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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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TT
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(Tourist Trophy Races) Britain's leading *motorcycle race meeting, held in the Isle of Man since 1907, now always in early June. The race track is 60km/37m of ordinary roads from Douglas to Ramsey and back, and it includes a mountain climb on Snaefell (an exceptionally dangerous course, it had by 1992 claimed 160 lives). The link between the Isle of Man and racing dates back to 1904. In that year the British parliament refused to enable cars to compete on the roads by putting a temporary ban on other traffic; but the *Tynwald agreed to do so, and motor racing remained a regular sporting fixture on the island until 1953.
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It was the success with cars in 1904 that prompted the first TT races three years later. The most prestigious event, the Senior TT, was long dominated by a British motorbike, *Norton, with 15 wins out of the 17 races between 1931 and 1954. In 1992 Norton finally ended an unbroken run of Japanese victories which had lasted since 1973.
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