Between The Hedges

Take a walk through time in Episode 1 - from the flower power of the 60s, to the heat-soaked summers of the 70s, and on into the hay days of the 80s. It was a time when Joey carved lines through packed bankings and legends like Hizzy, Foggy, and McGuinness made their mark. But what makes an era golden?

The second episode of Between the Hedges dives into the headspace of an Isle of Man TT rider. That elusive moment when chaos turns to calm, when apex kisses apex, and the blur becomes a line. It’s the poetry of racing. What may seem mental to us, is so precise. It’s the juxtaposition of what we see against the reality. The madness of 200mph through villages balanced by the delicacy of perfect throttle control, body position, and razor-sharp timing.

The Isle of Man TT Races of years gone by. Before YouTube. Before onboards. Before 4K and GoPros, there was VHS. Grainy footage, with the need to rewind and repeat. Episode 3 focuses on the Repitition. The endless mental laps. The years of ‘doing your homework’. Learning the course until it’s second nature. Grey stone walls, green hedges - mile after mile, committed to memory. It’s a love letter to the old ways. And a reminder that the TT isn’t like any other race.

In 2007, at the Centenary Isle of Man TT Races, McGuinness did the first 130mph lap. The conditions were great, he says, he was feeling good, and the centenary year was the right time to do it. Since that day, 130 has become a hallowed goal by riders wanting to join the elusive 130 club. But now, nearly 2 decades on, is it still the goal? Or is time the more important factor? In this episode we learn about what the goals are for the racers leading the pack, whether numbers are just numbers, or are we even going to go any quicker?

In episode five, we return all the way to episode one of the first season of Between the Hedges to revisit the debate on who is the King of the Mountain. The King of the Mountain debate is one that divides opinion. Is it a title to be earned, or does it apply to one man only? Or one family name? After opening the discussion in the first ever episode of the first season of Between the Hedges, we revisit the conversation now that Michael has surpassed his Uncle’s number of wins. But the conversation goes on.

In the final episode of the series, we delve into the end. The idea of knowing when to finish, or whether someone would need to tell you. Because the TT is about skill, and whilst you’ve got it, age has proven not to be a defining factor in success. The Isle of Man TT Races is not somewhere you go to as a child to work your way up. Often, the top riders have their best years at the TT in their mid-30s, when athletes in other sports would be set to retire. But if you need experience before you can race here, meaning you start later than other elite sports, when do you finish? When the body stops you? When the mind stops you? When the fun stops? In the final episode of Between the Hedges we delve into some of the biggest names in TT history who have hung up their leathers, and when those that remain will.