I went to Mallory Park to see the MV's of Phil Read and Gianfranco Bonera in the Race of the Year Not sure exactly which year, around 1974, I have the programme somewhere. The MV wasn't as competitive any more (Ago turned up on a 500cc Yamaha!), Read said he didn't care as he liked the noise it made.
I had been flooded out of my tent in the early hours, and spent a miserable night with some other soggy refugees in a toilet block.
The memorable highlight for me was the Dagenham Girl Pipers on the start line being completely drowned out by the pair of MVs when the mechanics started to warm them up. I legged it over the bridge and into the paddock, standing behind them probably did as much damage to my hearing as Black Sabbath live.
Something else I just remembered was the John Player cigarette girls, basically models with a tray full of fags, giving them out free to anyone who wanted one. I don't think they'd get away with that sort of marketing these days, even Ago's bike was painted as a Marlboro packet.