The People's Spitfire Pilot
So, reading the list I see we have a black man (sorry, man of colour), a gay man, a woman, a disabled man, - what a flipping contrived list. They missed a trick though in leaving Paddy Finucane off the list - they could have got the Irish in as well!
God save us
God save us
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I could only see two Trustees who had ever flown an aeroplane in the Service. None in senior management. I think only
three in either of the above who'd served in the Service at all
three in either of the above who'd served in the Service at all
I did quite enjoy a visit to the museum but I can think of no reason to continue! I have never come across such a crass idea in my life and I have seen a few! (Ideas, that is!)
Bill
Bill
And the worst thing is that 'Widge' Gleed almost certainly deserves to be considered as a representative Spitfire V pilot on the basis of his record, but his selection for this exercise now looks to be more about his personal life than his achievements. The whiff of political correctness means that interesting candidates such as Screwball Beurling, Ian Blair et al, may be overlooked (the voting seems to be going that way). I dare say that there will be attempts at rigging the vote as well, with possible campaigns on social media, to get a particular individual to the top of the list. Since the vote is currently set up so that you can click on the link in the original post, open that page in a new tab, vote, close the page, click on the link in the original post, open that page in a new tab, vote for the same person you just voted for, close the page, click on the link in the ori... Put another way, three Ppruners with time on their hands and a high boredom threshold could put Ian Blair (say) on 1000 votes long before midnight were they so minded.
Also, beyond the curators, it appears that those nominating the candidates have been chosen because based on their area of expertise/authorship, they would nominate a gay man (Stephen Bourne), or a Jamaican (Mark Collins), or... Conspicuous by absence are any recognised historians of the RAF - Stephen Bungay, Dilip Sarkar, Philip Sabin, Tony Mason, Richard Overy (or even Max Hastings or Dan Snow). While the historians might have come up with a list of three (although I suspect not), even that risk would be militated by the curators' choices.
And all of that, of course, is without pondering the wisdom of the RAFM attempting to turn itself into some sort of museum version of Great British Dancing on Ice Bake Off Factor, or the slightly tacky 'reward' for the winner of the vote of being memorialised in cardboard. If that is to be the fate of those nominated, it would seem rather better - but entirely out of keeping with the dumbed-down approach to museum curating these days - to provide a series of information boards about all of them, showing the range of pilots the Spit had during the war, and fulfilling the intention far more effectively than this piece of crassness...
Edit - you can even vote for more than one person at a time on the Telegraph webpage!
Also, beyond the curators, it appears that those nominating the candidates have been chosen because based on their area of expertise/authorship, they would nominate a gay man (Stephen Bourne), or a Jamaican (Mark Collins), or... Conspicuous by absence are any recognised historians of the RAF - Stephen Bungay, Dilip Sarkar, Philip Sabin, Tony Mason, Richard Overy (or even Max Hastings or Dan Snow). While the historians might have come up with a list of three (although I suspect not), even that risk would be militated by the curators' choices.
And all of that, of course, is without pondering the wisdom of the RAFM attempting to turn itself into some sort of museum version of Great British Dancing on Ice Bake Off Factor, or the slightly tacky 'reward' for the winner of the vote of being memorialised in cardboard. If that is to be the fate of those nominated, it would seem rather better - but entirely out of keeping with the dumbed-down approach to museum curating these days - to provide a series of information boards about all of them, showing the range of pilots the Spit had during the war, and fulfilling the intention far more effectively than this piece of crassness...
Edit - you can even vote for more than one person at a time on the Telegraph webpage!
Cunning Artificer
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Why just a Spitfire? Why a Mk.V and not a Mk.1A? Why not a Hurricane?
How about The People's Beverley Pilot?
How about The People's Air Electronics Operator?
or, The People's Aircraft Fitter (Airframe)?
It's all a load of Bollocks.
How about The People's Beverley Pilot?
How about The People's Air Electronics Operator?
or, The People's Aircraft Fitter (Airframe)?
It's all a load of Bollocks.
The sad thing is that these people are serious: my first thought was "is it April First?" and my second was that Private Eye had gone off the boil.
Anyway, I want to be The People's Met Man. Please PM me if you would consider voting for me and I will send you a 4000 word justification.
Anyway, I want to be The People's Met Man. Please PM me if you would consider voting for me and I will send you a 4000 word justification.
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Having read the comments here, and in the historic section, and on other forums regarding this vote, I believe that we should all take the p*ss and vote for:-
Squadron Leader Spitty McSpitface
Worked with naming a boat, didn't it.....??
Pass it on.....
Squadron Leader Spitty McSpitface
Worked with naming a boat, didn't it.....??
Pass it on.....
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Whereas I concur with the main trust of the comments here, if you want an example of 'dumbing down' to the nth degree, have you been to the Imperial War Museum (London) recently???? I believe Ģ14m spent to turn it into a temple of sanctimonious PC claptrap...
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TCT flew round the world solo in a Mk V, y'know. She's got a medal for it and everfink. The FAA (no, not that FAA, silly) even made her a Commander or a Rear Admiral or something.
She developed and patented a cardboard cutout of her own, but that was to protect her nose which somehow kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger every time she gave a talk about her round the world solo exploits in a Spitfire without an iPad.
OK, so it was a two-seat Mk V, but that's 'cos it was an 'outreach' project.
Just don't mention the Austrian bloke, though. I did once, but I think I got away with it.
She developed and patented a cardboard cutout of her own, but that was to protect her nose which somehow kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger every time she gave a talk about her round the world solo exploits in a Spitfire without an iPad.
OK, so it was a two-seat Mk V, but that's 'cos it was an 'outreach' project.
Just don't mention the Austrian bloke, though. I did once, but I think I got away with it.