Listers who have regularly or periodically taken TRIUMPH WORLD magazine,
will probably remember a regular column by Robin Penrice entitled 'Memories
of Coventry.'
I've known Robin since he and I were four and three years old respectively.
We grew up together, we worked together at Standard-Triumph - and we wrote
stories about the company together. Latterly, Robin and I crossed swords on
more than one occasion about his material appearing in TW where he had
infringed my copyright - but Robin remained unrepentant to the last.
Less than one month ago, Robin was diagnosed with cancer. Unbeknown to him,
the disease had totally enveloped him and his doctor told him he had a very
short time to live. This sadly proved to be the case. He was admitted to a
local hospice near his home in the Border Country between England and Wales
at which location he died last week. His funeral is this coming Friday and I
know many former Standard-Triumph people will be attending. I'll certainly
be there myself.
Robin was always a somewhat larger than life character and perhaps his role
in Public Relations at ST and later BL, could not have better suited anyone.
He always had a convincing 'spiel', he worked (fairly) hard and played VERY
hard. Robin was never far from an open bottle or beer keg, smoked like a
chimney and had a laugh that was unforgetable.
Although we had little to do with one another in recent times, I shall miss
him. His sudden death serves to remind me that many of my own contemporaries
(from those not-so-distant days at Standard-Triumph) are by no means
immortal.
Jonmac
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