Steve Hislop who subsequntly became a close friend.
However the rider who imparted a lot of knowledge was Phil Mellor who we met at the Suzuki HQ. After that Phil really took an interest and Ben made notes. As a result of Phils involvement Ben decided to enter the 1990 Manx as a newcomer under my banner. Ben and I returned home on the ferry,arrived home and then, horrified, we saw on TV that Phil had died in the race. Ben still rode in the Manx to commemorate Phil and the help he had given....





There are so many, many more which include the stories I relate elsewhere, plus being a TT Supporters Club rep for the Home Counties for a number of years. I was pleased to be MC at the annual dinners in the Villiers and the Palace.
I was also designer of the BACK UP club badge, a body which set themselves up to help injured riders. This badge can still be seen on a number of seafront hotels.



I have made many close friends at the TT and we keep in touch by e-mail and latterly Facebook.

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