Its all Over.

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by Janne

The boys at the Chiswick workshop seemed to have liked and respected him.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe he was/is a bad, bad man.

My comment about those who worked for him was based on the impression I got at the Chiswick workshop when a call came in from "the Guvnor" (on the phone). But it could have just been a bad day.

I don't think he is a bad man and I didn't say he was, as you full well know. However, I have heard from numerous people over the years who have been on the receiving end of his vitriol. He had quite a reputation for it on some circles. Setright resigned as the BOC Bulletin editor because of him!

As for keeping BCL going, I think it's wonderful that he did, a great achievement, but he didn't do it for us, he did it for him.

[GREG]

[quote= Setright resigned as the BOC Bulletin editor because of him![/QUOTE]


That's not what he said ! He wrote that he was resigning because he didn't feel he could keep impartiality and integrity whilst serving the club and being a motoring writer. And someone had suggested that he was on the BCL payroll.

I have also heard he was a nasty piece of work at times but lets not make things up !

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by GREG

That's not what he said ! He wrote that he was resigning because he didn't feel he could keep impartiality and integrity whilst serving the club and being a motoring writer. And someone had suggested that he was on the BCL payroll.

I have also heard he was a nasty piece of work at times but lets not make things up !

I'm not making anything up - I don't need to. Just relaying what my understanding is. Specifically the story was that LJKS resigned from the Editor job because he was fed up with TADC trying to control what was (or was not) written in the BOC Bulletin. But let's face it, LJKS was too much of a gentleman to say that publicly.

Where did he write what you said?

[GREG]

One of the cars I bought came with a disc of old bulletins and this is the final paragraph from 1976. No mention of Crook.

Members will be kept informed of developments — but probably not by me. As a motoring writer it is professionally imperative that I maintain an impartiality which I have gradually learned is not compatible with my serving the Club either as Chairman or as Editor. From what has been said to me, it seems possible that for me to maintain such uncompromising impartiality while holding either of my present offices might prejudice the future of the Club. On the other hand I am still smarting from suggestions that I had been paid or rewarded in some way for doing public relations work for Bristol Cars — suggestions which are of course wildly erroneous. I do not think that I owe the firm or the Club any favours nor, I hope, any apologies; but it is time for me to go.

[GREG]

I have shown the evidence for my opinion but is there any for yours ?

LJKS was known as a Gentleman that made a lot of mistakes and got a lot of things wrong !

Crook was known as a Gentleman that got a lot of things right.

I have never spoken to either but my opinion is based on fact and not hear say.

Of course TAD Crook ran Bristol for him and not for us, but he had the bottle to keep throwing his own personal money in for years whilst it was loosing money because he beleived in the cars and cared for the people ?

But we agree on most points :-)

[GREG]

WIKEPEDIA --no use again ! In the context of judging any of us ?


In its best use, moreover, "gentleman" involves a certain superior standard of conduct, due, to quote the 8th edition once more, to "that self-respect and intellectual refinement which manifest themselves in unrestrained yet delicate manners". The word "gentle", originally implying a certain social status, had very early come to be associated with the standard of manners expected from that status. Thus by a sort of punning process the "gentleman" becomes a "gentle-man".

In another sense, being a gentleman means treating others, especially women, in a respectful manner, and not taking advantage or pushing others into doing things they choose not to do. The exception, of course, is to push one into something they need to do for their own good, as in a visit to the hospital, or pursuing a dream one has suppressed

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by GREG

I have shown the evidence for my opinion but is there any for yours ?

I don't really see the need to show evidence for an opinion, but as you ask, my opinion is based on a conversation with someone from the BOC which I considered to be "in confidence", around the time when Crook threatened to sue them (the BOC officers) for libel.

LJKS was known as a Gentleman that made a lot of mistakes and got a lot of things wrong !

yet you believe the officialreason he gave for resigning from his BOC position?

incidentally, what are the "lot" of things he got wrong? (that he hasn't admitted in later publications)

my opinion is based on fact

prove it, otherwise it is no more valid that my opinion

[GREG]

I already have "proved it" with the written word once against you hear say !

I do accept that you were around at the time and I accept that your integrity as a Gentlemen is without question. Therefore I beleive your comments.

Setright was a brilliant writer that couldn't possibly get all the facts right all of the time.

Crook was a superb racing driver and great salesman that probably got most things right most of the time.

Conclusion -- They did what they did to the best of their abilities and who are we to judge !