Bear Grylls OBE

cavemanmike

Active member
::) ::) They'll give them to anyone.
Next thing you know you will be able to get one in a lucky bag(if you remember what one of those are).
Why give an obe to a BRAND.
After all that's all that he is
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
Good and bad.  Apparently he has raised the profile of the scouts and his approach is attractive to young people.  On the other hand his way of doing things really winds other people up.  His trip to Long Churn in flood being one example.

I wouldn't give him an OBE if it were my choice.
 

Wolfo

Member
Typical media tart.
Mostly helpless on the rock, there are some pretty funny climbing videos, showing a world of make-believe (hidden top ropes etc.).
Same to caving I assess.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
He does use the facade to benefit charities a great deal. Give credit where it's due.
 

richardg

Active member
Bear Grylls is one of our great achievers.
It is something I've never been able to reason, the envy that some people feel for other people who do better than them.
Its like the gang of bullies at school who pick on those who work hard towards their future.
Bear Grylls has likewise dedicated his life to bettering himself, and using his fame to raise millions to enable others to have a better life....
Because someone aspires to fame......
Because someone does monumental work for charities....
Is a reason to celebrate.
Congratulations Bear Grylls.
 

Graigwen

Active member
On the way to Ogof Draenen from the south.....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/11409438@N06/48026532417/in/album-72157679947221496/

album-72157679947221496
 

cavemanmike

Active member
I've seen and know many adventurers who are a lot more realistic in their approach to safety.especially when televised,f you glorify it without showing the SAFETY behind it you are asking for trouble.
On a caving aspect you just wouldn't do it.
Or am I just being a tw*t
 

Graigwen

Active member
The Old Ruminator said:
Is his real name Norman Scuttlethwaite ? ::)

In defence of Mr Grylls I must say that I believe his birth surname to be Grylls, even if he has adopted a flambuoyant forename for some purpose.

His father was Sir Michael Grylls, disgraced Conservative MP involved in the "cash in brown envelopes" affair with my old friend Neil Hamilton, another disgraced former Conservative MP.

His father was described in the pages of "The Independant" 4th July 1997 Sleaze Report:-

"Sir Michael Grylls:

A former Royal Marine and son of a brigadier, he served as a Conservative MP for 27 years until he stood down in May, aged 63. Most recently was member for Surrey North West.

The charges: That he was regularly paid by Ian Greer, and he abused his position on the parliamentary trade and industry committee to make profits. He failed to note his relationship with Mr Greer on the Register of Members' Interests and lied to the select committee on members' interests in 1990.

Downey verdict: Sir Michael took non-cash payments from Mr Greer, though it was not possible to conclude that they originated from Mr Fayed. However, he did actively participate in lobbying campaigns organised by Mr Greer.

The MP deliberately misled the select committee on members' interests in 1990 when he seriously understated the number of commission payments he had received. He also omitted to inform them of other fees he received from Mr Greer.

Sir Gordon was particularly critical of Sir Michael's failure to tell the committee about his full dealings with Mr Greer.

The committee's report, which concluded that there had been "no clear infringement of the rules," would have been quite different if it had known all the facts, he said.

"In his evidence Sir Michael had omitted altogether to refer to the direct, regular payments received from Mr Greer or Ian Greer Associates which had the effect of putting Sir Michael on an annual, but undisclosed, retainer with the lobbying organisation. I believe the concealment was deliberate."

Sir Gordon also concluded that when meeting ministers and officials to talk about the affairs of the House of Fraser, Sir Michael persistently failed to declare his interest in Mr Fayed's affairs.

Sir Michael also accepted a commission payment from Mr Greer for introducing him to Charles Church, whose property company had its headquarters in his constituency. This was unacceptable, though there was insufficient evidence to show that Sir Michael solicited business for Mr Greer in expectation of commission payments."
 

Boy Engineer

Active member
So what? I'm not in the least interested in what his father may or may not have done. Is this playing the ball, or the man?

Maybe we all need to look to ourselves, rather than reaching for a stone..... I'm not a fan of the honours system, particularly, but am not sure that we do much to further the cause of humanity by being snippy about folk who choose to play that game, often out of respect for the unsung backroom staff who deserve thanks, but don't always get it.

 

The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
I have no feelings either way about B. G.  I do have feelings about visual deceit. Some TV is so contrived its laughable. I remember an adventure documentary where folk were on a river in the jungle when the boat engine failed.  "Oh dear how shall we get out " they wailed. It then occurred to me that just behind them must have been a bigger boat full of film crew, production staff, medics and ample supplies of food. Oh yes all those sandwiches and bottled water we lugged into The Frozen Deep for three minutes of The One Show. Diving docs are even worse. They usually film the " pre dive planning " after the dive has taken place. All marries up well then but they just have to go over the top re the danger of it all. In the old days they covered my bottle digging. Just bring down your best stuff and pretend to dig it up they said. We did. The Coopers Hole Time Team film was a joke. A tiny bit of marked bone amongst the car tyres " proved " that the cave was home to early man. It probably washed in.  Media does have to play with the truth otherwise it does not work. How far you go with that is the question.
 

AR

Well-known member
I am reminded of something my late grandfather told me about honours; he was put forward for one when he retired from a senior position at the Admiralty's research facility in Sheffield (long since closed) but refused it. He said that "MBE stands for My Bloody Effort, OBE stands for Other Bugger's Effort"....
 

owd git

Active member
On balance of screen 'evidence', and stress deliberately induced in victims for effect; would you want grilled bear at the event horizon, rigging?  :beer:

I'll get my coat!
 

Jopo

Active member
Love him or hate him as you wish. The fault is not his but a honor system which ranks the like of the architect of the 'hostile environment' (Knight Commander of the Order of Bath) with those who genuinely deserve recognition as true servants of the community.

Jopo
 

darren

Member
If the caving world had their very own Bear Grylls, we could stop all this shit arguing.over access rights, youth policy's and young cavers in general.

We would have so many youngsters beating a path to caveing  that  any problems would be quickly solved.

So who on here is willing to be the caveing Bear Grylls?

Don't expect to much help or understanding of the compromises you have to make.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
There may be hope yet
Lazerbeam Productions who I worked with at Cwmystwyth will be filming Martyn Farr and me at Dinas Silica mine for a forthcoming "Hidden Wales".

Martyn will do the diving, I will be doing the talking, each what we are good at.
:LOL:
 

beardedboy

Member
Grylls is his real surname. He studied at Eaton and was later in the SAS reserves where he was trained for unarmed combat.

The 'real' SAS guys call the toffs with no combat role 'Ruperts', a polite but derogatory term.

He was a clear Rupert, it was also clear that he was a bit of a softy. Therefore, he was awarded the nickname derived from Rupert the Bear. It stuck.

Needless to say, in the right circles Bear is not seen as a macho name!

 
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