Peel a western town on the Isle of Man has it's special day called Peel Day.

This event caters for the non race day crowds as well as the local and with some of the sunniest day's witnessed on the IOM the clowds flocked to Peel.

They were entertained by Lee Bowers riding his stunt Kawasaki's in an incredible show of control over machine. It seemed not to matter if he was on the 1000cc road machine or the 125cc trail bike as he wld the audience breathless as he rode in any imagable position at speed or on one wheel.

Former 3 times World Trials Champion Steve Colley showed that he was master over his machines but defying gravity to do a back flip on a trial machine.

Christopher Braund & Fred Crosset using trail bikes also seemed to fly as they used a 1m high ramp to land onto of their Prime mover some 7m above ground level and then to ride off it back to the ground. Lee Musselwhite and the Purple helmet stunt team also entertained the crowd at Peel and all backed up on Night 3 on the Douglas waterfront for a repeat performance.

They were accompanied by the RAF show team The Red Arrows.

Racing on Monday and Wednesday took place in ideal weather and saw the record book rewritten in most every event both solo's and in the sidecars. Infact the winning sidecar not only set two new lap records but every lap was inside the existing lap records.

Michael Dunlop has sofar won three events and elevated his status to become the 3rd highest winner of TT races after John McGuinness and Michael's uncle the late great Joey Dunlop.

Talking if John McGuinness, I wandered into the Paddock on Tuesday hoping to get John to sign his latest book for me. Well to my surprise very few people had the same idea so after signing my book I looked at his swollen leg (he has broken it twice recently and is not competing in 2018),so I suggested maybe we should sit down and have a cuppa. The invitation was taken up.

While the TT course is 37.7miles and hundred's of viewing spots are available I often watch from Braddan Bridge (also known as Quarter Bridge)or Braddan Church or the Old KirK Braddan Church areas. They offer a chance for a brief few seconds to see riders negotiate both left and right hand bends, watch the bikes suspensions bottom out and to see front wheels off the road so yes quite entertaining.

This year while watching two riderss have also crashed, without any serious injuries, at these spots.

The first IOM TT was held in 1907 and actual 100th running will be in 2019 due to war year stoppages and the outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease. it would be great to come back in 2019 and be a witness to the 100th running but alas Mr Economics has said NO. Shame after being her for the 100th anniversary of the present Mountain Course in 2011.

However that is a mere drop in time as the old Kirk Braddan Church recorded holding a Synod (Church Governing) in 1229! The church was rebuilt in the 1700's and still holds a Evensong service at 6.30pm on the 1st,3rd & 5th Sundays of every month. The cemetry around the church makes for both sobering reading such as the one headstone that records the burials of Husband, his two wives,his son & Daughter and no less then 7 unnamed children who died at childbirth as well as providing a living history lesson on the area. That is only for Old Kirk Braddan as across the road is Braddan Church again steeped in history with its own cemetry. One thing for sure those departed souls never lack company at racetime.