Castle Combe Grand National, Sunday, 9th July, 2017.

10:45-ish.

We have arrived at Castle Combe after a straightforward journey and are now exploring the paddock.

It is absolutely heaving. Not that you can tell from this picture.

We've had to park 'off circuit'. Not had to do that before.

Stand there Vic. There's loads of people behind you in the crowded paddock.

Oh b*gg*r! Most of them have just moved out of shot.

Chris Firmin - Manx Norton 500 - about to leave the paddock 

and compete in the Lansdowne Classic Series race.

Viper 8.0 Litre V10.
Nothing else to say.

Yoshimura Suzuki heavy metal.

Nice.

Talking of heavy metal………

John McGuinness and fans contemplate the fine handiwork 

(or should that be 'leggi'-work) of his surgeon.

Guy Martin and Neil Tuxworth (left).

12:30-ish:

We're now at Camp Corner and Guy Martin is giving the Honda 297-6 a sound thrashing as part of the day's Tribute to Mike Hailwood.

Camp Corner I:

Told you the place is rammed.

It's as tho' we have been transported back to Mallory Park in the '70's.

Short circuit - loads of people.

Camp Corner II:

The view in the opposite direction.

Fans all around the track.

Motorsport fans are no different from football fans it would appear.

Vicky has a great view but as soon as summat happens - i.e. Freddie Spencer riding past - everyone gets up out of there seats to get a 'better' view even tho' the view is no better 

than when they were seated.

People are a funny lot.

It's a good photo tho', Vic.

The Castle Combe infield is now a Solar Energy Farm.

Good for the environment but we really miss the poppies.

Freddie Spencer - on a Honda 500-4 - waves to the crowd.

The crowd waves back, or takes a photo.

We've moved along to the Dean Straight and Freddie Spencer is now

 enjoying riding a Honda NS 500-3.

Now we are at Tower Corner as two classic 'bike paraders fly past.

2:30-ish:

We are now at Farm Straight (none of The Combe's straights are straight, by the way) 

and this is Josh Day who's just won the Powerbike Race on his Kawasaki ZX10R.

Chris Pope (11) - Yamaha R1 - and Peter Carr (27) - Kawasaki ZX10 - have enjoyed 

their Powerbike dice and we have enjoyed watching 'em.

Mark Compton - Suzuki K5 1000 - celebrates the end of The Powerbike race.

3:00pm-ish:

Yay! A gap in the fencing.

Leading riders in the Open 500 & Moto Mini Twins race hurtle through Quarry Corner.

It's been a hot one today and it's now time for us to stroll back to the car and head home.

By the end of the day we've walked 6.60 miles and the circuit is only 1.8 miles around.

Shows how many times we walked around the paddock (plus the walk to and from the car park).

3:45-ish:

M5 Gloucester Services.

All motorway services should be like these - and not a KFC or burger joint in sight.

Gloucestershire from the services.

Following the 'nature trail' around the services.

Looking forward to getting home so we can start to wind down.

We're not as young as we were!