The voice of L J K Setright
Discussion
Touring442 said:
tali1 said:
Many fellow motoring journalists refused to travel with him as he drove like a bat out of hell. (wrecked a Press Officer's Alfa apparently) Known to even jump red lights.
As well as barrel rolling an XJ12, old Kickstart also put a Chrysler Horizon on its roof as well. Legend. 
Tragic. Must be a strict geek/generational thing?
rosetank said:
Touring442 said:
tali1 said:
Many fellow motoring journalists refused to travel with him as he drove like a bat out of hell. (wrecked a Press Officer's Alfa apparently) Known to even jump red lights.
As well as barrel rolling an XJ12, old Kickstart also put a Chrysler Horizon on its roof as well. Legend. Tragic. Must be a strict geek/generational thing?
I do not doubt you are correct in your summation he may have been a bit of a tit. Yet, Hunter Thompson and Ernest Hemingway were hardly characters without blemish either. Their shortcomings do not diminish the brightness of their prose. And no..NO..im not comparing ljks to those two, merely exaggerating a point to make a point.
I doubt that I would have liked Setright if I had met him, but he had an engaging written and ,judging by the photos, personal style, and as noted before here was probably at least partly engaged in sending himself up.
As for scayree fast driving, my late brother was one of those people who could drive you very fast but never make you feel unsafe, and maybe Setright was one of those drivers. I do not possess that ability, so I tend only to drive fast when there is only me to scare.
As for scayree fast driving, my late brother was one of those people who could drive you very fast but never make you feel unsafe, and maybe Setright was one of those drivers. I do not possess that ability, so I tend only to drive fast when there is only me to scare.
It is sunny. I may go for a careful hoon. But .... every trip involves some risk, even small, of breaking down or crashing, and it's not fair on RAC dudes or ambulance crews to expose them to the risk of interaction. So, maybe not. I may dig out my ancient Car magazines and read some Setright instead.
|https://thumbsnap.com/1SgtgOBE[/url]
I add that the Grand Prix Car book is a bit too techie for my un techie head in places, but it is very interesting, and contains many fine photos of fabulous cars and cool drivers and designers etc. It describes the end of the front-engined cars, the introduction of the mid-engined cars, the introduction of fuel injection, big changes in wheels and tyres, and much else besides.
rosetank said:
It actually sounds like he was just totally arrogant to be honest? Credentials for driving achievements and Gods gift to automotive journalism; ‘scaring passengers’ ‘crashing various cars’ and ‘using Latin with over ripe prose’
Tragic. Must be a strict geek/generational thing?
Not for everyone , wasn't LJKS . That's what being sui generis does for a chap Tragic. Must be a strict geek/generational thing?
coppice said:
Not for everyone , wasn't LJKS . That's what being sui generis does for a chap
Gifts can be wrapped up in many different types of paper, however if the gift is actually a bit naff, you (or shall I say one) cannot gift wrap a turd? To be honest, and I may be alone on this, LJKS insults me. The prose, the criticism of LR, a ‘self taught engineer’, a nonsense and a slap in the face of my chosen trade, a charlatan to be frank. Much as his legion of followers are blind, maybe blonde, and quite happy to continue in his awful guise? I just can’t abide this relic, to be frank I feel he was a pretender, a damn boring one at that! Perhaps at this time when he was popular he appealed to some, although my belief is this is due mainly to editors and readers aligning to what they believe is a maverick, a maveric, In my education is something that isn’t worth a great deal of time?
Catchpole is more communicative, Harris, wildly more interesting, Clarkson, Metcalfe, Bulgin, Meaden, all have a niche, and deliver. Unfortunately, for me, all LJKS delivered was a ‘Coke Zero’ appraisal of the time, wrapped up like Latin pig ‘n’ blankets, without the satisfaction. No clever quotes or tenuous links have so far managed to change my view
His devotion to what wasn’t even a halo Honda and Bristols, well, that sums things up. An awkward and deeply outdated back catalogue of motoring yesteryear.
rosetank said:
coppice said:
Not for everyone , wasn't LJKS . That's what being sui generis does for a chap
Gifts can be wrapped up in many different types of paper, however if the gift is actually a bit naff, you (or shall I say one) cannot gift wrap a turd? To be honest, and I may be alone on this, LJKS insults me. The prose, the criticism of LR, a ‘self taught engineer’, a nonsense and a slap in the face of my chosen trade, a charlatan to be frank. Much as his legion of followers are blind, maybe blonde, and quite happy to continue in his awful guise? I just can’t abide this relic, to be frank I feel he was a pretender, a damn boring one at that! Perhaps at this time when he was popular he appealed to some, although my belief is this is due mainly to editors and readers aligning to what they believe is a maverick, a maveric, In my education is something that isn’t worth a great deal of time?
Catchpole is more communicative, Harris, wildly more interesting, Clarkson, Metcalfe, Bulgin, Meaden, all have a niche, and deliver. Unfortunately, for me, all LJKS delivered was a ‘Coke Zero’ appraisal of the time, wrapped up like Latin pig ‘n’ blankets, without the satisfaction. No clever quotes or tenuous links have so far managed to change my view
His devotion to what wasn’t even a halo Honda and Bristols, well, that sums things up. An awkward and deeply outdated back catalogue of motoring yesteryear.
There's little wrong with "self-taught engineer" providing one ensures one learns the right things - and I say that as a formally-taught engineer
rosetank said:
A self taught engineer is just someone not bright enough to be a student. Therefore, in engineering terms, unqualified and to be viewed with caution.
These days, yes. In those days? Not so much. LJKS graduated (in law at UCL). More than can be said for my Grandfather, say, who apprenticed at Bristol Tramways (aged 14), but rose to become Chief Designer at Westland Helicopters (his principal achievement was the Lynx).IMechE tends not to dish out fellowships to those without whit.
Agree about viewing with caution, but then equally I recall (as a practising engineer) having to patiently explain to a Fellow of the Royal Society no less why you couldn't build a turbofan engine with all structural loads in tension...
rosetank said:
A self taught engineer is just someone not bright enough to be a student. Therefore, in engineering terms, unqualified and to be viewed with caution.
You must therefore regard Isambard Kingdom Brunel as rather dim and to be viewed with caution.You may say that the use of language does not matter, but, as you attack Setright for his language, you could maybe try not to write in a randomly punctuated screed, such as your longer post above.
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