A pedigree budgie, a toilet, several laps of the TT course and a very patient photographer – Milestones TT calendar is back, with more wittily-illustrated TT anecdotes.

Milestones made its debut last year, after artist and journalist Rachael Clegg decided that making a TT calendar was her calling in life. Together with Al Jazeera photojournalist Peter Greste and assistant Shaz Nicol, Rachael created a calendar that paid visual homage to some of the most significant and quirky events in TT history.

The result is, once again, 15 leaves of unusual monochrome images, which will be launched at this year’s TT. Only the goose that appeared in last year’s calendar has now been replaced with a prized budgie.

In this year’s Milestones Rachael has a fracas with a stack of tyres, a blast at Waterworks and an encounter with a very rare budgie at Kirk Michael.

But however bizarre, these ‘happenings’ interpret real TT events involving the likes of Giacomo Agostini, Archie Birkin, Guy Martin, Ian Lougher and Joey Dunlop.

“The idea struck me on the way back from the TT in 2010. I’ve come across so many tales over the years but knew there must be more TT stories out there so I set to work...”

That was it. Weeks later Rachael was knee-deep in TT research. “I encountered dozens of unusual tales from the race’s 106-year history and used each tale as inspiration for the images, which I sketched out as I was doing the research.”

And while last year’s calendar brought about its own risks - including near-arrest at Brandish Corner wearing John McGuinness’ leathers - this year Rachael had to dive head-first in a tower of tyres, was caught naked on a toilet and strewn with bleeding mackerel. “It’s a very glamorous job,” she said.

The calendar is a fusion of Rachael’s background, obsession with history and her family’s racing legacy. She studied art and art history, worked at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool and taught art for several years.

“Milestones nods to my heritage – both my dad and granddad were TT racers so I’ve been going to the TT all my life. I would have a go myself but I have no road sense.”

The props used in Milestones were borrowed off the likes of John McGuinness, Guy Martin, Ian Lougher, Rachael’s father, TT veteran Vin Duckett, an eccentric Manxman, farmer John Quine and a budgie enthusiast.

“That’s what’s great about the Isle of Man; I needed a budgie so I walked into the pharmacist, asked if anyone had a budgie I could borrow and came out with a packet of paracetamols and a number for a budgie fancier.”

With a posh budgie, umpteen Dunlops and Manx mackerel, Milestones 2014 will no doubt raise a few smiles and shed more light on the TT’s hidden history.

Milestones: an Isle of Man Road Races calendar costs £15 and is available at www.milestonescalendar.com

A swinging evening with EVE HELL & The Razors [CAN]

Sixties Surf, dance hall country and rockabilly, this music sounds like a live soundtrack of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Everybody welcome. Entrance fee €5 (first drink included)  

www.grd.be    www.bikersloft.be     www.groenedijk.be     www.goodys.be

Groenedijkstraat 5  B-8460 Oudenburg Belgium tel.++32+(0)59+268540

Motorcycle Live 2013 is the perfect opportunity for bike fans to broaden their two-wheel horizons and try out new motorcycling disciplines in the form of the Yamaha Off Road Experience and the ACU Try Trials feature.

The Yamaha Off Road Experience is back for 2013, offering bikers* the chance to swap the tarmac for the dirt with a FREE 20-minute taster session on a specially designed indoor motocross circuit. Catering for all levels of riding experience (basic clutch control is required), chief instructor Barry Johnson (a former Motocross Grand Prix Rider and current Auto Cycle Union Instructor) and his team will guide participants through the techniques needed, making sure it is an experience to remember.

Also making a return to Motorcycle Live is the ever-popular ACU Try Trials feature, which in conjunction with BUMPY (Birstall Urban Motorcycle Project for Youth) will be offering visitors** the chance to try out the impressive sport of trials in a FREE 15-minute taster session. Participants will receive direction and guidance from an ACU-certified instructor to get to grips with the basics of this highly-skilled discipline. Trials riding demonstrations by the ACU coaches will also take place daily with times to be confirmed.

The Yamaha Off Road Experience and the ACU Try Trials feature are operated on a first come, first served basis with bookings only being taken on the day. All safety equipment will be provided.

Motorcycle Live 2013 promises to offer everything that visitors have come to expect and more. Every major manufacturer will be present, showcasing the 2014 model launches in the UK for the first time, while 17 FREE live features and zones – including nine opportunities to ride a bike – will keep motorcycle fans of all ages entertained.

Advance tickets for Motorcycle Live 2013 are just £17 per adult, £11 for Seniors and £7 for children aged 6-16 (kids under five accompanied by a paying adult go free)***. Bike parking is free of charge and subject to availability. Reduced car parking costs of £8 – subsidised by Motorcycle Live.

www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

The Pata Honda team has announced that its rider line-up for the 2014 World Supersport championship season will remain unchanged with Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti aiming for the title once more.

Both van der Mark and Zanetti were rookies to the series this season and currently hold fourth and fifth places respectively in the points table, with the final round scheduled for Jerez in Spain on 20 October.

Van der Mark stepped up to World Supersport after his European Superstock 600 championship victory last season on board the Honda CBR600RR of the Ten Kate Junior team. His highlight of 2013, however, has arguably been winning the Suzuka 8-hour race alongside Takumi Takahashi and his Pata Honda World Superbike team-mate Leon Haslam.

The 20-year-old Dutch rider from Rotterdam impressed at the first 2013 World Supersport round in Australia last February, taking a podium finish on his debut. Van der Mark has visited the podium at two further races so far this season.

After contesting the World Superbike championship last year, Zanetti, from Brescia in Italy, has adapted well to Honda’s CBR600RR and has also tasted champagne on the rostrum this season at his home round of Monza.

In spite of injuries sustained in a crash at Moscow, the 26-year-old has found an impressive level of consistency as the season has progressed and is targeting regular podium finishes as part of his 2014 title campaign.

Michael van der Mark

I am really happy to have my plans fixed with the prospect of another year with the Pata Honda World Supersport team. This season has been really great and I think for next year we really can fight for the championship. I’m very thankful to the team, to Honda and to the sponsors like Pata that we can be in this position. This has been my first year in the world championship and I have learned a lot, but I think we can make another big step next season. I feel really comfortable in this team and I know the bike really well now, so I think we can already start next season in a better position than the beginning of this one.

Lorenzo Zanetti

It’s fantastic for me to continue with this team and in the class because for the last four years I have changed bikes and teams. It’s really difficult to learn a new bike at the beginning of the season so, for me, 2014 will be starting in a good way with a bike and a team that I already know. I think over the last few races I have begun to show my potential and this winter will be important to make the next steps and prepare to fight with Michael for the championship from the start of next season.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

We’re very happy with next year’s line-up because we’ve been very satisfied with this year’s performances from Michael and Lorenzo. For both riders it has been a rookie season in World Supersport and both have done really well. At the end of this season there is still a fight for third position so we believe there is a lot more to come. They are great guys to work with – on the track and off it – and they have a really good working relationship, both between themselves and with the team, so it’s an almost a perfect combination.

Carlo Fiorani – racing operations manager, Honda Motor Europe  

The decision on our Supersport rider line-up was based on different reasons for each rider. For Michael, we think that it will be good for him to have another season in this championship before stepping up to a bigger class. With his brilliant result at the Suzuka 8-hour race this year he has shown his great potential on a bigger machine, but we would like to have him for another year in Supersport to improve his competition skills and racecraft at the top of a world championship. We think he will certainly be a protagonist in the title next year. Lorenzo learned his craft on smaller bikes and that experience has been very useful for Michael this year. He has also had a year to learn our machine after coming from Superbike last year and has really shown an improvement and demonstrated his potential in the last few races. We are very happy that he will continue that development next year and fight for the 2014 world championship.

The final round of the 2013 World Supersport championship featuring Pata Honda riders Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti will take place at Jerez in Spain over the weekend of 18-20 October.

Thursday 17th October, 7pm

On the eve of Round 12 (18th-20th Oct) BSB, the Brands Hatch "Triple Header" final round, Ace Cafe London hosts an evening with TT race legend John McGuinness, together with the Milwaukee Yamaha Team - James Ellison, Tommy Bridewell, William Dunlop, Conor Cummins, Ian Hutchinson and Josh Waters!

If you want to get up close to proper fast riders, and get yourself a signed poster, this is your chance!

Monster Energy Party & Signings, from 7pm, Thursday 17th October.

www.monsterenergy.com/gb/en

www.britishsuperbike.com

www.milwaukeeyamaha.com