First awarded last year, The Derek Nicholson Community Spirit Award has been awarded for the second year to well-known Castletown man Holmes Blackburn.

The award jointly presented by Castletown Commissioners and Southern 100 Racing is given to a Castletown resident who typifies the Community Spirit of the Ancient Capital.

Holmes Blackburn has been a familiar figure around the Colas Billown Course for more than 40-years, following in his father’s passion for road racing. His father James Blackburn was a senior official at the Southern 100 Road Races between 1958 and 1984.

Holmes was drafted on to the committee in 1985 and became Clerk of Works in 1988 and continued until he stepped down at the end of 1997. Holmes remained on the committee for a further two years.

Like many other committee members he was known for his catering skills and was seconded to the catering department, where he continued to serve the club up until 2018.



Away from the ‘friendly races’ Holmes was and still is actively involved with the Castletown Ale Drinkers who organise the Original New Years Day Dip in Castletown, the first ‘dip’ taking place in 1964.

The CADS are now possibly more famous for the World Tin Bath Championships which will be celebrating their 49th year later this month.

The CADS has raised more than £300,000 for local charities to date.

The presentation took place recently in one of the town’s oldest and most popular pubs, The Glue Pot.

The Trophy was handed over by Castletown Commissioner, Colin Leather on behalf of Derek’s daughter Vanda.

Holmes Blackburn is a great ambassador for his home town of Castletown and is a very worthy second recipient of the Derek Nicholson Community Spirit Award 2020.