 | 24 September 2014 |
| |
| BBC Homepage | | |
| |||
| Contact Us | | |
TTYou are in: Isle of Man > TT > TT for Two  Hilary and John Musson TT for TwoFor many people the TT starts as an obsession. Some riders are happy to do it once, others want to go again and again, and some people never make it round at all. A bit like marriage some might say. Hilary and John Musson are two brave souls who have succeeded at both. In 1978 they became the first married couple to compete in the same TT event. John came in 15th and Hilary, just one place behind him. To enter the race together, Hilary says, was the most natural decision in the world.  John, Gail and Hilary Musson “Our relationship has always been about motorbikes. The first time I met John he had just got himself a bike. I had seen him around because he was working on some houses near to where my parents lived and then he came round one day to call for me. We went out on his bike and that was it I suppose! That was the beginning of our life together and the beginning of our love of motorcycle racing.” It was not long before Hilary decided she wanted to get her own bike and when she was 16, the day she left school, she was introduced to someone who was to spark her interest in the world-famous TT races.” “My dad took me to our local motorcycle dealer who just happened to be the TT icon Freddie Frith. He was the man I bought my first motorcycle from and I got to know him quite well. For me, it was the beginning of a long involvement with the TT races.”  The Musson family John and Hilary married in 1964 and in 1965 their daughter, Gail was born. Gail, snuggled up in her carry cot, accompanied her parents to race meetings around the country. It was not until 1978 that Hilary applied for her international licence to ride in the TT and, not wanting to be left out, John put in an entry for the same year!
“Hilary was the one who was really keen on riding the TT, and because she wanted to do it I thought I would give it a go too. I had always wanted to race but it was not until Hilary decided to enter the TT in 1978 that I actually got round to it. I thought if she can do it, so can I!” “I think it must be easier to ride the TT when you are both out there competing. You are not waiting at the Grandstand looking at the stop watch and worrying. We were both racing and did not have time to fret about each other getting around. When you are both out there battling with that mountain road you do not have the time to think about anything else.” Hilary and John attracted a lot of media attention during the TT of 1978. Journalists came from all over the UK to photograph them and the pair met with as many media requests as they could in the run up to the racing. “The press attention came as a surprise to us” says Hilary,  Hilary Musson riding in the TT races "We were really busy getting ready for the races so we didn't have a lot of time for interviews but we met up with as many journalists as we could. Someone even came over from The News of the World. I couldn't believe it” “We did not ride in the TT for the publicity. We rode because we wanted to race but people still remember us for it. It’s amazing really; it was such a long time ago now. last updated: 12/05/2008 at 14:56 Have Your SayDo you remember TT 1978? roger barnes linda lacey maiden name birch Johnston Walker len reed Greenmeany Linda Somme Glen Brolleck John Evans Colin Barret Baz, Isle of Man NOEL Jacob in Newcastle Debs Elouise Vancouver Sad Monkey Janey, Kirk Michael Pete Grouch Edward from Leeds Helen Gibson SEE ALSOYou are in: Isle of Man > TT > TT for Two 
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| | About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy |
