This video is taken at the top of Bray Hill, just down from the grandstand where the riders start and finish. You'll notice the race wardens stay bike side of the race barriers....
Dave ready for the bikes to come along
Just a few of the many, many, many bikes parked along the prom for the last 2 weeks
Evening entertainment outside Bushy's beer tent. We're still not quite sure what the objective was, apart from circling around and making a lot of noise, but it was good entertainment!
This video is taken on Senior Race day, a bank holiday on the island, and this race is the main event. We were up near the Creg Ny Baa pub, has great views of the road coming down from the mountain road and then on towards Douglas. This is about 4/5 of the way round the course and thanks to the radio over the loudspeakers and tracking the helicopter, and obviously the increasing noise, we had a lot of notice of the bikes approaching. Bikes are going super speedy here!
Chilling out trackside... "sorry, what do you mean health and safety?"
Yes, it was sunny enough for sunglasses and T-shirts. Not for long, though.
As well as racing, Dave and I also went to explore Castletown, where we found a tardis-like castle and some exceptionally good ice cream. Castle Rushen was one of the last Royalist strongholds in the British Isles. The castle was the seat of the Viking Kings after they moved from Peel in 1250 and then the later Lords of Man. At the time of the Civil War, the Lord of Man was James Stanley who left the castle in his wife's hands so he could go and fight for the King. Unfortunately, he was beheaded in 1651 and, beset by doubters in her court and the onset of the Roundheads, Lady Man surrendered the castle fairly quickly after that.
Castle Rushen, and probably the most punters this pub will see all year
The view of Castletown harbour from the top of the tower
Exceptionally good, locally made ice cream - so much joy to behold!
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