Apologies to the racing fans out there, but I have only been to one motor sport event in my life; that was a motorcycle race. In 1973 I joined my mechanic cousin and his wife for a 1-week trip to the Isle of Man to watch the Manx Grand Prix. This is (or was) an amateur event on the famous (and notoriously dangerous) 37-mile TT circuit. but run a few weeks later in the year. The riders were not the heroes of the time like Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, etc. and their bikes were not the latest MVs, Hondas, Suzukis, etc., but 1950s era Manx Nortons, Matchless G50s, AJS7Rs, various Triumphs and BSAs etc.
Several things made the circuit dangerous, not least the length because at 37 miles, it is almost impossible for the riders to remember all of the details of the road surface camber, bumps, sharpness of bends, gradient… Also, because it’s on public roads there are hazards such as trees, hedges, lamp posts, houses, and sidewalks. In those days a few hay bales were installed at particularly bad points, but one or two participants were often killed. In 1973 an up and coming rider called Phil Haslam died – the rescue helicopter was always kept ready. The danger is a primary reason why the Isle of Man races lost their position in the World Championship series during the mid 1960s.
You may know that the Isle of Man is about 35 miles from the English coast in the Irish Sea. It’s a “Self-Governing British Territory” like the Cayman Islands, Falklands, etc. and has its own laws even though it is so close to the mainland. The Westminster government has very little control over it. As far as I know, it is not and never has been in the EU either. Financial experts will know that it’s a tax haven. One result of this is that the island has complete freedom over things like roads and can shut them off at will. Hence closure of the main route around for a motorcycle race.
I took a British Airways flight over there from Manchester, but my cousin and his wife rode their brand new 750 cc Triumph Trident (pictured) on the ferry from Liverpool. On one occasion, David (my cousin) took me for a ride around the race circuit on the back of his bike.
Apparently, 1973’s event was the golden jubilee of the Manx GP, and there was a special set of stamps issued by the Isle of Man Post office. A set of notes about the event was included and I purchased one and sent it to my father. Here’s a scan of it:
When I was looking through pictures and family history at home, I found this First Day cover of a stamp issued to go with the 1974 Tourist Trophy motorcycle races at the Isle of Man. There was a note inside that gave some history.
