TT

My Dad took me on the back of his bike round the TT course at seven years old and I just wanted him to go quicker and quicker. Paul was the same when I took him at ten. The problem was the bike wouldn’t go any faster.

I never did racing. I wanted to but couldn’t afford it. In those days, there was no such thing as going to the bank and asking for a loan. Paul was still at school, fourteen, when he said he wanted to race in the Manx Grand Prix. We gave him all the support we could. We started on a shoe string and the bike took every penny we had. Sometimes, though, there’d be that many problems we’d be lucky to finish a race.

Our lucky break came when we got in with a sponsor, Phil Shape. He bought us a bike. We had reasonable success and then in 1991, he got us a brand new bike. We went to the Killinchy 150 in Northern Ireland where he won the Newcomers’ Race. We were on a high going into the Manx Grand Prix. Everything was fine.

We thought long and hard after that. Should we get out of the racing game? Phil, the sponsor, said “It’s OK if you want to put the bike through the crusher”. But I thought, it won’t bring Paul back. In our own minds, we knew he wouldn’t want us to walk away. He’d say, “After all the years you tried to get us there!” I would’ve felt guilty. It was his life’s ambition.

We gave the bike to Paul’s friend, Chris Cannell and changed the faring from yellow and white to blue and white. We changed the name to “Snape and Rome Racing”. The “Rome” wasn’t me; it was Paul.

Paul Rome at Killinchy 150

I felt different. I wished Paul was still with me and it was him I was getting the bike ready for. He was in the back of my mind. But I was glad that Chris was out on the bike. Roger Hirst came out of retirement and he’s riding the bike now at Jurby and Andreas and on the Southern 100 circuit. 

I’ve never worked during TT or MGP in my life! During TT, I go to the Grand Stand, have a sight around at the different bikes. I’ve been marshalling at the Graham Memorial since I was 16. I go up with my flask. You just do it every year. It’s in your blood. 

During the Manx Grand Prix I’m in the pits with Roger, checking the bike over, making sure it’s OK for him to go out to practise.

When I’m in the pits, I feel close to Paul. Seeing him off; waiting for him to come back.