The Retirement Thread

[PaulSB]

Good evening from Argyll. We've had a good with a six mile hike up Beinn Ghlas to the Sheiling for Deirdre and Naoise. I've talked about this before but very briefly a great friend of mine conceived and designed the Sheiling as his wife asked him to make a mark so people would know "we were here once."

The story of Deirdre of the Sorrows comes from Ulster mythology although in the area local to Loch Etive there is much in the landscape to suggest Deirdre and her lover Naoise existed and lived near the Loch.

 

[Paulus]

Sad day at the TT.


STATEMENT ISSUED FROM THE ISLE OF MAN TT RACES

STATEMENT ISSUED AT 18:30 ON 10 JUNE 2022

With a deep sense of sorrow, the Isle of Man TT Races can confirm that Roger Stockton, 56, and Bradley Stockton, 21, from Crewe, Cheshire were both killed in an incident on the second and final lap of the second Sidecar Race of the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races. The incident occurred at Ago’s Leap, just under one mile into the lap.

Roger and Bradley were father and son, and driver and passenger respectively.

Roger was an experienced TT competitor, with today’s race marking his 20th TT race start. He competed at the TT regularly from 2000 to 2008, before then returning in 2010, 2017 and at this year’s event. In his career, he claimed a total of twelve top-20 finishes and four top-10 finishes, as well as 10 Bronze Replicas.

Bradley was a newcomer to the TT and finished his first TT race on Monday, securing an impressive 8th-place finish alongside his father.

2022 was their fifth season racing together, and Roger and Bradley were regular podium finishers and frontrunners in the British F2 Sidecar Cup Championship, finishing second in the championship in 2021.

The Isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Roger and Bradley’s families, loved ones, and friends.

ENDS

Could it be now that the bikes are going too fast for the roads.
There have always been deaths and casualties at the TT, but the one constant is the road. It's the machines that get faster.

 

[postman]

Done split shifts, mornings and evenings. Cycle there for a six start and could still be going at midday. Then back home, to return for a five o'clock start that could see me cycling home close on one.

Done a 99 hour week, cycling there and back. Don't think there's any hour of the day I haven't worked at sometime.

When I was first married I was so desperate for money,I would do a night shift then follow it with an early shift.I would do a night shift then get some sleep then do an afternoon shift.Go me nothing except a divorce.looking back I was a bastard.

 

[Dirk]

Could it be now that the bikes are going too fast for the roads.
There have always been deaths and casualties at the TT, but the one constant is the road. It's the machines that get faster.

I've been saying, for some time, that they've lost sight of the ethos of the TT. All of the media seems obsessed with the Superbikes and lap records above everything.
They dropped the smaller classes some years ago. The racing was just as good when they had 125s lapping at 110 mph and production bikes lapping at just over 100 mph.
But, hey........what do I know?

 

[classic33]

Good evening from Argyll. We've had a good with a six mile hike up Beinn Ghlas to the Sheiling for Deirdre and Naoise. I've talked about this before but very briefly a great friend of mine conceived and designed the Sheiling as his wife asked him to make a mark so people would know "we were here once."

The story of Deirdre of the Sorrows comes from Ulster mythology although in the area local to Loch Etive there is much in the landscape to suggest Deirdre and her lover Naoise existed and lived near the Loch.

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Why didn't you take a picture of the plaque/plate that's on the edge of the fifth picture?

 

[ColinJ]

My preparations are complete for tomorrow's Garforth forum ride. I have to be up at 06:45 so I must try to get to sleep by 02:00 at the latest tonight!

I've been saying, for some time, that they've lost sight of the ethos of the TT. All of the media seems obsessed with the Superbikes and lap records above everything.
They dropped the smaller classes some years ago. The racing was just as good when they had 125s lapping at 110 mph and production bikes lapping at just over 100 mph.
But, hey........what do I know?

I just looked up the stats... almost 300 people killed over the years at the TT and other IoM events. Mainly riders of course, but also officials and spectators. I know that racing can never be totally safe, but that is a pretty devastating death toll!

I am astonished that there are not more demands that safety be improved. Slowing the bikes down is the obvious answer, because straw bales are never going to save people hitting them at 150+ mph.

When javelin throwing became dangerous because javelins were being thrown too far and spearing people, the javelin rules were changed and the old records were frozen. They should do something similar for the TT.

 

[ColinJ]

Why didn't you take a picture of the plaque/plate that's on the edge of the fifth picture?

I was wondering that too!

More information on the website HERE.

 

[Exlaser2]

When I was first married I was so desperate for money,I would do a night shift then follow it with an early shift.I would do a night shift then get some sleep then do an afternoon shift.Go me nothing except a divorce.looking back I was a bastard .

My best mate used to do this at Peugeot when we did three shifts, early and lates during the week and a weekend night shift too.
We used to do a Friday evening when work two hours overtime until the third shift started . Then I went home . He then worked the first full shift of the weekend night shift . Then our shift would come back in to do Saturday morning overtime ( which I rarely did) and he would do that too . He was mad lol but on the other hand he paid cash for a new kitchen and a new Range Rover in 2002 out of the money he made . But then again he had to have two operations on this neck and arms due to wear and tear and retire early due to health problems . Bottom line is money isn’t everything and I am in much better health that he was at the same age as I am now . 😀

 

[Exlaser2]

My preparations are complete for tomorrow's Garforth forum ride. I have to be up at 06:45 so I must try to get to sleep by 02:00 at the latest tonight!



I just looked up the stats... almost 300 people killed over the years at the TT and other IoM events. Mainly riders of course, but also officials and spectators. I know that racing can never be totally safe, but that is a pretty devastating death toll!

I am astonished that there are not more demands that safety be improved. Slowing the bikes down is the obvious answer, because straw bales are never going to save people hitting them at 150+ mph.

When javelin throwing became dangerous because javelins were being thrown too far and spearing people, the javelin rules were changed and the old records were frozen. They should do something similar for the TT.

I love the tt but the fatality rate is terrible, so much worse than other uk road racing tracks . I have no idea why it’s so much worse than places like Ulster ( do you know Dirk ? ) I can only think it continues because of the independence of the Isle of Man to the uk and the importance of the races to the island’s economy.

 

[Exlaser2]

Do they not reckon that’s when humans are at their lowest ebb. Quite a common time for very ill people to pass away. Think mum slipped away just before 5am if I remember correctly.

My dad passed also away at about 4 in the morning 😕

Night night everyone. 😀

 

[ColinJ]

I would much rather die during the night (asleep!) than during the day (awake!)...

My best friend died in his sleep aged only 59. I had seen him a couple of weeks before and he was happy enough. He had been at work on the Friday and there had been no sign of anything being wrong. He didn't turn up to work on the Monday and never phoned in sick. He was found in bed a few days later, apparently having been completely unaware that anything was wrong. A terrible shock for the rest of us, but a real easy, gentle death for him.

 

[Exlaser2]

I would much rather die during the night (asleep!) than during the day (awake!)...

My best friend died in his sleep aged only 59. I had seen him a couple of weeks before and he was happy enough. He had been at work on the Friday and there had been no sign of anything being wrong. He didn't turn up to work on the Monday and never phoned in sick. He was found in bed a few days later, apparently having been completely unaware that anything was wrong. A terrible shock for the rest of us, but a real easy, gentle death for him.

I think I would like to die like Reg White ( a double Olympic sailing medalist In the late 60s/ early 70s ) . Died pulling his boat boat out on the slipway after winning a race at his club aged about 80 😀😀

 

[Dave7]

Morning all
Up at 0530 and now listening to Tony B with SoTS.
AND......what a beautiful morning it is.

 

[Mo1959]

Morning. Really long lie for me this morning. I may regret it as I suspect the rain isn’t far away. More strong wind again too. Great summer we are having!

 

[Exlaser2]

Morning all . Lovely morning here too at the moment , think it could get a bit windy though.
Off to look at a second hand bike this morning ( not for me , I already have enough bikes I am not riding at the moment ) but for my 26 year old daughter. She has a hybrid but wants a racing bike so she can do longer club rides. There is a reason why she wants second hand ( other than the cost ) and that’s because she did have a very nice road given to her by mrs exlaser last year ,which she managed to write off by cycling into the back of a parked car !!!! . We laugh about it now , there wasn’t much laughing at the time 😂😀