IOM Part 2 - They used to call Peter BEATTY the former Qld Premier, a media tart. He's got nothing on Kerrie. Since our arrival on the IOM she has rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous and to show she is not a snob she has also spoken with and had her photo taken with the not so famous as well. During week one practice, Craig DOYLE the front man for ITV4 the TV channel that covers the TT, wanders around the paddock and the track side and interviews visitors...

We headed to Billown not far from our digs and watched the Southern 100 races for classic bikes before making a bee line for grandstand at Douglas which is the start-finish line for all the TT races. The TT started in 1907 and the current Moutain Course was first used in 1911 so this is it's centenary year. The TT was part of the motorcycle GP circuit up until 1977 when a boycott, lead by 15 times World Champion Giacomo AGOSTINI due to safety concerns lead to i...

For two weeks from 30.05.2011 - We reached Douglas at about 8 pm and rode our bikes off the ferry together with the 50 or so other bikes on board as well as cars, trucks and buses and those poor suckers on foot. We were met by Dave MILLIGAN the Get Routed boss and several of his helpers. Andrew, who also shipped into Izmir and is one of Dave's right hand men, escorted five of us to our digs being Chris (who we call 'Imzir Chris' after he had dislocated his should...

Sunday 30.05.2011 - We found our way to Heysham and queued with all the other bikers awaiting boarding onto the ferry that would take us to Douglas, the capital city of the Isle of Man. The Isle would be our home for the next two weeks while we watched the world's most famous road race – the Tourist Trophy or the TT as its better known. After waiting for nearly two hours we were finally given the green flag to board the ferry. It didn’t matter to ...

Tuesday 28.05.2011 - We reached Padgetts after negotiating a traffic jam on the motorway, due to a crash we presumed as we saw an ambulance and police flash by with bells and whistles going off. Padgetts is probably the UK's most famous motorcycle dealer shop. Peter Padgett and his brother Don started up the dealership in 1958 and started selling Hondas soon after in the 1960’s in Batley which about 15 miles from Leeds.Peter's son, Clive took over the ...