Geoff Duke was the person who made me the TTFan I am today........My parents and I were staying in the Regal Hotel and other residents were the father, mother and sister of Jack and Charlie Brett....The lads stayed elsewhere but had popped in to see their parents on their way to the evenings presentations at the Villa Marina....With them came the man who had finished second in that days Junior Race . Geoff Duke......While Jack and Charlie talked to their parents I actually got on talking to Geoff and asked him a number of questions about the Norton etc.

He gave me his precious time and was enough impressed with my knowledge and keenness at that time (my 3rd year at the TT) that when I arrived home I received a parcel in which was his Junior race back number and a lovely letter.

We often chatted obver the subsequent years and he helped me to commemorate my 60 years as a TT fan in 2007........

In 1955 I pushed a pram round the paddock for Geraldine Reid, Geoffs sister in law...In the pram was Peter Duke Geoffs son !

I am proud to have known Geoff for all these years..........and very sad that has passed on.

A very sad time for his family and all of my generation, particularly. He was the first name I heard to do with motorcycle racing; as a little boy, with friends we would emulate Geoff and John Surtees in the way little boys do. A Hero then and always.
dave

for anyone interested in geoff dukes history why not try the dvd "geoff duke in pursuit of perfection " im not old enough to have been around in his racing period but i have this dvd in my large motorsport collection and i really enjoied it
maybe others would like to learn a bit more of the history of the sport we all love after all if your not a fan of the sport you should not be on this forum

My first contact with Geoff involved prams - I got his autograph in Woolworths on Strand Street where he was pushing Peter in his pram.
A true gent he always had time for his many fans, and he was just as enthusiastic about the TT and racing when I last spoke to him on the Yamaha stand at the NEC a few years ago.
RIP Sir.

I never saw the great man race but he was a legend in motorcycle racing when i was a young kid me and my mates used to rip around the streets on our push bikes pretending to be racers and i was always Geoff Duke!! saw him on many occasions and he was always pleasant to you.R.I.P GEOFF. my condolences to his family and friends