Kill off this Bertie barnstomer rubbish its just not funny!

[Evan Pimm]

I quite like him, but I'm not English...

Evan. 

[Marcol]

 I think, and I may be totally wrong here, that Bertie is penned by Alex Whittaker.

It just seems to echo Alex's writing style, of which I am a fan. Does anyone else have any theories ?

        Colin

[Terence Lynock]

 Quote;     have worked with both Spike and Harry years ago at different times  and they are really funny people off camera.

Not any more their not.......;-) unless of course they have CCTV, in r/c aircraft modelling we all need a sense of humour otherwise we would cry when our latest lawn dart did its thing but its a rye sense of humour I find not the 1930's Geeves and Wuster type of thing.

Thing is if le' Bertie is pensioned orf what to use the resulting space for? preferably something entertaining or informative/cultural but please not another page of adverts, I can only stand so many adverts for r/c gear before starting to reach for the cheque book,

                         regards,          Terry

[Alistair Taylor]

I can't help feeling that by choosing an aging, pompous, upper class twit as the (anti) hero of its humour page RCM&E is fuelling the (justified?) stereotype of modellers being fusty old blokes in sheds, lightly coated in a permanent patina of castor oil, balsa dust, dope and dandruff.

The only characteristics he appears to share with Spike and the Goons is that he harks back to a bygone era.

How about either a column or, (my personal preference) a cartoon strip, based on the exploits/misadventures of a range of characters more representative of the range of R/C interests out there?

This could still include BB-esque characters as well as some more current modelling caricatures, with a wider range of interests. You might even find a young cartoonist/modeller willing to pen it for pennies.

Although I have to say I find several of the "straight" columns hilarious in themselves for the insights they offer into the flying habits/neuroses of the columnists themselves. No names no padded cell, but using a magazine column to boast about flying that demonstrates a complete disregard for others is an excellent way to let thousands of people all over the UK know that you're a plonker. Not having the self awareness to realise this puts the icing on the cake.

keep up the good work

AlistairT

[Slopetrashuk]

Toy aeroplanes lads......Just toy aeroplanes.

Might I suggest that the adverse weather is clouding our judgement as we deteriorate into stir craziness?

I'm sure none of you are festering over Bertie when you have that tranny in your hands and the breeze in your face.

Andy

(Who knows who writes it.....)

[Tim Mackey]

perhaps you do

[Bustergrunt]

So you know who writes it...so what...it's still bilge, that's taking up space in a magazine supposed to be about toy planes, the best column for me in any magazine is 'From up here'  Nothing in the 'barnstormer' page is relevant other than being a somewhat outdated and contrived attempt at humour which manages to come third in a one horse race... it has been resurected like a Phoenix and I can hope it will shortly choke to death on the ashes.

[Slopetrashuk]

"the best column for me in any magazine is 'From up here'"

 

Go figure..... 

[Bustergrunt]

Sorry...i don't speak 'Americanese'

[Bustergrunt]

is that a 'Jart' or a 'Rodent' in your Avatar?

[Slopetrashuk]

It's an original R1 Rodent

What Bertie would call a Gl*!$*r....... 

[Andy Green]

Guys Guys

Its just this sort of posting that in the end closed down the BMFA forum.

You have all had your say, so just leave it.

I can see what will happen next, this thread will be moderated (I agree it should) then you will all turn your attention on the moderators, and off we go again.

It's only 1 page in a great mag.

Andy

[Bustergrunt]

Fair enough...sorry to offend

[Tom Sharp]

They had a similar column in the back of Radio Modeller many years ago. Again using humour to get over a point, this was conducted by a man named Roland Graunchet.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Bertie always did polarise opinion. He's just back for 3 issues with no plans for a return after this. 

David.  

  

[Alistair Taylor]

I believe Roland Graunchet was a nom de plume.

http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/index.htm

Quite a few of the remarks in these colllumns are on the combustible side, not far off the comments (those not yet removed) on the BMFA and on this and other forums, but the humour knocks BB into a cocked hat, even if it the jokes are old....it's the way he tells 'em!

http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/mags1.htm

And the subsequent "University of Life" articles written for a Heli mag make points that are still valid today - e.g. Article number one about novices expecting to be able to "buy" flying skills:

 http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/mar96uol.htm

I have a cunning plan.

David - keep BB in RCM&E. If you don't like him, just read a Roland Graunchet article instead.

Of course you could allways just reprint the RG articles, exchanging references to NiCads with Lipos, PCM with 2.4GHz, and Conservative with Labour (last article written March 1997 - before the glorious reign of Ghenghis Blair)

AlistairT

PS - You're going to tell me that Dave Day has been writing the Bertie Barnstormer feature now aren't you...... wouldn't that just cook my fox.

[DAVID BIRKENHEAD]

I agree with comments earlier - we should not always take ourselves seriously - but if we are going to have humour let it, at least, be FUNNY!Otherwise - GREAT MAG.

Dave

[Slopetrashuk]

Roland Graunchet was I believe written by a number (3 comes to mind) of writers over his time including Mr Boddington himself, hence only partial information on RG from the above links.

Andy

[Alistair Taylor]

I can't help feeling that the protests for and against Bertie are a reflection of that well oiled axiom: "you can't please all of the people all of the time".

I guess one man's funny joke is another man's diplomatic incident.

I reckon the Editor should be encouraged by the fact that RCM&E isn't read by a small, homogeneous (nothing to do with a preference for soft furnishings) group of old farts, but rather by quite a diverse group (age/modelling interests), with varying preferences for articles, style and humour.

A propos of which - maybe Bertie does need to come back, sometimes, and maybe when he's not around there needs to be at least a couple of other things to cater for the wide range of preferences of the readers.

Parting Shots was good - I suggested a cartoon - what about a "Flyer Feature" where a "celeb R/C flier" answers 20 questions:

 - First plane
 - best plane
 - worst plane (or heli or whatever)

etc

Anyone else?

AlistairT

[Myron Beaumont]

How's about BB going 'lectric just to confuse us all (without possibly upsetting Timbo) Or maybe he writes it. O.K Chaps .Chocks away Ginger

[Alistair Taylor]

Maybe BB goes Electric for four installments (dabbles with speed 400, invests in bigger brushless, tries EDF, starts to build EP 1/4 scale vulcan....)

after which he wakes up, realises it was all a dream.... and returns to writing pleading letters to the noise abatement society....

[Myron Beaumont]

Alistair I like it! (on the quiet)

[Graham King]

It may not be popular (reading all the above comments), but its nice to see something/someone  have a pop at the "politically correct" and "health and safety" nonsense we all have to suffer these days.   BB might not be to everyones taste, it might not be to mine, but it does take the p**s out of todays "wrapped in cotton wool " society.  If you dont like it, then dont read it........easy solution-    I'm off now to put on my flameproof suit ready for all the replies!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Ian Lloyd]

I have nothing to add to this discussion.....  I have not read the article you are talking about.....    I suggest if it offends you,  you follow my lead!!