This is the first time I went on my own for a couple of years.
Previously my ex-wife had come with me on trip son the bike to the likes of Assen and the Isle of Man for the TT.
Unfortunately, by this time we had separated and so it was solo Paul on this trip.
This would have been on the GS1000G I think.
On the way up I was tailed for miles by a couple on a Yamaha of some kind, I think an XS750. They had bought the bike with Krauser luggage fitted and the pannier lids were covered in plastic sheet so their stickers could be saved. After all these years I can't remember their names. We had lunch together and in the end stayed together for the weekend.
In those days we'd camp in one of the fields around the circuit. The farmers cleared the fields of livestock, usually cattle, and we'd erect tents around the cow pats!
To get there meant the ride of death as the people that had arrived first lined the access roads and filled with copious amounts of beer, thought it was great to flick the kill switches as the new arrivals road past them. All very funny. By the second year it was less funny but at least you were prepared for this extreme of comedy.
The farmers would clean out the barns and turn them into bars with loud music and food/beer available.
This will be the year that alongside the barn-bar there was an enclosure maybe 30 x 30 yards square. It was inhabited by a family of large goats. In particular two large billy-goats with huge horns. The fun thing here was watching as the drunken visitors attempted to run across this space and make it to the other side. The billies had other ideas. I can still remember the thud as horn met thigh or butt. No one made it across without being butted to the ground.... All good fun! The farmer saved on the prizes they'd offered as no one made it...
Apart from the racing no one had to leave the site. All were in walking distance of the circuit entrances.
There were miles of trackside unlike nowadays with grandstands (Tribunes) covering most of the circuit.
I have no recollection of who was in the race or who won it! I do remember that neither of the Heron-Suzukis finished. I was there to support Barry Sheene and Keith Huewen. Perpetual runner-up Randy Mamola was in another Suzuki team.
I had to google to see what the results were:
Once racing was over it was still Saturday, and time for more beer on the campsite. Also a time to avoid the groups partying all night.
It was a 450 mile ride home on Sunday and back to work the next day.
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