Tributes have been paid to a devoted Isle of Man TT fan who made the pilgrimage to the races every year for over four decades.

Graeme Crate, from Cheam in Sutton, died earlier this month after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia.

He was 44 years into an unbroken tradition of attending the TT Races and had occupied the same spot at Glen Lough campsite since 1981.

Graeme had no immediate family, having tragically lost his wife and two sons.

However, he considered the friends he made at the Isle of Man TT as his true family.

His dedication to the event began when he first travelled to the island with a group of friends who shared his passion for road racing.

Over the years, he became the last surviving member of that original group, keeping their tradition alive.

But with Graeme being the sociable character he was, it didn’t take long before he was drinking tea in his neighbours' tents and sparking relationships with fellow motorbike enthusiasts as well as the team at Glen Lough Campsite in Marown.

For 34 years, Graeme rode his beloved BMW R69 sidecar STEIB 501, built in 1961, from Surrey to Liverpool before boarding the ferry to Douglas.

In later years, he arranged for the bike to be transported to the island by a friend, ensuring he could still be part of the event that meant so much to him.

Remarkably, Graeme wore a TT t-shirt every single day, a testament to his unwavering devotion to the event.

Following his passing, Graeme’s beloved BMW sidecar has been returned to the Isle of Man, where it is currently at Glen Lough.

Plans are now being set in place for it to be preserved in a museum on the island, in what would be a fitting tribute to a man whose life revolved around the TT.

One of Graeme’s closest friends, Debbie McAllister, who met him with her husband at Glen Lough in 1988, described the impact he had on those around him.

‘He’s got friends everywhere, from Switzerland to Cornwall, who all recently travelled to see him in hospital.

‘That’s how we all met – at the TT. He had no family left, but the TT was his family.

‘We had a WhatsApp group of about six of his closest friends spread across the country to check on him and arrange visits.’

She recalled a particularly memorable story that showcased his no-nonsense personality.

‘One year at the TT, he got up really early and went down to the bottom of Barregarrow to get his spot to watch the racing.

‘A young lad turned up and stood in his way, and Graeme told him where to go.

‘It turned out to be Ian Hutchinson, a TT rider checking the racing line! Graeme didn’t have a clue who he was and didn’t care either!’

Graeme was also highly respected within the BMW community.

‘Massively well-respected,’ Debbie said. ‘In Germany, in all sorts of places, everybody in BMW would have known Graeme.

‘He was still preparing bikes until his last days. He had this old, tattered book full of numbers and contacts - just incredible.’

Speaking about his BMW returning to the island, Debbie added: ‘It’s staying here now. It was sent back last week, and eventually, we hope to get it placed in a museum. It’s a fitting tribute to him.’