OK, we seem to have some good craic going about the good old days, first races etc...I like that...keep it going. Now...how about the funniest incident you remember in racing...doesn't have to have happened to you...maybe even funnier if it didn't!!

We were watching at the end of the Sulby Straight in 1963, when Geoff Duke had brought back the Gileras in the hands of Phil Read and John Hartle to try to beat Mike Hailwood on the MV

We remember the 350 race and we believe it was Edgar Lavington on a Velocette NOT hanging about and head down, wrestling his machine, throttle wide open, when Hailwood overtook him followed fairly quickly by John Hartle. Well, Edgar sat up like he had been shot and ALMOST got off and walked !!

In the haze of time I still believe that this was fact but can anyone put us right as to the Velocette rider ?

My colleague Roger Burn who was one of my group that year, leapt over what appeared to be the low wall at Sulby Bridge to find that the wall was very much higher from ground zero on the other side and caused himself a bit of damage in the ankles area. A painful visit to Nobles saw him put in plaster and he stumbled around for the rest of the TT on crutches. However, he was taken for a "TT RIDER" by a number of people and actually was asked for his autograph !!

ok this did happen but some people never belive it a sidecar in about 88 came up to mayhill to quick and looked like they were about to hit the wall on the left, but it went sideways then shot of to the right up on to the pavement
On the edge of the pavement was a lampost (now gone) and the sidecar went between the wall and post,by this time we were running to pick up the pieces and just when we got there they took off up the road we could not belive anyone could get away with that
The next day at work we were coming down the road and we saw a van and sidecar on the road it was the guys from the day before they had the sidecar out on the pavement trying to push it through the gap but it did not fit so we all looked and you could see the paint marks on the wall where the side had ridden up the wall and down the other side unbelivable to get away with it without crashing
the riders were Adrian Shea and Patrick O'Dyer from Ireland I wonder what ever happened to them ? anyone know ?

Just to put the record straight, it was Arthur Lavington, his first name was Edgar but he was known as Arthur when I worked for him in the 60s. Nobody could make an LE Velo go like he could, especially on road trials. One year, he left the line on the Junior and the clutch was slipping. Stopping near Ballacraine, he prised a nail from a fence, adjusted the clutch and continued (You will need to know the construction and working of a Velo clutch ro understand this one.
Check the Manx National Heritage website, go to Collections in the right hand top corner, you will find a fully searchable TT database there.

Remember we used to have sidecar driver Alastair Lewis staying with us ,this year he had in the chair Jim Law or the lawman as he was called , a real cool guy & bit of a ladies man , anyway they where going pretty well up the mountain during one practice session when jims leathers burst revealing for all a fine pair of tartan underpants , luckily for the public they where clean.

Oh, yes, Jimmy Law (the Lawman) Many and varied are the stories about Jimmy. He used to wave to me with his feet, as he negotiated the Esses at East Fortune, when I was a photographer.
Jimmy married and moved north, and I haven't seen him for many years. If anyone knows where he is, there are loads of people who would like to see him.
Alastair, of course, is still around and can be seen in his full glory in the paddock at the Billown Classic or the Bob Mac at East Fortune.
Well, I better go, I'm off to east Fortune!!

re O Shea and O Dwyer, i think it is Tony O Dwyer, who was the passengar, and i have met him a few times down south, he sometimes helps oout at scrutineering at some of the southern events, still enjoys the sidecars!, not to sure about Adrian Shea, as i didnt know him personally, but i do recall him racing