For me it was 1967 when I was 16 ,and I can remember this vividly, when I watched my mates ride off out of our road on their bikes at night heading up to Liverpool to catch the ferry.
Just like many others I suppose I couldn't afford to go and had to await their return to listen to details of their trip. As if that wasn't bad enough it happened again in 1968.
As for me I finally got there for the first time in 1987 and have been there many times since.
I have been in awe of anyone that races their ever since and road racing is the pinnacle of racing for me now.