I did not want to protract this controversy any further, but as you have
finally arrived at the point of your annoyance, I will re -address it.
Firstly, I would never insult the memory of such a Lady as Tilly Shilling,
and in my passage I cannot find any indication of even the slightest insult
or ill remark made against her. Judging by the emails I've received,
neither did anyone but yourself on the FOT list, but just in case anyone
else found it disrespectful, please let me know.
Had you pointed out politely, and directly to me (OFF LIST) what exactly
upset you (and I still cannot fathom it), we could have doubtless talked
things through like gentlemen. This would have resolved any upset
immediately, and avoided a multi pronged verbal duel, which ended up with
your reference to the FOT list being 'sexist' and my high tenor reply to
yourself.
As John M. wrote in his last e-mail we Brits, including Tilly Shilling,
have the ability to laugh at ourselves, often in circumstances not easily
understood by those from other lands. I can also assure you that the naming
of Tilly's modification, if it was that which annoyed you, was found as
extremely funny by her - and I'm told that it was used as a heading in
Rolls Royce specification sheets. It was not named by me, - although I find
it highly amusing as well.
I would add that we Brits are never, as a nation, ever unrespectfull to
anyone who has either experienced war or done their part to bring it to an
end - like Tilly and your grandmother, and the tens of thousands of ladies
that worked day and night, and those that lost their lives, in our
factories etc. during the war. The scale of our loss can only be brought
into context for nations that have not experienced total war, or the
merciless bombing of their homeland, by the fact that I doubt that any
single British family in our Isles has not lost a loved one in either one
or both of the 1914/18 and 1939/45 conflicts.
To conclude, I will offer an olive branch by saying - Kevin let's put an
end to any misunderstandings, and get on with what we FOTers do best,
developing friendships and fun through the FOTer group and enjoying the
delights being Triumph people.
As a further piece of history, which we could all learn from, I've included
a favorite poem of Lewis Dawtrey, which he included in a lengthy paper he
wrote called 'Some of the Problems we meet.' Lewis Dawtrey, as enthusiasts
will know, was probably the finest Design Engineer at Triumph. He was also
a delightful man, who was patient, careful, and known as the finest
gentleman in the Company and would never offend anyone. His paper is some
84 pages long, and was written in the 1939/40 period about some of the
technical problems involved with the 'perception' of engineering problems
during and after the war. Typically, he recognised that his colleagues
within the Institution of Automobile Engineers might see things in a
different way to himself. Thus, he included the following poem in his paper
to highlight how very different we all see and judge things.
THE WISE MEN AND THE ELEPHANT
It was six men of Hindustan,
To learning much inclined.
Who went to see the elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation-
Might satisfy the mind.
The first approached the elephant,
And happening to fall
Against its broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"Why, Bless me! but the elephant
Is very like a wall".
The second feeling at the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an elephant
Is very like a spear."
The third approached the animal,
And, happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hand,
Thus, boldly up he spake:
"I see," quoth he, "The elephant
Is very like a snake!"
The fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about its knee,
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he:
"Tis clear enough the elephant
Is very like a tree!"
The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said, "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most:
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant
Is very like a fan!"
The sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the elephant
Is very like a rope!"
And so the men of Hindustan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong;
Though each was party in the right,
They all were in the wrong!
Paul
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