Isle of Man TT: 'I've opened my garden to TT fans for 20 years'
A motorcycling enthusiast who has been opening his garden to Isle of Man TT fans for more than 20 years said he was keen to continue the "local tradition" for the town after moving in.Glen Kinrade owns Stella Maris, a house just below the hairpin in Ramsey, which overlooks the racing action.He has been opening it up to members of the public since 2004 because it was something the previous owners had done and he did not want "to break a local tradition". Tens of thousands of race fans visit the island for the annual two-week event held on 37.7-miles (61km) of closed public roads.
Starting from the Grandstand in Douglas, the course takes a clockwise route through to Glen Vine, Glen Helen, Kirk Michael, Sulby and Ramsey, before heading over the Mountain Road back to Glencrutchery Road in Douglas.
While Mr Kinrade's spot in the south of Ramsey was "very quiet most of the year", TT was "a different proposition" and he had "the most friends I've ever had" during the two-week period.He said he felt it was important the garden remained open to any fans that wanted to take advantage of the garden, rather than being restricted to friends and family.The span of the garden offers different views of the action, from seeing the riders emerge from May Hill to watching the machines approach the sharp hairpin bend on their climb onto the famous mountain course.
Mr Kinrade said both locals and visiting fans from all over the world would "come back year after year" to the spot.People enjoying the vantage point over the years had ranged from would range from "die hard motorcycling fans" to young families, and everyone always left the garden "as they found it", he said.Growing up in Ramsey himself, he said he knew the viewing spot from a young age and since buying the house in 2004 its renovation had been a "labour of love". He would not be stopping the access any time soon, he added.
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