Delta's Earl Grey Break 2014

[grantp]

Originally Posted by garcon

Blimey, does she do emails now?

I can just imagine her tapping away at the Royal iPad.

"Congratulations George on reaching yr century!

You iz a true credit to our wonderful nation innit.

Keep it up. LOL!

TTFN

Liz xxx"

Well, possibly not. Probably not Facebook or Twitter either.

Reggit?

Or perhaps Google100+?

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

A happy birthday to my old man George Streeter born on this day 1914 !
Yes he made it but will he like the bungee jump we've arranged for him ?

Well done George. Something for you to aim at, Gordon!

[Al Weyman]

Nice one Gordon.

[Cliff Ryan]

Many Happy Returns to your Dad Gordon

From your roving racer across the pond at Road America!

[Colin McKay]

Well done to the old feller.

We've only had one such celeb in our family as far as I know - Maggie told me she saw her first car when she was 18 although she might have been acquainted with the world famous Craigievar Express, worth a google.

What changes they have seen!

[SAMD]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Well done to the old feller.

What changes they have seen!

Absolutely! When you consider the first flight was only a few years before he was born and yet while in his mid 50s man walked on the moon.

[GORDON STREETER]

Well he survived the bungee jump and yes he did get the card from Liz !

[gary396]

Brilliant many congratulations to him Gordon.

P.s. Must be something wrong with my monitor - he looks younger than you do in your glam photos!

[Eric Falce]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

A happy birthday to my old man George Streeter born on this day 1914 !
Yes he made it but will he like the bungee jump we've arranged for him ?

Big congrats to him Gordon, he was very young when he had you then.

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by gary396

Brilliant many congratulations to him Gordon.

P.s. Must be something wrong with my monitor - he looks younger than you do in your glam photos!

I was thinking something similar........he looks great! All power to his elbow

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by gary396

P.s. Must be something wrong with my monitor - he looks younger than you do in your glam photos!

I've booked myself in for a few Botox injections

[terence]

Fantastic Gordon, many happy returns to your dad, certainly the best thread to post his excellent news.

[delta]

Lovely story just what we all need at moment . Happy birthday George . Here's to another 100 years

[garcon]

He looks to be in the prime of life! I'll be happy if I look that well at 70...

[GORDON STREETER]

Cheers guys, we're having another bigger bash for him today so feel sorry for me having to endure more booze/food etc

[Mike Bell]

Also belated birthday greetings to George, Gordon! I'm keeping fingers crossed make 70, but a century- wow!

[GORDON STREETER]

Well he survived the other big family/friends party yesterday in a local village hall complete with Larkins ale !
Lots of people popped in including family friend veteran ITN newscaster Sandy Gall who is now 86 himself and lives just down the road.

[John Turner]

Just brilliant, Gordon!

[midgetman]

Twitter is all abuzz at the moment. Nasty accident on the Mille Miglia has trashed a Gull Wing Merc. Seems the crew is OK which is more than can be said for the car.

[gary396]

I recorded the highlights of the first round / three races in this year's British F3 championship, mainly just to see who was in it this year. Amazingly just seven entries - seven! I know the main F3 focus is now the European series but still very sad to see the decline in British F3 compared to the 'old days'. Progress I suppose.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by gary396

I recorded the highlights of the first round / three races in this year's British F3 championship, mainly just to see who was in it this year. Amazingly just seven entries - seven! I know the main F3 focus is now the European series but still very sad to see the decline in British F3 compared to the 'old days'. Progress I suppose.

Same with FF, and yet some of the other 'starter' formula appear a lot healthier. I sometimes wonder if Ford would be better off putting their promo budget into Historic FF and FF2000......

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Same with FF, and yet some of the other 'starter' formula appear a lot healthier. I sometimes wonder if Ford would be better off putting their promo budget into Historic FF and FF2000......

I made the same observations after watching the last round of the BTCC, and where there were only about 12 FF in the TOCA package on the grid. Having thought about it a little more, could the answer lie in the way that aspiring F1 drivers need to showcase themselves. In the very dim past, the route was Karts, then FF followed by F3 and then sometimes F2 That changed very little over the years, and most F1 talent spotters picked their raw recruits from F3, groomed them a bit before plonking them in a F1 seat.

Nowadays, the F1 stardom ladder has moved, and the source for drivers for at least half the teams has become Renault 3.5, but only if the drivers can bring "loads of money". Tongue in cheek, it would only seem to be drivers able to inject bucket loads of sponsorship that have any talent currently, a very sad state of affairs.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Nowadays, the F1 stardom ladder has moved, and the source for drivers for at least half the teams has become Renault 3.5, but only if the drivers can bring "loads of money". Tongue in cheek, it would only seem to be drivers able to inject bucket loads of sponsorship that have any talent currently, a very sad state of affairs.

I don't think it's 'tongue in cheek' Mike. Apart from the very top, most F1 drivers are 'buying their drives' with personal sponsorship, which we used to rather look down on. I think the real talent is now elsewhere or just founders completely for lack of money.
It certainly (in my view) doesn't make the sport any better - quite the opposite!

[Mike Bell]

The subject of conversation at the (brilliant as usual) Silverstone FF2000 supper gathering Saturday got round to the days when aspiring drivers would tow round Europe with their single seater, sleeping in the van or whatever and living off start- and if lucky- prize money. Sounds like a great period in Motorsport history, and almost wish I had been racing then.....

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I made the same observations after watching the last round of the BTCC, and where there were only about 12 FF in the TOCA package on the grid. Having thought about it a little more, could the answer lie in the way that aspiring F1 drivers need to showcase themselves. In the very dim past, the route was Karts, then FF followed by F3 and then sometimes F2 That changed very little over the years, and most F1 talent spotters picked their raw recruits from F3, groomed them a bit before plonking them in a F1 seat.

Nowadays, the F1 stardom ladder has moved, and the source for drivers for at least half the teams has become Renault 3.5, but only if the drivers can bring "loads of money". Tongue in cheek, it would only seem to be drivers able to inject bucket loads of sponsorship that have any talent currently, a very sad state of affairs.

I happened to stumble on the GP3 web site over the weekend.

http://www.gp3series.com/Guide-to/The-Series3/

3 of the 4 champions are now in relationships with F1. Sort of like how F3 used to be.

As Johngee has observed these days more than ever the ability to get into F1 is about securing a budget source and keeping it available. Connected to that comes an entire life control programme. Many talented youngsters may not like that concept. In fact it may be that there is now so much technology involved that the balance between raw talent and competence plus the ability to learn and apply systems knowledge has swung in the favour of the systems people. The systems include all of the background training, physical, mental and PR that the youngsters seems to have to undertake.

That in itself is not unreasonable if someone else is funding your dream life with very large amount of money but it may not suit a lot fast natural talents.

Thinking about it... it has probably always been that way ...