Author Topic: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4  (Read 1025 times)

guest7

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Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« on: February 13, 2012, 01:39:28 PM »
This morning R4 put out a programme all about Ernst Degners defection, taking the MZ's secrets with him to Suzuki. It should be available on the R4 website.

GC

Mart

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2012, 10:35:25 AM »
Thanks for sharing that Graham. Very interesting

Steve Lake

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2012, 09:13:35 PM »
Yes, quite by chance i listened to it.... was a well produced program... how often does R4 come out with little gems like this.... I emailed them with congrats.

SteveC#222

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2012, 10:13:32 PM »
I listened to it on Iplayer yesterday and found it very interesting.  I spotted a paperback on the same subject in my local Waterstones before Christmas but I can't remember the author. Typically I didn't bother to pick it up at the time and next time I went in it had gone.  Yes Radio 4 is one of the BBC's real gems, but don't listen to it if you want to get anything done!
Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional!

guest18

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2012, 10:49:27 PM »
... how often does R4 come out with little gems like this....

Quite often in my experience, amongst the best output of the BBC comes from them! :)

Andy M

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2012, 12:08:10 PM »
You've got to love the I-player. Thanks for pointing this one out GC, really enjoyed it.

The "Was Degner a good guy or a bad guy" question is still unanswered mind (and the programme treated it as such). I was fortunate to travel in East Germany in the late '80's and even through the Berlin wall when it was at the holes bulldozed and armed guards permanantly ****ed stage (1990) via a school exchange thing. I can understand anyone not wanting to live there. Real George Orwell stuff that we thought was a bit funny at the time (all westerners were followed by low grade STASI who dressed like flashers and were the only people driving "unmarked" Wartburgs and LADA's rather than Trabants), but looking back it really wasn't anything you'd ever want to see again. To run off with the technology and drop your mates in it though, not great either. I guess we'll probably never know. If he took documents he'd be off my Christmas card list, if it was just himself and his family fair do's.

I still know Germans who don't like to talk about this. You might have one neighbour who was a STASI agent and another who was busy selling information to the US corporation that came in in 1995 and put you all out of jobs. On one hand you have "OSTalgia" from people who liked the cradle to grave not having to think idea and on the other I know guys who would burn every Trabant, Wartburg and MZ they could lay their hands on just so they never had to think about the GDR again. Getting the likes of the BBC to record both sides has to be a good use of our TV tax money.

Andy

andy230

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2012, 03:28:57 PM »
Yeah, brilliant stuff.

I absolutely do not mind paying the licence fee when it comes to this!!  Saturday night telly, however is another matter.

Great programme, I sent it to my (E.German) ex-work mate who was actually doing national service there when the wall came down.  Interesting to talk to him about his experiences that night.

(In fact, he's a computer bod who worked down the corridor who said I like your cafe racer motorcycle (skorp), but why does it say MZ on the engine??)  And thus began a friendship of beer, OSTalgia (or rather my intense curiosity of his youth growing up in the east)

I knew the Degner story from my father, but wasn't aware of the slightly sad (and possibly conspiracy theorist suspicious) ending.

Great program tho.  Cheers

a


guest146

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2012, 07:43:53 PM »
Late as usual, I missed this by one day on the I Player but while searching I found this extra bit of info

Ken

http://mz-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=51112

Andy M

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2012, 06:57:48 AM »
BBC doing it's bit for international relations and the tourist industry too. Interesting that the last chap says he doesn't view Degner as a traitor.

Andy

Steffan

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2012, 07:31:23 AM »
Well he wouldn't would he, I enjoyed it but like that book, it remains an event which engenders a great deal of speculation touted as fact. Did anyone else hear the sneaky disclaimer towards the end.

Well done Aunty though - quirky and off beat, what made her great - shame their isn't more. If there was I might be tempted to pay a license.

Steffan

mini-thumper

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2012, 09:08:49 PM »
Still available here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01byhrg

Not sure for how long though!

Enjoy

Boyd

Steffan

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Re: Motorcycle documentary on Radio 4
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2012, 09:18:01 PM »
Still available here:

Not sure for how long though!

Enjoy

Boyd

Why you leaving the country Boyd?