Growing up prior TV, the radio was our main source of home entertainment. Music and plays were the main ingredient interspersed with news and topical affairs. The other important constituent was sport, particularly football. But every year a dangerous but absorbing event, the TT held on the roads which snake around the tiny Isle of Man, roads closed whilst the racing is on but with little else to define a race circuit from the normal road held us in its grip.
In the popular and well defined Motor Cycle GP events they race around specially designed circuits with wide run off areas if the rider gets into trouble, where safety is of very high importance. The TT along with a number of other events run on normal roads has little room for error. The narrow, twisty, tricky cambered road road is edged with hard stone walls, hit one and you know it. There have been over 230 deaths in the event and it's difficult to imagine it's unique combination of high speed and danger being held, other than under the independence of the Isle of Man.
Listening on the radio back in the 50s the sound of the bikes roaring past the what had become famous vantage points around the circuit, the infamous Bray Hill where Les Graham was killed, further on, Ballicraine, Parliament Square, Creg-ny-Baa each vantage point coupled with the technical commentary,took us to new heights of fantasy.
Back in those days the bikes were mainly made in the UK, part of a thriving industry with pools of supporters. AJS, Matchless, Norton, Triumph, BSA, Ariel, Vincent. Single cylinder or twins with the occasional four cylinder such as the Ariel Square Four. It was the age of British Manufacturing but it was also an age which signalled the inability in this country to invest and develop, rather rest on ones history, following, rather than developing.
I was listening one day. The sound of the deep throaty roar of a single cylinder Norton came over the airwaves and then, from up the road the sound of a high revving multi cylinder bike, the MV Agusta entered the microphone, a high pitched scream as it changed down trough its multi geared gearbox, and a new era was born. The Italian MV and the Gilera were soon to displace the British bikes followed by the Japanese, the Honda, Kawasaki and the Yamaha. The demise of the British Bike was on the way, our reliability and general finish, our bikes were notorious for leaking oil and the investment needed to sustain our historic advantage was not forthcoming.
Whilst the manufactures let our influence dwindle our riders stayed on top. Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, Barry Sheene all competed with the best and differed from the continental and American riders in that they still raced in the far more dangerous races around the Isle of Man.
Today's TT riders are a breed apart from the glitzy MotoGP. The tradition of the TT still draws the brave and foolhardy. Joey Dunlop (killed) with 26 wins comes out top, a legend around the course, John McGuinness with 22 wins (Mr Perfection), David Jeffries (Bradford lad) who was killed. Ian Hutchinson ( Bingley) the latest star but many are waiting in the wings. Guy Martin a "colourful" character is one. an anti authority, short tempered individual who has made his name tackling all kinds of speed associated records not only on the bike. His series on the TV rebuilding a canal boat was idiosyncratic to say the least. Lee Johnston, Garry Johnson, Conor Cummins, and the oldie (44) Bruce Anstey the crazy Kiwi, any of them could win.
Winning is in their blood and ignoring the dangers is part of it. The likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Casey Stoner are the stars of MotGP and deserve all the acclaim they get (along with the mega pay packets) but the bravery of riding the TT is beyond even them and whilst they certainly have the skill, do they have the courage of this band of home grown motorcycle racers, never far from having the dirt under their nails they are a breed apart !!!
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