I was surprised that no one recalled that Ben Drinkwater was a partner with the father of the Robinsons of Rochdale family in a motorcycle business, now known as "Robinsons of Rochdale". Hugh Robinson sold his shares in the business recently to David Dearden who raced the Manx a few years back with some success, but Hugh's elder brother Tom remains as M.D. and Tom's son Matthew works in the business.
Just thought I would add this note to last weeks comments on Drinkwaters bend,now the 11th Milestone, surely one of the best sequence of bends on the TT course.

Hello Nick, could we have your opinion on the LOSS of names for corners...Yes, the 11th is the 11th but it was given the name "Drinkwaters" as a tribute to Reuben...
The 26th is now JOEYS...How long before it reverts to 26th.
My favourite watching point is "CLARKS" but it is now best known as "that bend before Keppel"

Tradition...What is it ??

Not quite Ian - Clark's was what Keppel Gate is now - the lefthander.

In those days, Keppel Gate was the second lefthander - now known as Kate's!!

Confusing, isn't it?

That's interesting cos in a little book wot I have it states that "Clarks Corner is the sweeping left-hander prior to the tight left-hander which is Keppel".......

I'm even more confused !!! Is there really two left-handers running together ???

I cannot remember his exact words but the late Barry Sheene remarked that it was the only venue in
the world where they named the corners after the riders that had been killed there.
Now I didn't always agree with old Bazza but there may have been a grain of wisdom in what he said.
I have tried but could not think of another course where this is the case. There are many instances of
corners or parts of circuits being named in honour of famous riders or drivers living or past i.e. Stirling's bend at Brands.
It is a fraught subject, how to memorialise great people without engaging in morbid sentimentality?
It is one of those areas where you can be damned if you do and damned if you don't.
By the way there is a big ride out for Barry Sheene being organised before the Australian Moto Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
More details when they come to hand.

So who was Joe Creg-ny-Baa and Jack Keppel then ??

After a quick discussion with Nick Jefferies I thought I'd post this response as a postscript to the Drinkwaters thread as there are some Island links. Reuben(Ben)Drinkwater was a motorcycle dealer from Rochdale who incorporated Ben Drinkwater Limited in March 1945. He sadly lost his life at the '49 TT. His widow Ruth continued to run the business until '51 when it was initially bought by Tom & Percy Clegg haulage contractors from Rochdale.
Tom Clegg was a fine racer himself and competed in the TT on an Excelsior Manxman and eventually moved there living first at Laxey and latterley at Santon. Toms son Noel Clegg has an excellent record at the TT and continues to compete to this day. He also has a motorcycle shop in Rochdale which for a time was run from the original Drinkwaters premises!
Tom & Percy wanted Harry Robinson to run Drinkwaters but he decided he needed to own it for himself and bought it from them keeping the name Drinkwaters until the sixties when it was changed to H Robinson & Sons (Rochdale) Ltd. I have a photograph of what is alledgely the last ever production AJS 7R being sold outside the premises to a local racer called Cyril Huxley. The business traded at the original site until 1970 when we moved to our current location 500yds away. However a motorcycle shop still operates on the original shop site.
Harry Robinson also retired to Laxey and his 3 sons, Peter, Tom & Hugh all have ridden in the Manx two day trial as well as Matthew his grandson. I bought 50% of the business 3 years ago from Hugh Robinson and to keep the Island connection going I competed in the Manx in '83 & '84 (third in the newcomers 250) and then in the TT, in I think '85 '86 & 87 before doing the Manx with some success again on David Bailey's Aermacchi 350 and Fred Walmsleys NorStar and his original replica Seeley G50. Freds son Matthew now works as a salesman for us and the thread continues...................

I tried to suck John Foster in once with a story about Ginger Hall crashing just after the end of the Sulby Straight but he was having none of it!

Yes Ian - two lefthanders running together.

Nowadays known as Keppel Gate, then Kate's.

In the 1920s, these were respectively Clark's and then Keppel Gate. The gateposts show in old photos, just where today's Kate's is!!

In effect, "Keppel Gate" has moved one corner back. . . . . . . .

Oh, enough of this!!