never thought i would like being old but i saw all the golden age of racing Guzzi 8,Honda 4,5 and 6 Yamaha 4 al racing in anger plus all the great riders from Bob Mac to Guy Martin all the memories great 

Yeah, youth is wasted on the young, innit!

Ah the Golden years , I did not see as much as you have , but Mike the Bike , Ago Joey and many more ,

I just hope that the young guns can in 50 years time look back and have memories like ours , and that is what saddens me for being involved as I am as a marshal I am not filled with confidence as to the long term future of the event , I accept that over the last few years they have done remarkably well but I feel that in the ever tightening financial times we live in it could crash and burn faster than you could blink an eye , just like our old forum

Oh how I hope I am way off the mark ,



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Edward i also hope you wrong but at 70 how many more TT races will i see a lot i hope

I can recall watching Duke, Surtees, McIntyre, Ubbiali, Provini, Hartle, Anderson, Minter, Hocking, King, and a very young Mike Hailwood in 1959 We actually stayed in Duke's Hotel that year (Geoff's last year), the Arragon Hotel, and Mike was based there. I can still remember seeing the "Ecurie Sportive" van outside the hotel, and an array of Ducatis and Manx Nortons.
Magical days, but in fairness, despite the lack of variety these days, I can't imagine today's youngster being too disappointed when they wander round the paddock trying to get Guy's, John's and Bruce's (etc etc) autograph. They will be star struck just as I was 55 years ago.

yes I agree Nick but like I said will they in 40 to 50 years still have a T T to go to I worry that they may not , with the threat of selling the running of it to a outside comercial enterprise that they will struggle to controll does not paint a rosey picture to me.


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(28-11-2014, 09:52 AM)the old man Wrote: never thought i would like being old but i saw all the golden age of racing Guzzi 8,Honda 4,5 and 6 Yamaha 4 al racing in anger plus all the great riders from Bob Mac to Guy Martin all the memories great 

Have to agree Old Man, at 72 years of age my memories are similar to yours. The sites and sounds of today, just do not compare to the sixties, in my opinion.  The thing I liked most was, the weekend after TT, all these great riders would be at Brands or Mallory mixing it on the short circuits.  Douglas is not a patch on what it was in days gone by, as it was like one big bike show, from one end of the Prom to the other.  Race bikes were ridden to the start and the whole atmosphere was just brilliant.

I was also lucky enough to see Hailwood etc. We once gave Jack Findley a lift back to Douglas in our car as he had seized his Bultacco at Balcraine in the 250 race. Wonder how many bike have seized there over the years? I also think the main difference for me is that in the earlier days, race bikes looked different to road bikes. It was something special when you got close to them. Where we used to stop was at the Winston Hotel near the church just off Strand street. Behind the hotel was a row a garages and Florian Camatheus used to rent one, so you could go round and see him working on his bike. For a 7 year old fan it was great to be so close to a world champ. We once pulled up at the grandstand, followed a van in, it stopped and who should start unloading, but Ago, so close again. The place must be full of stories and memories like mine    

we were,nt old then were we, my 1st sight of a TT was 1962 and watching Gary Hocking and Mike Hailwood ,Ernst Degner and even Beryl Swain im 63 now and still have memories of those races, age is just a number i bet all the old uns then said i don,t know about these young uns today!

(28-11-2014, 03:23 PM)dommyman Wrote:

(28-11-2014, 09:52 AM)the old man Wrote: never thought i would like being old but i saw all the golden age of racing Guzzi 8,Honda 4,5 and 6 Yamaha 4 al racing in anger plus all the great riders from Bob Mac to Guy Martin all the memories great 

Have to agree Old Man, at 72 years of age my memories are similar to yours. The sites and sounds of today, just do not compare to the sixties, in my opinion.  The thing I liked most was, the weekend after TT, all these great riders would be at Brands or Mallory mixing it on the short circuits.  Douglas is not a patch on what it was in days gone by, as it was like one big bike show, from one end of the Prom to the other.  Race bikes were ridden to the start and the whole atmosphere was just brilliant.

Yes its like I said on the other forum , walking into douglas at night it was quicker to walk on the road because the footpaths were packed

Yes happy days indeed, for me it was being a 70's teenager, my memories are of watching TZ700's being wrestled around, petrol at 50p a gallon, beer at 12p a pint, and white dog poo.

...........Oh and hair actually grew on my head in those days instead of just out of my nostrils and ears

Very happy days indeed and super memories. At 71 I am delighted to be returning to the Island and camping, on my bike, after a lapse of some 30 years have visited for the previous eight on the bounce. I am especially delighted to be joining my daughter on her ZX6R who will be returning for her second year. She may have missed many greats I enjoyed watching - too numerous to mention but, she can enjoy current greats also too many to list but there will be a big cheer from us for a rider well known to us as well as being local to us and that is James Hillier, on the Bournemouth Kawasaki prepared Quattro Plant Hire ZX10R plus the ZX6R and a supertwin. Go James go.

i must say i still enjoy the TT and i dont mind who wins as long as its a good race

For me the TT remains the same as it did since my first child hood memories of it in the 70s...... but that's because it always started with the commentary.
So I've got a question for the older people amongst us. Radio didn't come in I think until 1966 (read that somewhere) - so how could the experience have compared? To me it would have been like watching a practice session long after coverage has finished, a load of bikes riding around? I can't imagine watching a TT without that anticipation of waiting for them to reach a commentary position and to find out the position on corrected time etc? That said I would have loved to have experienced the sights, sounds and smells of those days.

My step son has been to the FOM twice, has a Guy Martin jacket, met Micky D in the paddock and JM at the Museum, he is as star struck and mesmerised by it all as I was - when he's 10 I've said I'll take him to a TT (that means 2 more years of peace, quiet and self indulgence........ oh bother...)

What made it back then to me was the exotic machinery the riders , dont forget back then it still had world championship status , and it was the atmosphere , The spectacle of Douglas Prom full of bikes of every manufacturer three and four deep handlebar to handlebar all the way from one end to the other and down all the side streets , it was not the racing as such , the racing then as now is about the danger , man risking his all , its not nip and tuck duck and dive on every corner racing , and we no longer have the top world riders there  , so the one static element is the danger , and there are many of today's riders that tell you if you took away the danger there would be no point doing it ,

so what does that make us ?? a right gory bunch that go to watch people try and cheat death , god dont the cold facts of what we do make us look bad from some angles

so what keeps me going and being involved ??? its that bl--dy Fairy Dust I tell ya , it gets in the blood and it never goes away , mind I do go to the Capital of Fairy Land( Fairy Bridge ) every time before I come home and ask for a years supply to tide me over


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Edward i think we still have the best riders in the world racing at the TT

(28-11-2014, 06:50 PM)warrior Wrote: Yes happy days indeed, for me it was being a 70's teenager, my memories are of watching TZ700's being wrestled around, petrol at 50p a gallon, beer at 12p a pint, and white dog poo.

...........Oh and hair actually grew on my head in those days instead of just out of my nostrils and ears

Same as - Warrior,same as.

Wonder what did happen to white dog poo ??

(03-12-2014, 01:23 PM)the old man Wrote: Edward i think we still have the best riders in the world racing at the TT

ah but Old boy we have the best at what they do , but ,does that make them best over all ? There are many different types of motorcycle events each having its own specialists, horses for courses and all that , there have been many that do well at the TT  being a time trial , but can't cut it at short circuit mass start events ,

(05-12-2014, 08:39 PM)Steady the Edward Wrote:

(03-12-2014, 01:23 PM)the old man Wrote: Edward i think we still have the best riders in the world racing at the TT

ah but Old boy we have the best at what they do , but ,does that make them best over all ? There are many different types of motorcycle events each having its own specialists, horses for courses and all that , there have been many that do well at the TT  being a time trial , but can't cut it at short circuit mass start events ,

A few years ago I was at a Honda Day in Peel and John McGuinness was on their stand answering questions.  A small girl (prompted by her dad) asked John why he did well at the TT, but not so well on short circuits. He replied that there are long stretches where you can relax at the TT, but you have to concentrate hard the whole time on short circuits.  If this is what he does for relaxation, it makes me wonder what he does for exitement ?

(05-12-2014, 05:20 PM)Boltonswanderer Wrote:

(28-11-2014, 06:50 PM)warrior Wrote: Yes happy days indeed, for me it was being a 70's teenager, my memories are of watching TZ700's being wrestled around, petrol at 50p a gallon, beer at 12p a pint, and white dog poo.

...........Oh and hair actually grew on my head in those days instead of just out of my nostrils and ears

Same as - Warrior,same as.

Wonder what did happen to white dog poo ??

Sadly I can answer this: a change in the food with a reduction in calcium apparently. It was one of life's mysteries...