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Venusian,
Nick Luck is one of the better presenters on our screens at present. To castigate him for being a public schoolboy seems harsh to me.
The most important factor you need to be aware of when seeking a career in racing journalism and/or broadcasting is the huge advantage to be gained by having been a mamber of the 7% who have been privately educated.
People who are privately educated tend to be better educated.
And, in paarticular, they tend to be more eloquent, better able to construct an argument and have a better grasp of grammar.
These are obviosuly good qualities for a journalist to have.
So, you’re going to find a disproportionate number of journos are privately educated.
It doesn’t mean there’s somethign sinister going on.
(publicly educated) Steve<br>
Can’t argue with much of that Steve, but does it make them better racing presenters?
Lou Carvey referred to Weejee Board and Teofilio this morning!!!!!!;)
Colin
Wouldn’t Simon Clare have been in the Christopher Hill era? If Glen is 32 then I might have nicked the last ‘common’ person place ahead of him (along with the Brummie commentator, the Scouse law student, the Geordie bookies’ runner, the Irish charmer and the Bedford juvenile offender). Does that make you feel better?
Only one member of the racing press who went to a public school? Not that it is of the slightest importance, but what about the likes of Julian Muscat, Colin Mackenzie, Marcus Armytage, Ed Prosser, Colin Cameron, Brough Scott, Tim Richards, Pirate Irwin (based in Paris, for sure, but writes about racing), Cornelius Lysaght….!
Fortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of working with any of them! I am talking about the majority of racing press – the people behind the scenes who don’t get the picture bylines.<br>The soaks in the nation’s press rooms make up about 5% of the people actually working in racing journalism.
I agree that public school education is, in general, of better quality than state, but this doesn’ t explain the extaordinary preponderance of ex-public schoolboys in racing journalism.
As for Luck, he comes across to me as a rather slimy individual, no doubt having old Harrovians like McCririck and Wilson already in the business didn’t do his chances too much harm.
And as for the wretched Luke Harvey, don’t get me started! Virtually every day, I listen to his 3 minute Radio 5 slot just before 7am in the vain hope of getting some interesting racing news amongst the deluge of "football chat", only to hear a giggling fit punctuated by drivel. Two examples from the last couple of weeks – "and finally Huntingdon where it’s ideal jumping ground, good to firm, good in places", and (referring to Great Leighs) "it’ll be the first new racecourse in the country since Taunton in 1977".
I think you are being harsh on Nick Luck.
One thing about being a former public schoolboy is that no-one is ever likely to let you forget it if you make the mistake of mentioning it – however self effacingly – even once.
I do not recall Nick Luck ever having referred to this murky aspect of his past, but it has been brought up time and again to shame him as an adult.
Oddly enough most individuals who go to public schools are, er, children and do not have a great deal of say in, or judgement about, the matter.
The remarks about John McCririck – who seems to regard a public-school education as a badge of honour – are fair enough, however.
I have come to miss The Sportsman already. <br>Its a pity the racing layout was so poor in the early days. <br>I e mailed the paper twice requesting the advertising rates and as I received no reply so I telephoned the office.<br>Despite the assurrance that they would contact me I never had any reply. <br>I thought that was a danger sign as most ad departments are on the ball.
Did anyone get a reply from The Sportsman? Maybe you could frame and auction it if you did – they seem to be rarer than hen’s teeth.
When should I put my first edition on ebay, and will it fetch a tenner?
Times are hard
Hiya,
I’d give it a while. A first-day edition I saw on there a year on didn’t get anywhere near a tenner!
Seems to be quite hit-and-miss as to what papers command a price for first editions, doesn’t it – I’ve never seen a copy of the first
Today
ever go for enough to even justify the p&p. Suspect I’ll be holding on to mine for a while longer, then…
gc
PS How very timely of you to dig this thread up, o man of Pilsener – it’ll be five years to the day that the good ship
Sportsman
ran aground next Wednesday. Where does the time go…
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Tempus Fugit, JG
I have the clock my grand-dad wound
Two latin words are on its face
Tempus fugit is what it says
It means time fliesTime it is the wildest bird
It flutters just beyond your reach
It does not argue judge or preach
No time just fliesChorus
Tempus fugit, time flies
The night falls, the wind dies
Tempus fugit, time flies
Wing beats pierce the pitch black sky
Time fliesTime it is a bird of prey
That stoops and strikes your precious things
And carries them on mighty wings
Yes, time fliesBridge
A feathered flash that swoops and glides
The moments of my life wing by
Till in the blinking of an eye
It all just flies, life flies
And time just flies away
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