Having sold my house in Leeds I had then bought another buy to let property in Hull. I was still looking at property on a buy to let basis and when I saw the release of some properties in the sort after village of Brayton outside Selby me and Nikki made the trip there for the release of the prices. We happened to arrive first in the que and got the chance of putting a deposit down there and then, and we did on the house below. This is probably the only regret I have had so far in that I didnt buy more that where on sale that day! We did originally do this on a buy to let but as the property went on we decided to move in.
Me and Ben had another trip to the Lakes to spend a couple of nights camping, having a few beers and covering about 100 miles on the bikes. I was wondering why Ben seemed to be always pulling away from me on the downhills and I guess in general. It wasnt until we got about 10 miles back to the site that I realised my front brake was catching, Brilliant! We stayed on this occassion of onew of favourite sites at Thirlmere near Keswick.
We celebrated Dave's 60th with a surprise bash at his local watering hole the Barlicorn in Barwick in Elmet. As a present we all chipped in and got him a red letter day driving day experience.
A very happy Birthday Boy below................
In September we celebrated Nikki's 30th Birthday and did it style by going to the Lakes. We camped in the valley next to Thirlmere. When we set up the tents, not a problem, weather was good, we had a good pitch and the pub was in spitting distance. After some food and a few beers we headed back to the tents to be confronted with a massive down pour that lasted all night. Been in the valley, the winds where terrible and we seemed to get the brunt end of this storm with the campsite been flooded. Unfortunately we could only stay the one night but we did have a laugh!
Thailand 2004
In the October of September we went to Thailand for 2 weeks. We booked flights, a 1 nights stay in Bangkok then 12 nights at a Krabi resort hotel. We had an actioned packed two weeks of horse riding on the beach, eating from street vendors, hiring motorbikes, going on speedboat trips to the Phi Phi islands, snorkeling and a trip to the hospital (if you could call it that) when Nikki got an allergic reaction to the sun. She got given an injection and moments later after recieving the injection she passed out. No one in the hospital could speak English and I was stuck in this room with Nikki passed out not knowing what injection she had been given and what was going on! Should have checked the life insurance. Nevertheless the injection did seem to do the job and it made her feel alot better. The majority of time was spent in the islands and it was amazing to do everything we did. Just wish we had more time.
TT 2004 - Our 2nd visit to the IOM
2004 saw the ACU sign a 20 year agreement to hand over control of the TT to the Isle of Man Government and for the Manx Motor Cycle Club, which runs the popular Manx Grand Prix, to organise the TT Races.
John McGuinness (Yamaha) set the pace in the opening Duke Formula One race, with a sensational opening circuit of 17 minutes 43.8 seconds, (127.68mph) ensuring that the last Formula One TT went out with a ‘bang’, clinching victory by 18.6 seconds over TAS Suzuki mounted Adrian Archibald, with team-mate Bruce Anstey third.
As well as the fastest ever lap in the 97-year history of the TT, McGuinness also established a new fastest race average over four laps of 125.38mph.
John McGuinness went on to take wins in the Junior TT and Lightweight 400, three in a week, to join TT great, Mike Hailwood, Joey Dunlop, Steve Hislop and David Jefferies in the elite hat-trick club.
Kiwi Bruce Anstey spoilt the party for John McGuinness when he powered home a blistering record-breaking victory in the delayed 1000 Production race, upping the class record to 125.10mph on his TAS Suzuki. McGuinness, Yamaha, who led at the end of the opening lap was 18 seconds down at the flag, with local rider Jason Griffiths, also Yamaha-mounted, slotting into third.
Former 125 British Champion Chris Palmer created a bit of TT history, when he clinched victory in the last-ever 125cc TT, in record-breaking style, repeating his win of the previous year. Ian Lougher had no intention of letting his long-time rival Palmer have an easy win, until his efforts were thwarted when the Welshman’s Honda threw its chain at Milntown Cottage, allowing Robert Dunlop to inherit second place in what was his final TT. Manxman Nigel Beattie completed the podium in third.
After being dogged by bad luck all week, Ryan Farquhar’s fortunes took a massive turn for the better when he brilliantly won the Production 600 race, to notch his first TT triumph and give Kawasaki an important and historic TT victory. It was only Kawasaki’s sixth TT win and the marques first for 20 years, since the late Geoff Johnston won the Production race astride a 900 Kawasaki in 1984.
Farquhar took the three-lap, 113.19-mile race by the scruff of the neck from the outset, and led all the way on corrected time, after he overhauled John McGuinness during the closing stages of the first lap. McGuinness was first to complete the race, ahead of Anstey and Farquhar, but when the times were shuffled, Ryan was declared the winner by 2.3 seconds, as Production 1000 winner Anstey recorded his second runners-up slot, nine seconds ahead of McGuinness.
TAS Suzuki teamsters completed a one-two in the ‘blue-riband’ event of the TT, the Senior. It was Adrian’s second successive Senior TT triumph, as another Suzuki rider Gary Carswell took a magnificent third place.
Pictures of 2004 tour of the IOM TT, this time on my CBR600!
Pictured above, Richard Britton, one of the happiest guys in the paddock. Come rain or shine, win or loose he would always have a smile from ear to ear. He later died in 2005 at race near his home where by his engine siezed when he was only doing about 40mph. He was killed instantly.
The planning had been done in 2004 for the wedding, now to 2005 for the big day......
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