I know just how you feel, Don. I was reminded too, of late friend, much missed, Davie Silver, who, with Alice, attended TTs and Manx Grand Prixs for about 40 years, till an idiot parked his bike under Davie's van. The Silvers never recovered from this horror, and I don't think they ever returned to the Island.
At the moment the family are going through a very difficult time following the death of Jim. However, I have so many happy memories of them all, and remember Davie telling me how they were shipwrecked one TT week, when the ferry ran aground off Liverpool...anyone else remember that long ago incident?