Hi there
Sorry not had a phone line in for 11 weeks, BT seems to have a problem when I moved 100 yards up road lost order at least twice GRRRRRRRRRR.
Check this web site as schools are off for 2 weeks in 2015.
http://www.gov.im/education/holidays.xmlSenior race is always run on the last friday and it is a bank holiday on the island.
You can't book for 2015 until next May. If you don't want to arrive on the race saturday and leave the following saturday tickets are usually ok to get but dont leave it too late, or you will be struggling to get your exact dates.
There is no Mad Sunday now as mountain is one way for the two weeks so no rush to be there on that day.
There are plenty of good campsites and at least one is free, or was. Also many temporary ones on football grounds etc. the main thing I look out for is access from them when the roads are closed.
Richard found somewhere in Douglas very cheap which might be worth trying. Also house lets are another way for cheaper accomadation than hotels.
beeman.