My problems stemmed from being a disabled marshal / visitor.

The deluge on Friday (I know his Lordship can't control this) meant I couldn't get anywhere on the grass, so never got to any of the stalls on the infield, or the GRRC tent. Also, the crowds behaviour was such I got thrown from my wheelchair in the F1 paddock by idiots fighting to get pictures. And numerous times my foot was walked on by people not seeing someone in a wheelchair.

Saturday chose to view from the disabled rostrum opposite the house. But it is only big enough for 6 chairs side by side and when the F1's came out, there were 15 chairs AND their helpers and family members trying to view. NOT that we had a great view - as the rostrum only elevated us some 2 foot above ground level, the public were allowed to stand in front of us, and by the time the crowd was 6 deep, you couldn't see the track.

Additionally, there was no cover to the disabled stand so was affected by the weather throughout the whole day. It was noticeable the two paying grandstands for able bodied people either side of us had roofs on.

Knowing Sunday would be crowded and no place for a wheelchair, I escaped to the top of the hill and retreated to a quieter place. But why should I have to hide away and be denied the same access as anyone else visiting?

I spoke with other disabled persons and their carers, and all expressed difficulty with the layout. With the number of vehicles that did use the extremely large fenced car park down by the gatehouse not filling it, could this are not be used for disabled parking so that our equipment could be closer to us, rather than having to be pushed along roads and across muddy fields?"

And for the Superbike meeting at Brands Hatch, posted 28th July 2002

After saying how I was looking forward to some better treatment this past weekend at the WSB, I now have to inform you they chose to sh(i)te on me just as much as the car people.

I have been on the phone to the chief marshal of Racesafe since March, told him exactly what I wanted to do (race control / pitlane access), and NEVER was it questioned. But also, worryingly when you look back in hindsight, it seems I was never taken seriously.

Firstly we were never sent any tickets or paperwork direct to the house. Instead after making a phone call we were simply told to turn up at the marshals campsite. So we did, the office there had NOTHING in our name, so I attempted to ring the chief marshal. After being cut off after a single ring 3-4 times, he eventually turned up, went to the office, got a ticket in someone else's name and crossed it out in biro and re-wrote Jackie's name, and THEN informs me I cannot go anywhere near pitlane, or I will be evicted and he will be out of a job! So all I got given was a public admission ticket.

Jackie's posting was at Stirlings so we parked up there and I managed to get myself to the top of the banking on the entry to the corner, not easy in a wheelchair with the uneven ground. But I was happy to go along with this. After lunch, the course car stops during one of its laps of the circuit and drops off the chief marshal who's come to see me. Now, I'd put on my probans because even though I am not an active marshal, I am still a marshal all the same, but it seems this had "upset" the FIM chief medical officer who'd apparently issued an instruction that if I was to return the next day, I MUST wear civvies, and meanwhile "inviting" me to use the facilities of the disabled viewing area between Surtees and Clearway.

This stinks -

What right does he have to dictate what anyone wears in the public area? I was not trying to pass myself off for anything other than what I am.

Why would they want me to sit in an enclosure where the bikes are not running past unless my sitting there was embarrassing someone?

And then the chief marshal went on to say how privileged Jackie and I should feel being invited to work on THEIR event!!!!!!

Well, that was very much the last straw and at the end of Saturday's practice, Jackie informed the observer (post chief) she would not be working there on raceday.

It is quite evident now that the officials of bike and car racing in this country are doing their best to make sure Jackie and I aren't given any access or privileges as, I assume, they are embarrassed by the fact we want to continue our marshalling even after what I have suffered.

I am personally going to write to the MSA and the ACU in this country and make my position heard by the powers that be, using public media as necessary. Remember, as well as doing this for myself, I am also taking a stand for any marshal that gets injured in the future and still wishes to remain involved. After all, it could happen to any one of us.