Eddie Barber/Fred Grimwade Airgun World

[AllanM]

Does anyone know if Eddie Barber and Fred Grimwade were one and the same?

[Geezer]

Always assumed they were different people. Is someone telling you something different?

[Hsing-ee]

They are the same person. That's why the names aren't anagrams of each other. Fred Grimwade, the fictitious character, prompted me to buy a Hammerli 401 in .177, the favourite rifle of my youth. Eddie Barber on the other hand, sold me the kit that I 'tuned' it with but miserably failed to sell me an Airgunaid SP5. So imagination beats reality...

[Gareth W-B]

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I knew Eddie Barber (the man mostly responsible for launching Air Gun World -- AGW -- Magazine), and his sizeable family (as did our Terry Doe). Ed and I lived on the same estate. I also visited Ed's shop AIRGUNAID, regularly, too, and although they maybe don't stand the test of time, am a major league fan of the AIRGUNAID SP-5 .20 cal HUNTER which he developed along with Don Grey. Eddie Barber was also instrumental in the development of the HW35 based Vixen range of tuned rifles, along with the air gun Legend Norman May.

Without stretching a point too far, imho it is fair to say that Eddie Barber was an integral part of the development of the U.K. Airgun scene ... I also know the true identity of Fred Grimwade, the AGW scribe, but after 30 years, do we really want to possibly dispel any possible myth? For reference the Grimwade family lived on our estate, too (true), and Ed and Fred were friends. But did Fred really write the articles that accompanied Ed's in AGW? I know the answers but I choose not to tell, so let's leave this here, please? Atb: G.W-B

[Hsing-ee]

I only met Rod Lynton. In spite of being a bit of a fibber he was a very nice bloke and let me have a go with a then-technological-miracle Sharp Innova, which he had fitted with the super-cool x3 Colt compact scope from an M16. It was awesomely accurate and light as a cricket stump.

[AllanM]

The reason I asked was because I was looking through some old Airgun World magazines and I found an article in the September 1979 issue by Fred Grimwade which shows a very neat little "one-off" CO2 rifle powered by 2 X 8g soda syphon bulbs.

I would love to know if the rifle is still around so on the off chance I googled Fred Grimwade and some of the postings suggested Fred Grimwade was a nom de plume of Eddie Barber who, I know, died quite a while ago (1990?)

[MartynB]

I found an article in the September 1979 issue by Fred Grimwade which shows a very neat little "one-off" CO2 rifle powered by 2 X 8g soda syphon bulbs

That sounds very interesting

[TonyL]

I only met Rod Lynton. In spite of being a bit of a fibber he was a very nice bloke and let me have a go with a then-technological-miracle Sharp Innova, which he had fitted with the super-cool x3 Colt compact scope from an M16. It was awesomely accurate and light as a cricket stump.

You met and show with Rod?

Blimey, he was this starry-eyed teenager's idol and I used to love reading his articles (even though we now know that they were sometimes somewhat "embellished"). I'd love to have the time to dig out a load of old copies; from memory his pellet testing series, the three way test of the HW35, FWB Sport & BSF B55 in the first Airgun World Annual and woodland test of the Air Arms Bora stand out.

Indeed, as I have said many times in the past, the launch of Airgun World changed the world of airgunning forever and I'll be eternally grateful to those intrepid pioneers who made it possible.

[MartynB]

Indeed, as I have said many times in the past, the launch of Airgun World changed the world of airgunning forever and I'll be eternally grateful to those intrepid pioneers who made it possible.

Yes, agreed, I remember buying the very first copy in W H Smith in Highcliffe where we used to live