The voice of L J K Setright
Discussion
Reading this thread has filled me with a warmth. I grew up in the era of 'Car' when L J K Setright and Russell Bulgin were contributors. I loved the way that both combined a mastery of writing with a deep understanding of engineering. This combination was also sprinkled with a passion for the motor car, motorbikes and bicycles.
I too feel that modern motor journalism has lost this craft and mastery. I often cringe at the writings that regurgitate the same phraseology, often without original insight. There was something more to these two gentlemen; I sense that like others of their time, they were renaissance men, who happened to work in the field of motor journalism. There was a real depth of curiosity and learning present.
I've not read any of his writing, but if you want any interviews with Elon Musk, he strikes me a modern day Leonardo Da Vinci. I can pause to imagine, a scenario where over dinner, Setright, Bulgin and Musk might have an enthralling conversation.
I'm further warmed by the fact that Setright had a love for many things Honda (as do I, though I hope that they find their hearth again). In some senses, Honda (of the past) represented a deep focus on engineering and I'm sadden by modern society's fascination with the superficial gloss, 'brand' and badge engineering that has emerged, all driven by our desire for early gratification and facilitated by the creativity of the financial services sector.
If any one can recommend good books by Setright or Bulgin, I'll had them to my Christmas list?
I too feel that modern motor journalism has lost this craft and mastery. I often cringe at the writings that regurgitate the same phraseology, often without original insight. There was something more to these two gentlemen; I sense that like others of their time, they were renaissance men, who happened to work in the field of motor journalism. There was a real depth of curiosity and learning present.
I've not read any of his writing, but if you want any interviews with Elon Musk, he strikes me a modern day Leonardo Da Vinci. I can pause to imagine, a scenario where over dinner, Setright, Bulgin and Musk might have an enthralling conversation.
I'm further warmed by the fact that Setright had a love for many things Honda (as do I, though I hope that they find their hearth again). In some senses, Honda (of the past) represented a deep focus on engineering and I'm sadden by modern society's fascination with the superficial gloss, 'brand' and badge engineering that has emerged, all driven by our desire for early gratification and facilitated by the creativity of the financial services sector.
If any one can recommend good books by Setright or Bulgin, I'll had them to my Christmas list?
Reading this:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Community/Car-Magazin...
Wow, the man had such a way with words.
I like the 105miles in 90 minutes part!
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Community/Car-Magazin...
Wow, the man had such a way with words.
I like the 105miles in 90 minutes part!
v8250 said:
+1 pronounced correctly I often see folk raise an eyebrow to me when I say vegetable, as it does has four syllables...
...none of this half-cocked, near uninterpretable 'piss-pronunciation' that people seem to perceive as good English today. Yes, piss-pronunciation, the remarkable joys of the Two Ronnies, Ronnie Barker really was a phonetically witty chap. I'll leave these for your afternoon pleasure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ0nFQgRApY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf6FRtmZewg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwLFYH-lJVQ
Does it really matter if somebody pronounces something words differently or uses incorrect grammar if we can still understand them perfectly? The absurdities of the rules of different languages means that they are only really rules to the people who constructed them in the first place. For example French has different grammar rules to ours but we don't say that ours are correct and theirs are wrong! I often see folk raise an eyebrow to me when I say vegetable, as it does has four syllables......none of this half-cocked, near uninterpretable 'piss-pronunciation' that people seem to perceive as good English today. Yes, piss-pronunciation, the remarkable joys of the Two Ronnies, Ronnie Barker really was a phonetically witty chap. I'll leave these for your afternoon pleasure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ0nFQgRApY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf6FRtmZewg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwLFYH-lJVQ
Remember that English wasn't even English it was a gradual amalgamation of other languages over a period of time until a 'standard' set of rules was agreed upon. It's not an observation like saying the sky is blue and any language with silent letters can't be taken too seriously.
Also the only reason people frequently don't talk 'properly' these days using the 'proper' rules, is that when typing anything it takes more time to do it all 'properly'. This hasn't yet brought about the end of civilisation as we know it.
By the way I like 'Porridge' and I can appreciate poetry, so I do understand that some wit or beauty can be constructed when language rules are used or abused.
otolith said:
Breadvan72 said:
I have attempted to pastiche Setright, but have encountered naught but egregious infelicitude in undertaking this Sysyphean endeavour.
Any sufficiently obscure erudition is indistinguishable from Setright.To descend to the vulgar usage, Mr Setright has utilised a pedicular extremity for the purposes of the application of an impulse to a utilitarian, truncated conic receptacle, commonly utilised for the portation of dihydrogen monoxide-based fluids.
He is to be found providing nitrogenous sustenance for that most exquisite of our native wildflowers, Bellis perennis. Would it were not so.
Bis vivit qui bene vivit.
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Community/Car-Magazin...
You've got to love the guy for this............
...............On the M1 that morning, I exceeded 140mph for the first time in my driving career…and I was only doing 130 when some mindless Morris Minor stepped out of the middle lane directly into my path.....................
You've got to love the guy for this............
...............On the M1 that morning, I exceeded 140mph for the first time in my driving career…and I was only doing 130 when some mindless Morris Minor stepped out of the middle lane directly into my path.....................
Breadvan72 said:
It is with an ineluctable sensibility of tristesse that I recall that the aforementioned Mr Setright is in these times devoid of vitality, and may indeed be in a pronounced condition of corporeal moribundity, if not decomposition, and thus may reasonably be apprehended to be incommoded in the expression of further opinions as to the qualities appertaining to motorised vehicular conveyances.
To descend to the vulgar usage, Mr Setright has utilised a pedicular extremity for the purposes of the application of an impulse to a utilitarian, truncated conic receptacle, commonly utilised for the portation of dihydrogen monoxide-based fluids.
He is to be found providing nitrogenous sustenance for that most exquisite of our native wildflowers, Bellis perennis. Would it were not so.
Bis vivit qui bene vivit.
Excellent To descend to the vulgar usage, Mr Setright has utilised a pedicular extremity for the purposes of the application of an impulse to a utilitarian, truncated conic receptacle, commonly utilised for the portation of dihydrogen monoxide-based fluids.
He is to be found providing nitrogenous sustenance for that most exquisite of our native wildflowers, Bellis perennis. Would it were not so.
Bis vivit qui bene vivit.
I was expecting some mention of Psittacus norvegicus in there.
Listening to the recording now has caused me to nip up and dig out a couple of old copies of Car from '87 and '92 in which Setright Decides between a BMW 750iL a Bentley Turbo and two others. In '92 he was reported to be Hopping Mad about what the car industry had offered in the preceding year. I'll read them in full soon I think.
My dad has a copy of The Power to Fly on the shelf at home which always seemed terribly daunting. I might use it to refresh my sense of my puny intellect when I read such offerings.
My dad has a copy of The Power to Fly on the shelf at home which always seemed terribly daunting. I might use it to refresh my sense of my puny intellect when I read such offerings.
gforceg said:
Listening to the recording now has caused me to nip up and dig out a couple of old copies of Car from '87 and '92 in which Setright Decides between a BMW 750iL a Bentley Turbo and two others. In '92 he was reported to be Hopping Mad about what the car industry had offered in the preceding year. I'll read them in full soon I think.
That I would love to read, having just bought a Turbo R to replace my 750iL There's a story about a subeditor at CAR Magazine complaining to him that his use of language made his articles inaccessible to readers. His response was to submit his whole article for publishing in Latin, only providing the translation the next day after giving the subeditor some time to think about it.
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