Hi everyone just thought i would relay a little incident that happened to me during MGP practice week , i was at mt favourite vantage point at the bottom of Bray Hill on the monday of practice week when as seems to be the norm now a delay occured for a car on the circuit in parliament square .
Anyway was on my own minding my business & noticed a couple a little down from me probably in there mid 60s . The woman came towards me & asked me what time the practice was due to start i told her 6.15 but there had been a slight delay , then i asked her was this her first time here upon which she informed me that her & her husband where here from New Zealand they had been travelling in the UK & her husband had always wanted to see the TT course so they travelled over without even realising the MGP was on & booked to stay for five days .
She then informed me that her cousin used to race motorcycles & i being the nosebag that i am asked his name , well her answer blew me away & until i explained she did not know why , her cousins name by the way was Dennis Ireland , whom she had no seen since he was a little boy & was totally unaware that he had won races in the premier class of the races here on the Island . I then explained to her about Dennis winning the Classic TT in 1982 & how well respected & liked he was here when her husband joined us , he was by then engrossed in the practice which had started by then .
I once again explained about Dennis & told him how i remebered him coming here in 1978 with fellow Kiwi John Goodley both riding RG500 Suzukis , (in fact i have a photograph taken during practice that year of them both broke down at Ballaugh Bridge one practice evening). Anyway only turns out her husband had worked with John Woodley in the air industry frame manufacturing or something . Unbelievable .
The two of them where taken aback by what i told them & i offered them a lift up to the paddock as they where on foot . They where really grateful for this so i took them up & left them to there own devices .
Stunned, i was a great admirer of Dennis Ireland & John Woodley , they where here in the RG years which i loved .
Just thought i would pass this on . Anyone with any similar .

Hi Shaun, and another twist to your tale is that the RG in question lives here in the IOM and took part in the southern 100 celebration laps this year, piloted by the 1971 lightweight MGP winner.