Are we downhearted? Er, yes, very much so

Nightmare, nightmare, nightmare.

That's all I can say about this year's North West 200.

OK, I'll try a bit harder.

Nightmare 1: It chucked it down all day.  But it got worse.

Nightmare 2: There was a hoax bomb scare, halting proceedings for around an hour whilst the security forces did their thing. But it got worse.

Nightmare 3: A two-mile long, three metre-wide oil spillage, which couldn't be cleared, meant that only one (shortened) race could be completed all day.

I felt incredibly sorry for the many volunteers who spent a year preparing for this - all for pretty much nothing.     

And I was gutted for my dad who, like me, was looking forward to being in the grandstand for the first time.

All very disappointing. 

The one particularly heartening note in an otherwise devastating day was that I got to spend some time with my old school mates Jonny and Richard times two, initially at the event...

...and then in the pub.

But, other than one Richard (above right) who is due to return to his adopted home in New Zealand very soon, I am certain that we'll all give it another go again next year.

NB I thought this bloke had the right idea.