I had a very pleasant flashback during last night's practice session. I parked at Creg-ny-Baa and hiked up to Kate's Cottage and Keppel Gate to get some camcorder footage. Towards the end of the session I was back down near Creg ny Baa - it was getting dark, it had suddenly gone very cold, and two Dunlops went screaming past on 125s. It reminded me of all the early morning TT practice sessions I used to watch from the Creg in the half-light and the cold, watching the likes of Joey and Robert going through their paces on their 125s and 250s. Pure, undiluted TT magic.

I know that things can never stand still and you have to keep up with the modern world, but that was a really strange feeling last night. It was great to watch and experience, but also very sad to think that that sort of TT magic will never happen again. If I had a choice between being able to turn the clock back to the early 1990s, or watching the programme on offer for next year's TT, I would choose the early 1990s a hundred times out of a hundred.

To put it another way, I have every TT video/DVD since the annual reviews were first produced in 1985, right up to the present day. The late 1980s/early 1990s ones must be practically worn out now, and I will never tire of watching them. The 2005 and 2006 ones haven't even been unwrapped yet!

I hasten to add that that is NOT a criticism of the current organisers who are living in 2006 and not 1990, and have to face the commercial realities of today's world (although I have to say that am very disappointed by the race programme for next year). What it is, though, is heartfelt regret that, regardless of how many 130mph laps there might be next year, there just isn't any magic left in the TT any more. Not for me, anyway.