A lifelong motorcycle fan has experienced the thrill of the Isle of Man TT once more thanks to a virtual reality headset.
Dennis, who had previously spoken about his memories of the TT races, was given the chance to experience a lap of the famous Mountain Course after saying he wished he could ‘do the race just one more time’.
The emotional moment was made possible by heritage and wellbeing expert Helen Wallbridge of Hampshire Community Heritage, who brought along a virtual reality headset to recreate the experience at Hartwood House Care Home.
Helen had been interviewing Dennis about his motorcycling memories as part of an oral history project when she heard about his fondness for the Isle of Man TT.
She then tracked down a 360-degree video filmed by a rider completing a lap of the course and used the headset to provide an immersive experience.
Sharing details of the moment online, Hampshire Community Heritage said: ‘Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t turning back time… it’s giving someone the chance to feel like they have.’
It added: ‘After Dennis told us, “I wish I could do the race just one more time,” we couldn’t stop thinking about those words.’
During the virtual experience, Dennis was able to hear the sound of the engine, see the course from the rider’s perspective and feel the twists and turns of the legendary course.
Helen previously described the trial as an ‘overwhelming success’, saying Dennis was not simply watching the footage but reacting as if he was back on the bike.
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She said: ‘He loved it! Hearing the engine revving, glancing at the speedo, and gently leaning into the bends with every twist and turn, arms and legs reacting.’
When the virtual lap came to an end, Dennis removed the headset and was left amazed by the experience.
According to Hampshire Community Heritage, he said: ‘I’ve done it one more time! I can’t believe it. What am I going to tell the gents at lunch?!’