There's more to do at the Road Racing Capital of The World than just the TT races. Your local guide is Geof Staples who spills the beans on what else you can get up to...

In the first installment we learned about the best ways to reach the Isle of Man, and then where to stay. What's next?

What To Do

There is more to the Isle of Man than just the TT festival. If you get bored with the races, there is plenty to do. There are two castles to visit; Peel, which is mostly ruined, and Castle Rushen which is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe.

There is the House of Mannanan in Peel, which is a first class museum, with plenty of hands on stuff for the smaller (and not so small!) visitor. The Manx Museum in Douglas is also worth a visit. For the motorcyclist, Murray's Museum at the Bungalow, on the TT course, is an absolute must, although there is some doubt as to whether it will be open this summer. Peter Murray, the owner, told me in September that he was seriously considering closing and retiring. He is getting on a bit and the museum has been virtually his entire life, but with visitor numbers declining and the ever rising costs of upkeep, he is very much considering calling it a day, as it is barely paying him a living wage these days.

There is a big vintage presence planned for this year, as it is the VMCC's 50th anniversary. If you really want to come to the TT and you can't get here this year, then try as hard as you can to make it in 2007, as this will be the centenary of the meeting. I am assured that it will be something special.

If you don't fancy the hustle and bustle of the TT and like something a little more relaxed, but with racing to watch, then come here in July 2005, from the 11th to 14th to be precise. Then you will be able to watch stunning action on the Billown Road circuit at Castletown. This year marks the 50th running of the Southern 100. This meeting includes classic races in the programme and is very good, with close racing on a 4.25 mile road circuit. A big classic parade is also planned.

Accommodation is not usually a problem and, with races over two evenings and one day, there is plenty of time for a bit of sightseeing.

See www.southern100.com

If you want to see RealClassics used in anger on the TT course, then the Manx Grand Prix from the 20th of August to the 2nd of September 2005 is for you. It is a very much less frenetic time compared to the TT, and if you stay for a whole week, including the week-ends before and after the road action, you can watch the Manx National two day Trial, where Britain's top trials riders take on the challenge of the Manx countryside.

The following week-end sees the Manx Classic weekend Trial, where a large number of our type of bikes are thrown at various chunks of the Manx countryside in a variety of entertaining ways.

Great fun. See www.manx2day.co.uk and www.ManxTrials.com

Pre-65 Trials Stuff on eBay.co.uk

Oh, and while you're here, look out, you may see a group of total nutters on incredibly tatty looking, highly modified 'Flappers' (Honda 90s to you!). They will be dressed in old DR coats, matt black helmets and dark glasses. Be warned, this will be the World Famous Purple Helmets. Lock up your daughters and your beer (especially your beer!) sit back, and be entertained!

Other useful websites include www.andreasracing.com , www.iomtt.com and www.iommgp.com

A Few Other Things Which Bear Mention

If you do decide to make the pilgrimage to the Island, there are a few other things which bear mention. Due to its relative isolation, virtually everything has to be imported to the Island. This results in comparatively high prices being the norm. I have heard the most ridiculous statements from TT visitors about prices being put up for the TT, such as beer, food, and petrol. Total bolleaux. Manx people wouldn't stand for it, traders wouldn't dare, they have to rely on local business for the rest of the year. We pay these prices all year round (but only 10% income tax, with generous allowances).

Beer generally is cheap here, although big chains in England, such as JD Wetherspoons can afford to cut their prices to the same or lower levels. All Manx brewed beer, however, is real ale as there is a law regarding how it can be produced, and only certain ingredients are allowed, in order to keep beer pure and of a high quality. Petrol is very dear, being on average about 10p per litre (45p per gallon) dearer.

For those who wish to self cater, supermarket prices are much the same, although some items are a few pence dearer, and there is not generally as much of a selection of goods. Milk is expensive at 50p per pint. The price is fixed by law.

Local produce is usually of very good quality, if a bit expensive. Eating out is generally about the same price as in England, and there are some very good eateries, especially some of the pubs, although as pub meals go, they are often a bit dearer than in England. Still, I don't know of any pubs in England where you can sit in the bar and watch top class road racing from your seat as you eat your meal!

You cannot normally bring caravans into the IoM, as there are no sites for them. Camper vans and motor homes are no problem though, with suitable sites at Sulby Claddagh, Peel, and Glen Wyllin.

There is no overall speed limit, but those that are in place are rigidly enforced. As we cannot presently endorse UK licences, the fines are steep, but you don't get points. So watch your speed in built up areas. Manx drivers are generally more aware of bikes, but plenty of dozy b*ggers insist on driving amongst the bikes and can cause havoc.

The biggest downside is that there are too many bikers who think that they can ride fast. The roads get very crowded. Our main roads are busy at the best of times, and idiots trying to ride at 150mph can only cause problems for themselves and every other road user. The upside is that many of the modern bike riders stay on the TT course, ignoring, or ignorant of the fact that there are some excellent roads away from the course, with stunning scenery and little traffic. On some of these roads, it is very easy to imagine that you have travelled back in time to the 50s or even earlier.

For those who wish to truly get away from it all for a few hours, there are daily boat trips to the Calf of Man, a small island to the south of the Island. The trips are very reasonably priced and the journey is only about 15-20 minutes, past some spectacular coastal scenery. The Calf is a bird sanctuary, and these days is only inhabited in the summer, by a warden. On the trip you are likely to see seals, and if you are very lucky, basking sharks and maybe a dolphin or porpoise or two, and several species of sea birds, including puffins, fulmars, guillemots and razorbills. Take a packed lunch and enjoy!

The Isle of Man is a lovely place (OK, I'm biased, but not blinkered). For motorcyclists, it is a great place with some superb roads, whether or not it is TT, MGP or Southern 100. The weather can be fickle, it is only a small place, 32 miles by 12 by 2036-ft high, surrounded by the rather cold Irish Sea, but washed by the Gulf Stream. It has three narrow gauge steam railways, two electric railways and horse drawn trams. It has character and a lot of history, and a language of its own, which is only spoken fluently by a handful of people, and it's own laws. It is not part of the UK but is a crown dependency. Lizzie's title here is 'Her most gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the second, England, Lord of Man.'

Finally, the Isle of Man hosts the best motorcycle road racing that you are ever likely to see, bar none. (Ireland is good, but as I said, I'm biased.) and best of all, I live on it!

So, I'll look forward to seeing you all this year then...