As TT memories fade

The Isle of Man very quickly gets back to normal after the TT and it will soon be just a memory. Normal? Well maybe not for athletes as even by our hectic standards the next couple of months are going to be exceptional.

We are just 12 days away from the biggest mass participation event for adults that I can ever recall - the Scottish Widows Parish Walk. On the same day we have a large Isle of Man team at the opening ceremony for the Island Games. And as you will see from the front page we have six road races, three fell races, the Isle of Man track and field championships before....we embark on five events in six days.

I've been digging deep into my memory (and Wikipeadia and Google) to try and remember when I last saw Steve Baker (pictured above on Bray Hill) racing. I'm fairly sure that it was in 1977 when I travelled overnight from Stoke to Brands Hatch by train (and walked the last few miles) to watch the British round of the World Formula 750 Championships but I can't find the date. Certainly that was the year that Baker won the championship (and in the days of multi-tasking before it became a word or two) he finished runner up to Barry Sheene in the 500 cc world championship.

I recall that "Rocket" Ron Haslam tried to keep up with Baker at Brands and went as high into the air as any rider I have ever seen when he crashed.. If only I could find the date to ensure that it was not the following year that I made my only trip to Brands Hatch.

If my memory is not playing tricks, didn't some athletes used to train as well as race. My memory is not what it used to be.