I have a copy of this but as it was given to me in France I can only view it in Black and white. It is still a very dramatic piece of film. On the subject of Brian Steenson I have an interesting story to tell. My brother John Blanchard was leading the 500cc North West 200 in 1971,then crashed very heavily, Finishing his Grand Prix and international career. He was the winner of this race the year before and was a bit of a bogey to Brian and the other Irish boys on their own road circuits.
I knew that my brother was very ill with a fractured skull and obviously I was concerned that I may never see him again. I travelled to Brands Hatch for the May Bank Holiday event just prior to the start of the TT practise. I saw Brian who had travelled over straight from the North West for this event. I was asking him about my brothers condition and he was kind and gave me an up date which relieved my anxiety. However, he did add with a racers bravado that he thought John was going to quickly on certain sections and telling Brian and other riders that he could manage these sections flat out although pulling a higher gearing from his winning set up the year previously. (Sounds like John.....)Brian told me that after Brands he was enroute to the Island for that years TT races. I begged him to be careful, feeling having never spoke to him before and wished him the best of luck. I was not sure I was going to get a brother back in one piece and within two weeks Brian himself was no longer with us.
I felt that it was ironic that my brother came home and recovered to race again and yet this young man I never saw again. I'll never forget that conversation Brian.
Jim