Broken Hamster
Posted by: Duncan Fullerton on 20 September 2006
Sad to read tonight that Richard "Hamster" Hammond is in a critical condition in a Leeds hospital after a Top Gear stunt went wrong. Fingers crossed for him.
Some of the stunts they get up to are barking mad and of the "I wish I could try that" variety.
Hope he pulls through.
Duncan
Some of the stunts they get up to are barking mad and of the "I wish I could try that" variety.
Hope he pulls through.
Duncan
Posted on: 21 September 2006 by u5227470736789439
I have only seen Top Gear once in about four years, but it seemed entertaining, and such an accident is sad indeed.
But not sadder than many other tagedies concerning people just as nice that might find page four of some local paper on occasion. I bet he is a good and nice person, but I always find the over-emphasised reporting of the accidents and tragedies of journalists and media personalities just a bit out of place.
He has my sympathy, but it seems to me that the place to have announced this would have been on the next edition of Top Gear, at least in my view. Many Radio Four listeners would have no idea who he is or possibly even what Top Gear is...
Fredrik
But not sadder than many other tagedies concerning people just as nice that might find page four of some local paper on occasion. I bet he is a good and nice person, but I always find the over-emphasised reporting of the accidents and tragedies of journalists and media personalities just a bit out of place.
He has my sympathy, but it seems to me that the place to have announced this would have been on the next edition of Top Gear, at least in my view. Many Radio Four listeners would have no idea who he is or possibly even what Top Gear is...
Fredrik
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
All those who have expressed sympathy for the injured Mr Hammond might consider contributing with their wallets toHeadway, the brain injury charity.
Serious head injury reaps a grim toll, disproportionately amongst the young, and the effects tend to be very long lasting.
Bruce
Serious head injury reaps a grim toll, disproportionately amongst the young, and the effects tend to be very long lasting.
Bruce
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by rupert bear
quote:Many Radio Four listeners would have no idea who he is or possibly even what Top Gear is...
Fredrik
I don't know, Fredrik, I'm sure most R4 listeners are clued-up enough to know what's going out there in media-land even if they don't buy into it. Simpson and Naughtie may be argumentative old buggers who don't let the interviewees get a word in edgeways, but they're not like the judge who hadn't heard of the Stones.
The TG producers are being gung-ho about it but I hope this produces a backlash. The fans I feel for are the kids who watch Brainiac (not that I'd heard of that until yesterday).
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by BigH47
quote:The fans I feel for are the kids who watch Brainiac
I feel sorry for them having to watch that show too!
BTW
Richard has left that show. He is/was in the process of fronting a new show.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Rockingdoc
quote:Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
I think this will be the end of Top Gear in its current form
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Steve S1
quote:All those who have expressed sympathy for the injured Mr Hammond might consider contributing with their wallets toHeadway, the brain injury charity.
Serious head injury reaps a grim toll, disproportionately amongst the young, and the effects tend to be very long lasting.
Is there some sort of moral high ground thing going on here Bruce?
I don't think anyone here is voting for head injuries are they? The fact that head injury is prevalent among the younger people reflects their higher level of activity and relative lack of fear compared to old codgers like me.
Long may they retain this spirit of adventure.
Most head injuries are caused by motor cycle/car accidents or riding/climbing accidents. Should people be prevented from engaging in these activities?
I don't get where you're coming from - except that you seem to disapprove of attempts on the land speed record by people who are aware of the risks.
Don't expect everyone to agree with this rather nannying attitude.
Steve.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by rupert bear
Steve,
Surely the point Bruce, myself and others are making here is that there's the world of difference between Donald Campbell driving a jet-powered supercar on Lake Windermere in the 1960s and Richard Hammond, James May and Clarkson taking their viewers for increasingly dangerous spins in supercars when half the audience used to tune in just to decide between a Fiesta and a Corsa for their next car purchase. Aligning this level of risk with ordinary road driving is what the TG guys have been up to, and it's not nannying to express concern about that.
Surely the point Bruce, myself and others are making here is that there's the world of difference between Donald Campbell driving a jet-powered supercar on Lake Windermere in the 1960s and Richard Hammond, James May and Clarkson taking their viewers for increasingly dangerous spins in supercars when half the audience used to tune in just to decide between a Fiesta and a Corsa for their next car purchase. Aligning this level of risk with ordinary road driving is what the TG guys have been up to, and it's not nannying to express concern about that.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by J.N.
I think this incident illustrates what a high profile TV personalities can attain in some people's lives.
I see something of a parallel here with the huge nationwide outporing of grief over the death of the Princess of Wales. I found this to be somewhat incomprehensible and bizarre.
Richard Hammond is a TV journalist earning a very good living, doing something he appears to greatly enjoy. Sadly, I guess he was at the mercy of our 'bigger louder faster' TV culture, feeling the need to participate in ever more outrageous stunts for 'entertainment'.
What has happened is of course very regrettable, and I'm sure we all wish him well.
John.
I see something of a parallel here with the huge nationwide outporing of grief over the death of the Princess of Wales. I found this to be somewhat incomprehensible and bizarre.
Richard Hammond is a TV journalist earning a very good living, doing something he appears to greatly enjoy. Sadly, I guess he was at the mercy of our 'bigger louder faster' TV culture, feeling the need to participate in ever more outrageous stunts for 'entertainment'.
What has happened is of course very regrettable, and I'm sure we all wish him well.
John.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Hammerhead
I dunno. All this talk of broken hamsters and no mention of donations to the RSPCA 
Get well soon, RH.
Get well soon, RH.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
quote:Is there some sort of moral high ground thing going on here Bruce?
I don't think anyone here is voting for head injuries are they? The fact that head injury is prevalent among the younger people reflects their higher level of activity and relative lack of fear compared to old codgers like me.
I don't get where you're coming from - except that you seem to disapprove of attempts on the land speed record by people who are aware of the risks.
Woah!
I was not making a specific moral point, or any judgement about Mr Hammond or Top Gear. Where on earth did I express my views on the apparent record attempt?
I was just saying that those people who are upset and expressing their best wishes could do so via an excellent charity that helps others with head injury too. Since those people tend to be young and have long term ongoing needs then they deserve your support.
Is that clear enough? No judgement on risk taking behaviour (or this specific event) from me. Risk and adventure push the boundaries as far as I'm concerned.
OK now?
Bruce
PS As an footnote people have always taking/appreciated risk in the name of entertainment. Trapeze artists/lion tamers for example. Keith Chegwin removing his kit....
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by rupert bear
Moved out of intensive care now so of course one hopes for a speedy (sorry!) recovery.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Steve S1
quote:Keith Chegwin removing his kit....
OK Bruce got your point, but hey this really is a stunt too far....
Steve
Rupert Bear,
I think we can credit the TG audience with enough savvy to know what applies on the track and what to do on the road. Smacks of Nannying again. Either that or we ban all sorts of larking about as portrayed in films etc. purely because some may do something daft as a result.
As for half of them tuning into to decide between a Corsa and a Fiesta - not for years. You should see their mailbag when they do too much 'ordinary' motoring stuff.
TG is for petrol heads. No-one else need watch.
Regards,
Steve
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Bruce Woodhouse
Blaming Top Gear for glorifying fast driving is pretty daft really, I hardly think they invented the concept of (predominantly) men having fun with motor cars. Personally I can only take the program in small doses but I can easily identify with the petrolhead concept.
One of the interesting trends of recent years has been the rise of track days, and trackday cars. This is precisely because people do want to hoon around on a track and have fun exploring their skills and their car's potential off the public road. That is an audience that Top Gear plugs into.
I recently drove from the western tip of Skye to Torridon, late at night, in the pouring rain, on winding single track roads and with no wipers for the last hour. In our Caterham.
Motoring can still be exciting even in 2006!
Bruce
One of the interesting trends of recent years has been the rise of track days, and trackday cars. This is precisely because people do want to hoon around on a track and have fun exploring their skills and their car's potential off the public road. That is an audience that Top Gear plugs into.
I recently drove from the western tip of Skye to Torridon, late at night, in the pouring rain, on winding single track roads and with no wipers for the last hour. In our Caterham.
Motoring can still be exciting even in 2006!
Bruce
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Nigel Cavendish
All the Top Gear high speed driving is done on an airfield which has acres of tarmac run-off space surrounded by more acres of grass. A serious accident in those situations would rare indeed - as was this incident.
Motor racing is dangerous, as it says on the tickets you might buy; death and serious injury are rare - you are more likely to die playing (or watching cricket).
Richard Hammond was a skilled driver. What he was doing was not much different from what drag racers do every week-end. He was unlucky, not reckless or incompetent.
It has not yet and probably will never be televised.
What point are some people here trying to make?
Motor racing is dangerous, as it says on the tickets you might buy; death and serious injury are rare - you are more likely to die playing (or watching cricket).
Richard Hammond was a skilled driver. What he was doing was not much different from what drag racers do every week-end. He was unlucky, not reckless or incompetent.
It has not yet and probably will never be televised.
What point are some people here trying to make?
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Rasher
quote:Originally posted by J.N.:
'Top Gear' used to be about motoring for the majority of the car buying public.... It has become a ludicrous parody of itself, whereby everything currently has to be bigger, louder and faster on TV....
And let's not forget blowing up caravans - very useful.
Steady on John - TG may have become nothing more than a manifestation of the presenter's ego, but the caravan blowing up is a public service!
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by limon
The sale of 300mph rocket cars will really drop now.
The man has kids so I wish his family and himself well through this.
You have to ask though how a 'houswives favourite' gets sent to drive a plane with wheels when the only person that can drive on that show don't even get a talking part.
I hope it ends the show now because the two fat over 50 morons on it have just had their lives saved.
It was a matter of time.
The man has kids so I wish his family and himself well through this.
You have to ask though how a 'houswives favourite' gets sent to drive a plane with wheels when the only person that can drive on that show don't even get a talking part.
I hope it ends the show now because the two fat over 50 morons on it have just had their lives saved.
It was a matter of time.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by Phil Cork
quote:Originally posted by Rasher:
Steady on John - TG may have become nothing more than a manifestation of the presenter's ego, but the caravan blowing up is a public service!
Agreed entirely!
Phil
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by toad
The members of Pistonheads.com have set up a website where it is possible to donate money to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity. There's been a great response so far.
Link here: JustGiving
if you'd like to donate.
kev.
Link here: JustGiving
if you'd like to donate.
kev.
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by jon h
toad -- indeed, a fantastic response -- I donated the equivalent of a tankful of super unleaded, as indeed should all petrolheads and believers in those who push the boundaries and have passion in life
Posted on: 22 September 2006 by TomK
I've no interest in cars so don't watch Top Gear. However I regularly watch Brainiac with my sons and admire anybody who gets kids interested in science. He has that knack of making learning fun and we all wish him the very best.
Posted on: 23 September 2006 by rupert bear
quote:Originally posted by jon honeyball:
toad -- indeed, a fantastic response -- I donated the equivalent of a tankful of super unleaded, as indeed should all petrolheads and believers in those who push the boundaries and have passion in life
Jon - while recognising, and thanking you for, your inestimable contribution to the development of the Naim CD system, and also recognising that Julian Vereker's first passion was rally racing, I would say that, for some of us in the 21st century, having passion for life is more to do with saving Polar Bears from total extinction and trying to save what's left of the Amazon rainforest, than driving supercars, or indeed gas-guzzling cars generally!
It's time to realign our priorities, and hope Richard Hammond's children have a world to live in in 50 years' time. And that isn't being alarmist.
Posted on: 23 September 2006 by JWM
quote:Originally posted by toad:
The members of Pistonheads.com have set up a website where it is possible to donate money to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity. There's been a great response so far.
Link here: JustGiving
if you'd like to donate.
kev.
Perhaps it might be a greater act of kindness to donate to one's own local Air Ambulance Fund? They are ALL strapped for cash.
James
Posted on: 23 September 2006 by Tony Lockhart
"Perhaps it might be a greater act of kindness to donate to one's own local Air Ambulance Fund? They are ALL strapped for cash.
James"
We sarted donating to our local air ambulance appeal via their weekly lottery draw and hey presto we won £1000 this week. And no, we're not giving it all back to them!
Tony
James"
We sarted donating to our local air ambulance appeal via their weekly lottery draw and hey presto we won £1000 this week. And no, we're not giving it all back to them!
Tony
Posted on: 23 September 2006 by rackkit
J Clarkson's Sun Article*
Quite a moving piece of writing IMO and good to see an big improvement in the 'Hamster'
*May not interest car haters.
Quite a moving piece of writing IMO and good to see an big improvement in the 'Hamster'
*May not interest car haters.
Posted on: 23 September 2006 by rackkit
Vote HERE if you don't want to see the show cancelled.