A drinking apparatus comprising a receptacle and a sensor module; the receptacle defining a cavity for holding a liquid for consumption which can be filled into the cavity and drained from the cavity through a mouth of the receptacle; wherein the sensor module can be coupled to the receptacle; wherein the sensor module can also be decoupled from the receptacle to allow the receptacle to be cleaned separately from the sensor module; the drinking apparatus being able to freely stand on a support surface in a first, storage, orientation in which liquid can be retained in the cavity; the sensor module comprising an alert system which is able, when the sensor module is coupled to the receptacle, to detect a reorientation of the drinking apparatus into a second, cleaning, orientation in which the mouth of the receptacle is angled downwards; and wherein the sensor module further comprises a reminder system to intermittently prompt a user to consume liquid from the receptacle; wherein the reminder system comprises: - one or more sensors configured to detect a drinking event associated with a user consuming liquid from the cavity; - a timer configured to measure one or more predetermined time intervals; - a speaker configured to generate one or more audio alerts and/or one or more lights configured to generate one or more visual alerts; - a controller configured to generate a user alert if no drinking event is detected by the one or more sensors within a selected predetermined time interval as measured by the timer; - a control interface; and - a power source; wherein the user alert is one or more visual alerts generated by the one or more lights and/or one or more audio alerts generated by the speaker; wherein the control interface is configured to permit the user of the drinking apparatus to operate functions of the drinking apparatus; and characterized in that the alert system being configured to generate a warning signal on detection of a reorientation of the drinking apparatus into the second, cleaning, orientation to warn a user against cleaning the drinking apparatus while the sensor module remains coupled to the receptacle; and in that the controller is configured to reset the timer and restart measurement of the one or more predetermined time intervals whenever a drinking event is detected. the receptacle defining a cavity for holding a liquid for consumption which can be filled into the cavity and drained from the cavity through a mouth of the receptacle; wherein the sensor module can be coupled to the receptacle; wherein the sensor module can also be decoupled from the receptacle to allow the receptacle to be cleaned separately from the sensor module; the drinking apparatus being able to freely stand on a support surface in a first, storage, orientation in which liquid can be retained in the cavity; the sensor module comprising an alert system which is able, when the sensor module is coupled to the receptacle, to detect a reorientation of the drinking apparatus into a second, cleaning, orientation in which the mouth of the receptacle is angled downwards; and wherein the sensor module further comprises a reminder system to intermittently prompt a user to consume liquid from the receptacle; wherein the reminder system comprises: - one or more sensors configured to detect a drinking event associated with a user consuming liquid from the cavity; - a timer configured to measure one or more predetermined time intervals; - a speaker configured to generate one or more audio alerts and/or one or more lights configured to generate one or more visual alerts; - a controller configured to generate a user alert if no drinking event is detected by the one or more sensors within a selected predetermined time interval as measured by the timer; - a control interface; and - a power source; - one or more sensors configured to detect a drinking event associated with a user consuming liquid from the cavity; - a timer configured to measure one or more predetermined time intervals; - a speaker configured to generate one or more audio alerts and/or one or more lights configured to generate one or more visual alerts; - a controller configured to generate a user alert if no drinking event is detected by the one or more sensors within a selected predetermined time interval as measured by the timer; - a control interface; and - a power source; wherein the user alert is one or more visual alerts generated by the one or more lights and/or one or more audio alerts generated by the speaker; wherein the control interface is configured to permit the user of the drinking apparatus to operate functions of the drinking apparatus; and characterized in that the alert system being configured to generate a warning signal on detection of a reorientation of the drinking apparatus into the second, cleaning, orientation to warn a user against cleaning the drinking apparatus while the sensor module remains coupled to the receptacle; and in that the controller is configured to reset the timer and restart measurement of the one or more predetermined time intervals whenever a drinking event is detected.