In the 60's and 70's my pals and I could completely fill a sea-front hotel and spill over into the ones next door !!

I used to start collecting names in April and never had any problem getting 100% per cent turn out.....I booked the hotels and sent a deposit. We left our cars in Liverpool and then hired vehicles or used coaches while we were on the Island. We went to lots of places in those coaches.

Good days indeed, for some of them had never seen a motorcycle race never mind the TT, but they got the "bug" off me and it was a solid group of TT fans who turned up year after year and who brought others who were infected by their bug. I enjoyed showing them round all the sights and taking them to all of the high spots of the day!! We hired rowing boats and rowed out to the Tower of Refuge and also had our own strip of roadside banking just above the creg to watch the main races.

Unfortunately marriage eventually came into the equation for many of them in the middle 70's so, unlike me who has an understanding Mrs, they tailed off putting their beer money into kiddies eddikashun.

Some returned in the late 70's to see Mike Hailwood return but the bachelor freedom feeling had gone..

I still keep in touch with a large number of them and they invade all the websites for TT info and declare each xmas in their cards to me, their real envy for my continued love of the event.

However, homestay has never interested them since we went as a large group into hotels.

I hope some return next year, I would love to see Dickie Fisher, Colin Robertson, Andy Wharton and Roger Burn who were the longest attending trio of my group all of whom came from the North East. (Morpeth, Blyth, Newcastle and Chester-le-Street)

Anybody know them ???

Nostalgia indeed.....................................