Regarding the front page photograph of Jim Sandford’s tyre repair in the 1971 ISDT on the Isle of Man.
First the people from left to right, on bike number 999, is Ken Heanes, my friend Peter Thomas, then me (Keith Gush), the next is unknown, the next an East German observer, on his knees is Jim, the lady is unknown, and finally, sat down with a notebook is a Czech observer.
Peter and myself were working as marshals when Jim arrived with a flat rear tyre – he lifted his bike on to the stand, wheel removed, tyre levers in under the tyre when one lever slipped from his hand and flew over the hedge on the right-hand bank. Now the rub.
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One person (I cannot say who!) from the group retrieved the lever and offered it to Jim.
The man with the notebook stopped him with the instruction, “That would be outside assistance!” Jim struggled for approximately 20 minutes with this tyre – QED British time lost!
Keith Gush
Read more Letters, Opinion, News and Features in the August 2019 issue of OBM – on sale now!
