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| Dont Rip Us Off Warn TT Fans
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A group of dedicated TT fans who made their annual
pilgrimage this week despite no racing being on say
they won't bother returning next year if it's
cancelled again.
Dick and Yvonne Bennett, their daughter Harriet, and
friends Derrick Rowe, Peter Watts and Wendy Sutcliffe
also hit out at firms which cash in on the fact it's
TT time by overcharging.
While they say they would expect to see small
increases for the TT period, they don't like being
'ripped off'.
The group booked holiday cottages at £900 for the
fortnight - no weekly booking was allowed - and then
noticed in the brochure the usual price had doubled
from £450 for a normal fortnight.
One of the fans was also left fuming following a
visit, during a previous trip, to a café on Douglas
promenade where he paid £6.50 for gammon and chips.
When one of his friends returned to the café a week
after TT, he paid £4.50. When asked why the price had
been higher the previous week, he was told: 'Because
it's TT fortnight.'
They were also less than impressed with the Steam
Packet fares for getting to the Island, saying they
could have had a good holiday elsewhere for the cost
of the fares.
Despite the gripes, the bikers remain big TT fans.
Reporter Esther Richmond met up with them at St
Olave's Church Hall, Ramsey, where they were enjoying
the homemade afternoon teas provided by the women of
Bride Church.
While they are sad the racing has been cancelled, the
bikers did say it has given them the opportunity to
experience certain parts of the Island they'd
previously missed out on, such as trips on the steam
and electric railways.
'What we do miss terribly,' said Mr Bennett, 'is the
Sound Café and the jovial Terry Jackson, who always
had a warm welcome for us.
'We have looked at the proposed plans for the place
but we are not terribly impressed with them.'
Mr and Mrs Bennett have been coming to the TT for more
than 20 years and their daughter, who is now 15, has
been coming since she was six months old.
The TT teas at Bride have been a feature for many
years to raise funds for the church but were cancelled
this year because of the foot and mouth crisis. It was
then decided to switch venues to St Olave's.
It didn't take very long for the many regulars to find
the church hall and be greeted by the vicar, the
Reverend Peter Upton-Jones, and the women serving.
The vicar said it was slow to start because of the
change of venue, but they placed notices in Bride to
indicate where the regulars could find them.
He said most of their visitors had been coming for
years and the church enjoyed providing the facility.
Also on sale was a selection of home-made jams which
were selling quickly and as Esther was leaving she saw
plenty of motorbikes pulling in to enjoy the teas.
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