Following on from the Monaco Grand Prix thread and the comments regarding Loews hairpin I got to wondering why both Brands Hatch and Oulton have a Druids bend ? Who named them, when and why?
And why is Knicker Brook so called ?
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Knicker Brook - you need to listen to Blaster Bates. For those who don't know him, he was a Lancashire demolition bloke (bit like Fred Dibnah) - and if I remember correctly, he was blasting some tree stumps when they rebuilt(?) Oulton Park. When the explosives went off a young couple were relatively close, hidden by foliage and unseen by Blaster. They were slightly frightened by the explosion and ran off, she leaving behind her ......
Naturally Blaster tells the story in a rather more colourful manner!!! Well worth a listen if you can find the recordings - I first heard him in the '60s. Some of his tales are side splitters!
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There's a tale in every name. Hangar Straight at Silverstone tells you the track was built on an airfield perimeter, Flugplatz at the old Nurburgring tells you you're on a section of the track where all four wheels will leave the ground if you're going fast enough. Just make sure you land in the right place...
BTW, Loews was originally the Station Hairpin.
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Snetterton - The Bomb hole. Wonder how that got its name!
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There's something spooky going on, because the minute I saw this thread title, but before reading the posts, I thought of Knickerbrook, and only yesterday I was talking to someone about the days we used to listed to spoken word LP's and the subject of Blasters 'Shower of **** over Cheshire' came up
only two things to say -
1) Knickerbrook used to be one on the best speccy points I could think off - you get to see them coming out down the Avenue, along Lakeside, down from Foulstons, through Knickerbrook and up Clay Hill
2) Phil - i'm not absolutely certain, but I think BB was a cheshire boy - (macclesfield, congleton ?). You know how us northerners are sensitive about county identity, so if an irate elderly gentleman approaches you with a stick of dynamite, run away !!!!
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2) Phil - i'm not absolutely certain, but I think BB was a cheshire boy - (macclesfield, congleton ?). You know how us northerners are sensitive about county identity, so if an irate elderly gentleman approaches you with a stick of dynamite, run away !!!!
Quite possibly, I remember my parents having Blaster Bates tapes, and we're Congleton born and bred. I vaguely remember a story about a farmer asking him to use dynamite to clean out a cess-pit, and a wind change resulted in it covering his house. Is that the shower you were referring to?
At the age I was, I probably shouldn't have been listening.
Wonder if it's still possible to get hold of them?
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Bazza - type 'blaster bates' with the quotes into google and you'll find that they are.
I can remember his lp's being a valuable item when I was at school, but also remember the 'Shower of *** over cheshire' on a BBC 2 documentary
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Bazza,
I have a tape of BBs - unfortunately not containing the "Shower" or Knicker brook - but if you can't find anything elsewhere e-mail me through the backroom and I could do you a copy.
Had forgotten the "Shower" but mention of it brings back his rich CHESHIRE (!) tones and makes me laugh - it's the way he tells 'em!! -especialy the sound of the explosion, not bang! but whoooomphhhh!!!
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Bora,
Thanks for links - thought he might be deleted and no longer available - just ordered "Laughter with a Bang" - seems to have all the classics I remember including Knickerbrook and Shower of....
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Thanks for the offer Phil, but looks like all his tapes are still available.
I tried to find some sort of biography for him on the net but didn't have much luck. From what I could tell though, he currently lives in Sandbach, so maybe was born there rather than Congleton? And his last comedy tour was in 2001 at the age of 79, but I think he still does the odd dinner appearance.
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I certainly remember hearing Blaster Bates and the shower of 'Cess' and although very funny but I don't think his explanation is the correct one for Knicker Brook.
Druids always conjures up to me images of weirdly clad individuals chanting at the sunrise - why do two tracks have bends called Druids??
I too wondered about the Bomb Hole and while we're on the subject Cadwell has 'Charlies' - has Miss Dimmock been motor racing there?
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Following on from the Monaco Grand Prix thread and the comments regarding Loews hairpin I got to wondering why both Brands Hatch and Oulton have a Druids bend ? Who named them, when and why? And why is Knicker Brook so called ?
Mustn't forget Gambon Corner either!
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