My TT 2011.

[Gert Meulman]

...uploaded so far all of my first two practice nights photo's HERE ...

[Gert Meulman]

...wednesday practice week, after a good nice breakfast at my homestay I drove up to the paddock to do my daily walking and talking around, trying to update my blog, meeting friends, and spotting this monstrous dangerous dog...

[Helen Gibson]

She will bite your balls ................................................................................ FOOTBALLS ......................what did you think I meant??

[Gert Meulman]

...auw...

[Gert Meulman]

...wednesday practice I was a little late coming from the paddock, so I choose to stay near, drove up near Ago's, parked the van and walked up to the house next to the house were Valentino watched it some years ago, I was at that house some years ago, rang the doorbell, there was nobody then...and then I made my mistake, a big mistake, it looked if there was nobody in or around the house again, so I didn't ring the doorbell, wrong wrong wrong, you must know that after all my years at the TT I'm getting a little famous about ringing the doorbells, introducing meself and asking friendly if I can be in gardens , in front of the house even the gate was taken out, so I had a beautiful spot, I settled meself and after a while the roads were closed, no traffic anymore, just some radio's shouting around, then a marshall came up to me, and at the moment he was with me a lady came out the house and said, "you didn't ask and you have to move", unhappy days, I thanked the fine lady for that she waited to tell me to move till the roads were closed and asked her why she didn't told me to move before roads closure, no answer, just silence and a look I remember from me mother many times , I thanked her once again friendly, really I did, it was just my mistake ...the marshall brought me to the street were the van was parked, he excused himself and I excused meself, I decided to drive a little up towards Alexander Drive, I had allready planned to go there later the week, two friendly marshalls were there and even with not the best of light at the place I had a beautiful evening and it made me feel good after what happened at Ago's, happy days again...



...John and Andy...



...Robin and Annette...

[lovingit]

Lovingit? LOL!

[Helen Gibson]

Always wondered why you called yourself that... now I know!!

[Gert Meulman]

...did so far the upload of all my first three days practice photo's HERE ...

[john newton]

One of the joys of seeing each year's TT photos is finding out where Gert has 'discovered'. This year it's Alexander Drive (or Brown's Hill) where it joins Quarter Bridge Road some 400 yards before QB itself. That photo of John and Andy, all 3 wheels off the ground with the garden in full bloom behind, is quite wonderful. Thanks to all 'our' photographers, Wally, Derek, Gert etc etc reports would be dull without their expertise!

[Gert Meulman]

...thanks for the compliments John, but thanks also for what you're doing for our sport John, very well appreciated...

[Gert Meulman]

...next day, thursday, my friends from Ireland showed up, Woody, Jack and his lovely daughters Nikky and Megan, always good to see my good friends back, in the evening we just went with the van, drove up and ended up at a place Woody liked to be that night's practice, the Department of Transport Yard around the 21st course mile mark, we had a look together and me, Jack and the girls decided to drive up to Ramsey to be somewhere around May Hill and White Gates, we left Woody where he was on his own, when we arrived at May Hill we had a look, I had planned to be on the right hand side of the road, but I couldn't find the right spot which I was hoping for, so I decided to be on the side of the road were I was the year before, Jack and Nikky went to White Gates, me and Megan stayd at May Hill, after the first session we would swob places, the sidecars were out first and what later showed out the solo practice was cancelled because of an chairly oil spillage...

[Gert Meulman]

...got an email from Woody, the good man told that I made a little misspelling, I'm talking in my story bout swab(bing) places instead of swap(swapping) places, but to tell you the truth, I think it's Jack's mistake, he was talking bout swabbing places, eeh yes, that's what I heard, honestly , even then, think my english is okay, but not the very very best, sorry Jack, my mistake, just double Dutch...

[Gert Meulman]

...uploaded the thursday practice photo's on my server HERE ...

[Gert Meulman]

...friday practiceweek, a beautiful day full of lovely Manx sunshine, as always after my breakfast starting my day with my paddock walking and talking around, spotted that Keith and Alun must have had some problems the night before, spoke with Alun who told me they went off somewhere at the Mountain, Eckart and Andy were also involved, it's difficult for me to tell you in the right words what exactly happened, but from what I know it was a sort of passing, non or less passing, braking, non or less braking incident, Andy was taken to hospital, best wishes to him...

[Gert Meulman]

...another story, took this shot of a sidecar ready to rock, but it wasn't to be, as we maybe all know it's good man Pete Alton's fine sidecar...Pete, after being passenger for a long time, decided to come back this year at the TT as a rider (after his crash with Dean and long way to recover last year), David Beattie was his newcomer's passenger, they qualified after three nights, but David decided to step out, so Peter was first time as a pilot left with an empty chair, not really happy days, showed out later that comebacker and TT legend Kenny Howles his newcomer passenger Craig Kinsella also stepped out during practiceweek, so Pete offered Kenny his presence in his chair, they qualified together, Kenny and Pete finished in 15th place in the second race, getting a bronze replica, think Pete was maybe the first man to qualify as a driver and as a passenger at one and the same TT...