Isle of Man/Ellan Vannin

More Isle of Man Stories

Weatherfor Douglas

Latest Updates

  1. A view of the site, there is a metal fence in front of the remnants of a building on the cliff side.

  2. Crash 'has taken a long time to get over' - Rutter

    Richard Petrie
    BBC Sport NI Journalist

    Rutter reflects on not winning more races at the NW200

    Michael Rutter has said that physically and mentally it has taken him "a long time to get over" the after-effects of his crash at the Isle of Man TT last year.

    Speaking on The BBC Bikes Podcast, the veteran Midlands rider explained that the extensive injuries he sustained had been the worst of his career so far but he was aiming to return to competitive track action at this year's North West 200 in May.

    The 54-year-old crashed at the 31st milestone on the final lap of the second Supertwins race at last year's TT and subsequently underwent surgery and a lengthy period of rehabilitation.

    "I broke my L2, smashed it into four pieces. I was very lucky I didn't do more damage, and I broke the bottom of my leg, my foot, my wrist, it knocked me about, and knocked me mentally wise. It's taken me a long time to get over," explained Rutter.

    "I'm still in a bad way with it but I am getting better. I've got a long way to go yet but I want to try and get out and race at the North West and that's my aim."

    The 14-time North West 200 winner acknowledged that the incident was his own fault and it has given him a greater appreciation for riders who have bounced back from injury to race successfully again.

    "It was my own fault, the crash. The thing ran out of fuel and it caught me out. I was just looking behind me, didn't want to get in anyone's way and I just ran off the edge of the track. It was my own stupid fault.

    "I'd never had a big crash like that and it made me admire even more riders who have come back from big crashes and injuries like Ian Hutchinson, John McGuinness, Robert Dunlop and my dad. It makes you say, 'I tell you what, fair play to those people, they came back and did well'."

    "I've been lucky throughout my career, I've got away with relatively low injuries, my dad taught me to leave a bit of space here and a bit of space there, but it caught up with me."

    Rutter is the third most successful rider in the history of the North West 200 and made history in 2004 when he became the first rider to be officially clocked at 200mph or above on a section of the circuit.

    "Doing that 201mph. I had that factory Honda, I was very lucky to have that, it was miles quicker than anything else out there," he explained.

    "The aim was really keep myself going and interested in doing over 200mph. I'd asked my pit-board to tell me when I got it, but I knew already as it must have been announced and the next lap it came up on my pit-board saying I'd done 201.1.

    "I think it was the second lap. I got a real good run through Station Corner, the bike was flying, the tyres were so grippy. You need that to do over 200mph.

    "All the crowd were going mad and it was like wow, this is massive, a real big buzz. It's amazing how many people still remember it and come up and say to me."

    North West 200 - Michael Rutter

    • UK
    The Manxman ferry leaving Douglas Harbour with the Ben-My-Chree moored tot he left.

  4. A board of black and white chevrons bordered in bright yellow at the side of the Mountain Road on sunny day with blue sky above.

  5. A gallery space with grey walls that has colourful artworks hanging on the walls.

  6. Riona Zaman has long black hair with two bright red streaks at the front framing her face. She is wearing a gold necklace and black cardigan. The room around her is panelled in pine wood with blue at the top part of the wall and several bright white lights.

  7. The inkwell, which has a decorative silver base with a colourful pot that has a lid in the middle of it.

    • UK
    Rebekah, a woman with brown hair, wearing a pink shirt, sat with her young son Hector who looks up at the camera in a hospital room.

  9. Itamar Bareket, a man with dark hair and a bright smile, he wears a black formal coat and a rucksack, with stands in front of a grand bridge.

    • UK
    Trevor Hemmings

  11. You can see the Mountain Road winding round at the Bungalow, and the bridge going over the road.

  12. The Summerland site from across the road, you can see the remaining part of a building beneath a cliff, there are some cars parked in front.

  13. A red Road Closed sign on Kewaigue Hill alongside a line of traffic cones. Works can be seen in the distance and there is a railway bridge over the carriageway.

  14. A small red plastic house on top of a pile of £1 coins.

  15. A stationary holder with various items sticking out of it with students wearing blue jumpers in a classroom looking ahead at ta screen in the background.

    • UK
    The Manxman - a large white ferry - in rough seas with a wave breaking against the bow.

  17. A fairly close view of the grassy hillside with a ridge that stretches from left to right, with a mass of green fields below in the distance and the sea beyond. Below the top of the ridge of North Barrule is a white Three Legs of Man symbol, clearly visible on a sunny day.

  18. Young trees planed in soil within a wide border that had a wooded fence along the outer edge. The border runs alongside the back of a row of houses on the left, and the park area on the right.

  19. The exterior of the former police station in Castletown. It is a brown stone building with a cone-shaped roof on one side. The building is located on a street corner.

  20. The exterior of the National Sports Centre, a large blue building with arching rooves.

  21. People walking through Strand street in Douglas at lunchtime. They are a mix of ages and genders, with some carrying bags. The street is paved and there is shop signage on either side.

  22. An ariel view of the Isle of Man's coastline. There are trees on the land, and blue/green algae in the sea.

  23. A woman with her mouth open during a dental inspection. The dentist is wearing blue surgical gloves and is holding dental instruments in the patient's mouth. while a light shines on her face.

  24. Orange traffic cones line a strip of grass along the Mountain Road at the Bungalow. The bridge is in the background on a clear day.