For me it was as a 10 year old boy, my father was the general manager at Alec Bennetts motor dealership in Southampton. I was motorcycle mad so was very interested in the racing career of Alec and imparticular his TT success. One day I went to work with my dad on a Saturday morning and was introduced to Pat Bennett who was Alec's son, when I mentioned I was very keen on racing he asked me if I would like to see his fathers trophy's, of course I said yes... I was then led into the board room and there they were, the TT silver replicas all in a perfect line. From that moment I have been totally in love with the TT.

My only regret in life was not switching from an off road career to road racing and taking part in the TT but as I'm now 47 I guess I missed that boat...

Hope everyone has a safe TT :-)    

First encounter of the IOM was going on a family holiday during the Manx GP 1984 ish. We stayed in a guest house belonging to a family member, guest house alas no longer running. Some of the clients had been travelling to the same guest house for forty years!
Never interested in motorbikes prior to that but the atmosphere and the biking fraternity were amazing. Everyone I talked to explained that if you thought the Manx was good, the TT was a must.
Being going to both as often as possible ever since
Looking forward to meeting some great friends at our guest house on Saturday the 4th

Enjoy people

1978,Hailwoods return, ferry from Ardrossan ,camping at greenfield rd,next to cemetery over from grandstand,German fans drinking 100s of huge party cans on site,2 strokes,being woken up at 5am by practicing.Bikes everywhere,people queuing 10 deep to use phone boxes. Never since ,inc centenary year ,in my 30 odd visits,has had as many bikes and people.

first went in 1962 with my dad and older brother, Gary Hocking won the senior and Ernst Degner won the 50cc race and Beryl Swain was the first woman to ride in a solo TT we saw the races at Union Mills I remember the cannon being fired to signify the start of the senior im not sure about the 50cc race if it was used for that one but it struck a chord in a 9 year old boy and i have been going ever since missed it when i was at college once or twice .

I first learned of the TT back in 2012 through a friend of mine. We were both sport bike riders and he borrowed me a copy of Closer to the Edge. After watching it, I told him we had to go for the 2013 TT. Over the winter, him and I distanced ourselves from one another and he wasn't interested in going. I was pretty disappointed and I still wanted to go extremely bad! My wife told me to go by myself. Long story short, she booked flights for me and I handled the rest of the details. I came for race week and stayed at Glenlough Campsite. That single week at the TT changed my life. I am a total TT fan and have been going every year since. I don't see myself missing a TT for as long as I live. It is so awesome meeting the riders, fellow marshals, and interacting with people from all over the world. I wouldn't miss it for anything!

I was born on the IoM the day before the 1967 Senior TT, I must have picked up the desire and affection from there :o)

Lol. Well, I guess it's pretty easy for you to visit the races every year! I don't know how many times I've told my wife that I want to move from Germany to the IOM. I love the race atmosphere but I also love the quietness and simpleness when the races aren't going on. One can only dream...

for me ive lived in cumbria just 26 miles across the water so the tt has always as long as i can remember been a thing
but first time i actually made it over was 1992 but that was 4 th atempt the 4 previous years either no money or work comitments stopped me so for me 23 years old when i got the first live taste of the drug thats more of a addiction/obsession now at 47 going on 48 years old im not going over this year and as im a sort of granda now with my stepson having a 5 month old son and my son having a 1 month old baby girl i had to buy tt baby grows online
im sorry but its that time of year and kids need to understand how important it is to there old grandad

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.

The TT was always spoken and discussed in our house father, and his uncle were big Geoff Duke fans. MCN was always delivered along with bike magazine, I think I learned to read just for the want of knowing what Ogri was up to in the back of bike magazine. This would of been around 1987 I think, first visit was 1993 after years of pestering my folks, my old man hadn't been for some 10 years due to work commitments, I remember there was weeks of preparation and sorting out things and a big build up towards the day for sailing off to the unknown of what would be motorcycle heaven, we set off on our ride on a boxer Bmw that was bought at a good price as it needed work doing to it which looking back working on the bike built up even more anticipation for getting to the TT, I think the bm was bought due to the fact it had a couple of massive panniers strapped to the sides. We have since done the TT and as many MGP's as work and the bank allow since then give or take a few years, in what is a short time compared to many since starting to come to the rock it has changed quite a bit in that time but I still love it as I did the very first time in 93 and seeing the first bike through in practice just does it for me.

It began... in 1976, when a spotty student in Blackpool. A lad brought a radio in to class & we all listened to the racing on Manx radio.
It took until 1990 to actually get across to watch, but I've been ever since, & now go across 3 times a year for the bikes.

For me it was 1974 in my mates garage building a T110 chopper ,we used to sit on it saying we were off to the TT when it was done.
Alas it never got done neither did the TT
2014 was the first time,last year and over on thursday this year.
Today i have booked for next year and also booked for the mate from 1974 ,he now has to tell his missus they are going on holiday next year,take his bike test and buy a bike

1962 for me too, on a school holiday. We stayed at Port Erin (I can't remember where) but I do remember we flew to the Island from Squires Gate near Blackpool in a Douglas Dakota. We watched the Junior race at Ballacraine which resulted in a win for my hero then and now Mike Hailwood. 31 years later I was lucky enough to start racing there myself, not as well as Hailwood though!!!

1977, as a spotty youth on a Fizzy I went to the MCN roadshow in York, no wall to wall coverage then, the only chance to see the TT was when the mobile cinema came to town.
Sat there spell bound by bikes flying past hedges and ditches, vowed to go asap, but college held me up till 1979, Hailwoods last year, I must have enjoyed it as I've been back every year since ( except 2001 - foot and mouth ) seen some epic battles, some bad luck stories and some heart breaking incidents, but I love it. Typing this at our digs in Douglas, cannot believe the weather, long may it continue.
Ride safe everyone.

1976 - the last year the TT was part of the World Championship.

My trip was a last minute thing & on my bucket list. I also enjoyed prawn sandwiches at the time (and still do).

Since then, I have been going as often as life has allowed to the either the TT or MGP

Now retired, I spend 2 weeks at both TT & Classic TT/MGP/FOM  & am still loving it 40 years on. (Booked my 2017 ticket yesterday)

Long may it continue & the sun keep shining as it is today!

My first year ( I think ) was 1982 , Suzuki Gt750, was meant to be there in 1981 , camping , but about a month before the ride to the old liverpool docks ( tanks being pumped out ) I was knocked off my newish bike Z1000ST..

Any way since then have been every year ... two families later and Im packing my bags tomorrow for the journey ...