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Eighty years ago there was a left-hand bend on the TT course about half-way between the right-handers of Creg-ny-Baa and Hillberry. It had no particular name----It was just that "tricky left-hander between the Creg and Hillberry". However before the 1923 series of TT races were over it was given a proper name--BRANDISH CORNER; and this is why.... There was once a certain brilliant rider called Walter Brandish who was the unofficial leader of the Triumph team. He had finished second in the 1922 Senior TT---best position of a Triumph since 1912--but there was no "official" leader amongst the Triumph riders, they were just "teamsters"-------and Geoff Davison was one of them... The Triumph racers were "designed" for Walter, who came from Coventry, and the fact that Walter was over six foot tall, and Geoff was a good six inches less, made it less easy for him to control his mount, which was very fast but a bit difficult to steer at speed. Geoff asked the Competitions Department if he could bend his handlebars back a few inches, but was told haughtily not to be ridiculous-----Whats good enough for Walter "is good enough for you". When Geoff set off on practice, he could hardly reach the bars and dreaded having to try to control any wobbles... On the second day of practice he was coming down from Kates at WELL over 80 mph (fast in those days !) and a con-rod broke.. Anticipating a wobble he was surprised that the machine coasted perfectly, dead straight. What had happened was that the broken con-rod had split the crankcase and jammed the forward mounted magneto into the front mudguard, thus providing a most effective steering damper !! Geoff carried on to the Creg, managed to stop without falling off, bent the mudguard clear of the displaced magneto and coasted "under the force of gravity" as was allowed in the Rules and Regulations ---towards the as yet un-named left-hander. As he coasted he was passed firstly by a Sunbeam rider then Walter------ As Geoff rounded the bend, fortunately at about 30 mph, he found Walter and the Triumph lying in the road. The Sunbeam was right down at Hillberry. Geoff leapt off his bike and tried to pull Walter AND the bike off the road--but couldn't manage on his own. Looking round he saw only a middle-aged woman leaning over a field gate. He had hoped that there were two or three strong farm hands with her but she was alone... However, she was wearing a RED blouse !!! "Give me your blouse" he shouted, and without a seconds hesitation she ripped it off and handed it to him ! Geoff raced up to the corner in sight of the Creg and waved the blouse vigorously to flag down the rest of the riders. Walter and his machine were eventually lifted off the road and an ambulance took the poor chap to hospital; he had broken a thigh and after that, never raced again. The Corner was named after him. THINK: It could have been called "Red Blouse Corner" !! How lucky Geoff Davison was-- Had the bike been running he could have crashed into the wreckage, causing an almighty pile-up. GOD BLESS BROKEN CON-RODS--- AND WOMEN WITH RED BLOUSES !!! |