I know many of you admire this fine house, so here's some good news.

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Plan-to-t...3638922.jp

good news

Excellent news! ..............but it seems now to be lost as a site for a TT Museum.

Perhaps not, if the could see the extra people it would bring... are there stables or anything like that? I haven't been, I'm ashamed to say.
If they hosted it, and the Manx Museum curated it, that might overcome the restrictions I understand exist.

Now Sir Clive looks to have been an interesting chap! I do remember going to a big house in 1969 or 70 somewhere down that way, because someone had told me I could get some machining done - a gearbox repair if I remember correctly on the very rare 6-speed box fitted to my ex-Inchley AJS 250. A colourful chap answered the door, dressed in bright shirt and baggy shorts - looked much like the estate gardener - took me through into a superb workshop with every machine tool known to man, and promptly fashioned the part required, hardened it and sent me on my way. He never gave his name, but was fairly obviously the boss of the house. Oh how I wish my memory worked!
Could it have been Milntown, and Sir Clive?

That would have been Bob Thomas, co-owner of Milntown House. Bob got to know Sir Clive Edwards in the Army, Sir Clive was told to learn to ride a bike, Bob was pointed out and told "teach this man to ride". Sir Clive raced and hillclimbed many cars in his day, Bob was his mechanic.
Bob formerly run a bike business in Bicester (try saying that quick after three helpings of sherry trifle!) and owned, amongst other vehicle the Freddie Dixon banking sidecar (co-owned with Beaulieu), many ABC bikes and cars and various Douglas which are still at Milntown.
For many years I rode Bob's 1931 fore-and-aft 500cc Douglas in trials, a brute of a thing in trials but fun to ride!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...D%26sa%3DN

et pour les Francais....
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...D%26sa%3DN

Blimey young witch! For a moment there I was knee-deep in Frog!!
Incidentally, has there ever been a succesful French TT rider (excluding refugees from down-under who took a French licence!)?

Well, Mig.. Fabrice Miguet regularly does the TT, laps about 112 nowadays I think... best result 17th.

There are several French sidecar crews, including Francois et Sylvie LeBlond, whose daughter, Estelle, now drives too, and her ambition is to do the TT.

http://www.steveenglish.com/print.php?news.508

One of the problems for French riders is that the French motorcycle authorities do not approve of the TT, Jean-Michel Prudon French TT Supporters Club rep) tells me.

Mig rode the Voxan for J-M a few years ago... oh, what a lovely noise! :yah

The Spanish authorities also do not sanction entries from their riders after the death of Santiago Herrero in 1970, so a bit of licence-fiddling is needed!

GP winner Eric Saul rode the TT once only, Elwyn was reminiscing about him last night, he has a wonderful quote from him when he rode the Parade Lap a few years ago, over to you Elwyn!

Fabrice Miguet has won replicas and now lapped at over 118mph.

The late Bruno Bonhuil did just under 118mph and also won a few replicas.

Etienne Godart has won a few reps whilst Nicolas Servigne and Cyril Guillemin have been recent winners of the Newcomers Trophy. Servigne was quite impressive in 2003 and had a solid ride in the Junior but crashed at Windy Corner in the Prod 600 later in the week - must have put him off as he's never been back.

Phil Wain Wrote:Fabrice Miguet has won replicas and now lapped at over 118mph.

The late Bruno Bonhuil did just under 118mph and also won a few replicas.

Etienne Godart has won a few reps whilst Nicolas Servigne and Cyril Guillemin have been recent winners of the Newcomers Trophy. Servigne was quite impressive in 2003 and had a solid ride in the Junior but crashed at Windy Corner in the Prod 600 later in the week - must have put him off as he's never been back.

There was an article in the T supporters magazine a few years ago saying he hoped to come back, obviously things change

Nicolas Servigne was indeed very impressive, but despite thinking of returning to race in the TT, he has so far not returned, I think he had severe concussion, and unfortunatly he has never been quite the same rider.
Another French Pilot to look out for, is Erwan Erkelens, he finished 7th in the 2006 Newcomers Class A, best lap was about 111.5mph. He rode a standard GSXR 750 with a faulty steering damper.
He returned in 2007 to race in the S100, and was in about 15th position in the 1st race, when he had a fiery accident at Stadium Corner, this resulted in Erwan having a ride in a helicopter, and the race being abandoned for the evening, and his bike being completely destroyed. The S100 DVD showing his crash is !!!!
The good news(?) is that Erwan hopes to return in 2008 for another go at the S100, and MGP.

If they took the plunge and made it THE TT museum they would get ten times the visitors. The cafe and shop would then be a viable enterprise. There is no doubt that the Mill and the Christian connection would attract some tourists, but the TT nostalgia would be a far bigger drawcard. Good luck to everyone involved in developing and preserving this heritage property.

Tomorrow at 9pm
Ghosthunting With Coronation Street
ITV 2
Yvette Fielding, one of the world's leading ghost hunters, takes a group of Coronation Street actors on an exploration of some of the darkest and most haunted places in the country in search of ghosts. This should include footage shot in Milntown last year.

(You may be able to download it from the ITV website after the programme has been broadcast)