Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV

[Flerbizky]

richards out of intensive care now

Link please....

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Link please....

it was on ITV

 

[Touring Mars]

Article...

Thanks for the heads-up Holdenhsvgtsr, that is good news 👍

 

[Dave A]

Very good news, I'm starting to feel more optomistic for him now. Though we still have to remember head injuries can be very strange and he could seem fine for a while afterwards and then suddenly have complications.

 

[EXelero]

i really really like this guy. he would be my ideal man if only he were taller!
i read in the paper that he almost lost an eye?!

can only hope for a quick recovery for the little hamster!

i wonder if Jeremy Clarkson now regrets making comments of Richard having to use a booster seat under the new laws?

 

[G.T]

I hope all the best to Hammond to make as best a recovery as possible. Let's just hope he doesn't have pernament brain damage to his personality and memory, or worse...

 

[donbenni]

... but where would we be without a bit of black comedy?

What, like The Cosby Show?

 

[TheCracker]

What, like The Cosby Show?

No, he said 'comedy'

 

[Touring Mars]

James May is quoted on the BBC News website ticker as saying that Richard Hammond is talking...

 

[Alex.]

yeah, apparently he sat up n stuff when he saw may

 

[CDailey]

My thoughts go out to Hammond and his family. I wish him a full recovery. 👍

 

[benzoboy]

yeah i wouldnt be surprised if he gets a fear of doing that kinda stuff anymore(the dangerous stuff) and tone down abit

Well, apart from car darts, caravan conkers and things like that, as they don't require him to be in the car, and they only require him to press a couple of buttons

 

[Famine]

Well, apart from car darts, caravan conkers and things like that, as they don't require him to be in the car, and they only require him to press a couple of buttons

Like being inside a sinking car or a car being hit by lightning? Or racing a TVR-powered Land Rover against a jet-kayak around icebergs and silt so fine it can be used to lubricate engines?

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

and passengering in a lambo with jaykay

 

[F1GTR]

And sitting in a car at -40C.

 

[wfooshee]

From that overhead shot I can tell you with no doubt whatsoever that his speed as he went off the track was not even 100 MPH. The car was off power when it went sideways, wasn't quite completely backwards to the original path when it hit the grass, dug in, and took a couple of bouncing tumbles.

I'm not trying to minimize the event, I'm pointing out how much worse it could have been. If it had gone into the grass at 280 or 300, you would have to scroll down from that picture through three of four more posts to see the point the car would have reached. From what I've seen in the reports, the car spun as it was slowing, either brakes uneven or chutes yanking it, bumpy pavement, some combination of all that. The spin soaked up a lot of kinetic energy before the car was in the grass.

Along with everybody else, my thoughts are with him for a good and complete recovery, and a return to the show.

 

[Robin]

Its good now that he is slowly getting better but it will be ages before he takes part totally in the show, he may well be well enough to sit in and be there in the studio for the next series but he wont be doing any driving for ages, not that it will matter for the next series because all of the filming would have already been done...

I also suspect the tone of the show will change for a while especially if he is not there..... I doubt it will be as cheerful.....although Clarkson has already made a joke about his driving on the news outside the hospital, but its all in good spirits im sure...

Robin

 

[ferrari_chris]

Just heard the wee guy has been moved out of intensive care.

I wish him all the best for his recovery, and hope he makes a full recovery and return to Top Gear. The show won't be the same without him

My thoughts go out to his wife, children and family.

Get well soon Hampster!

 

[Famine]

Mrs Hammond told the Mirror: "He's spoken and smiled. It's early days and what has happened hasn't really sunk in for him.


Jeremy Clarkson, one of Mr Hammond's co-presenters on the BBC show, told the Sun newspaper his colleague had got to his feet and walked "shakily" to the toilet during the early hours of Friday.

Walking and talking.

 

[Scaff]

The BBC have however said that the current 'Best of Top Gear' shows have been suspended indefinitely and a decision on the new series is yet to be made.

A BBC spokeswoman also confirmed the final part of the Best of Top Gear, which was due to be screened on 1 October, had been postponed indefinitely.

It would have been broadcast ahead of the new series of Top Gear but the corporation has said it is not in a position to confirm the transmission of the new series.

Source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5372890.stm


In related news Pistonheads.com have set up a donation page to the air ambulance that took part in 'hamster' recovery to hospital (such services are massively underfunded in the UK), and have already raised over £55,000.

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=15103

Get your wallets out (and if you do donate and you live in the UK remember to allow 'Gift Aid' to be claimed).

Regards

Scaff


Although I have not had time to check with Jordan I assume the above will not be a problem as its a registered charity and most certainly not for profit.

 

[GM]

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=15103

Get your wallets out (and if you do donate and you live in the UK remember to allow 'Gift Aid' to be claimed).

I donated £2, I know it isn't much, but it's better than nothing, they need the money.

Edit - Turns out something happened (dunno what, my Dad did it), and it didn't go through .

 

[Sureboss]

From that overhead shot I can tell you with no doubt whatsoever that his speed as he went off the track was not even 100 MPH. The car was off power when it went sideways, wasn't quite completely backwards to the original path when it hit the grass, dug in, and took a couple of bouncing tumbles.

I'm not trying to minimize the event, I'm pointing out how much worse it could have been. If it had gone into the grass at 280 or 300, you would have to scroll down from that picture through three of four more posts to see the point the car would have reached. From what I've seen in the reports, the car spun as it was slowing, either brakes uneven or chutes yanking it, bumpy pavement, some combination of all that. The spin soaked up a lot of kinetic energy before the car was in the grass.

Along with everybody else, my thoughts are with him for a good and complete recovery, and a return to the show.

What seems to have happend is a tyre has blown on the front, the chutes were open at the time.

We don't know what happened in terms of speed no one does, we have to wait until the inquiry has finished.

I think...

He was getting to the end of the run, pulled his chute was slowing down a bit then the tyre went (front left iirc from reports), then hit the grass and rolled when the front of the spoiler dug into the ground.

My Dad has looked at the pictures and has said he doesn't think the tyres were the correct grade, Ie, not strong enough only meant for 200Mph. I hope that's not the case, serious Health and Safety implications otherwise.

 

[DQuaN]

In related news Pistonheads.com have set up a donation page to the air ambulance that took part in 'hamster' recovery to hospital (such services are massively underfunded in the UK), and have already raised over £55,000.

Apparently they have now raised over £250,000 and are buying another helicopter.

 

[EXelero]

i'm sorry if you guys have already covered this issue. i have to admit that i havent had time to read through 87 pages of tributes and well wishes or ideas, but normally when you have a brain injury such as stroke etc, by english law your not allowed to drive for a year and then have to have various checks. this obviously applies for driving on roads in the uk, so maybe he'll still be able to do private shoots in different countries, but it will surely affect some of the stuff he can do for the show SHOULD he wish to return?! (i'm positive he will 'cos of being such a speed enthusiast)
just a thought......

 

[Scaff]

i'm sorry if you guys have already covered this issue. i have to admit that i havent had time to read through 87 pages of tributes and well wishes or ideas, but normally when you have a brain injury such as stroke etc, by english law your not allowed to drive for a year and then have to have various checks. this obviously applies for driving on roads in the uk, so maybe he'll still be able to do private shoots in different countries, but it will surely affect some of the stuff he can do for the show SHOULD he wish to return?! (i'm positive he will 'cos of being such a speed enthusiast)
just a thought......

Quite true, it does however depend on his Doctor's assesment of the condition and the nature of recovery, hamster may well have to re-take his test. Now that would make for a good episode and a few choice comments from JC.

My Dad has looked at the pictures and has said he doesn't think the tyres were the correct grade, Ie, not strong enough only meant for 200Mph. I hope that's not the case, serious Health and Safety implications otherwise.

I have to ask how exactly did he tell from looking at the pictures? Even on road tyres the speed rating is a single letter code (in most cases) and hardy easy to see even if the car has not been involved in an accident, with motorsport or specialist tyres the coding can be quite different or even absent.

Just found this from a BBC archive site from the original news report when the British Land Speed record was set (by the same team that ran the car for Richard) -

"Three hundred miles per hour is really about the limit you can go with current tyre technology but maybe the next barrier will be 350mph."

Source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/821539.stm

Which would seem to indicate that the car was (or has) running tyres fit for the job.


Regards

Scaff

 

[daan]

but normally when you have a brain injury such as stroke etc, by english law your not allowed to drive for a year and then have to have various checks. this obviously applies for driving on roads in the uk, so maybe he'll still be able to do private shoots in different countries,

Even if he's not allowed to drive on public roads for a while, he'll still be able to drive round the track as its on private land. They had a blind guy drive round the track and I don't think he's allowed on the roads....

 

[Dave A]

The nwes is looking better every day for Hammond, he appears to be one tough hombre.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5390598.stm

 

[Wolfe]

From the article l4s posted, I'm confident the Hamster will turn out just fine. I'm really glad.

 

[wfooshee]

My Dad has looked at the pictures and has said he doesn't think the tyres were the correct grade, Ie, not strong enough only meant for 200Mph. I hope that's not the case, serious Health and Safety implications otherwise.

There's no way the tire grade can be deduced from the pictures, there's no way the car owner would have allowed it to run with under-rated tires, and there's no way BBC would have used it with under-rated tires. There's more to this than, "Hey, ya wanna unload that and let's have a go?"

 

[YSSMAN]

Hamster has left Leeds:

September 28, 2006
Richard leaves Leeds Hospital
Richard's doctors say that he is making 'very good progress' in his recovery from last Wednesday's jet car crash.

He was today transferred to a Bristol hospital after a short journey across Leeds in the same helicopter that airlifted him from the scene of his accident.

Richard was laughing and smiling with the paramedics as the transfer took place.

Richard's wife Mindy and their daughters Willow and Isabella have been 'overwhelmed' by support from fans and well-wishers.

We alone have received well over 16,000 emails since the accident from Top Gear readers wishing Richard well - and the inbox is still growing.

A website set up by fans has also managed to raise more than £150,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which airlifted Richard to hospital on Wednesday.

The Air Ambulance service has announced that these donations will help to 'bring forward' plans to operate a second helicopter, which may be named after the Hamster.

Mindy has asked that well-wishers make a donation to the Air Ambulance instead of sending flowers.

* snip *
(same thing we have all read dozens of times)

Good for him. I'm glad to see that his progress has been moving quite well, and it makes you wonder how quickly the show will be able to return from it's current "on-hold" status...