LETTERS
For many of us who were fans of Formula 1 he was the voice and the embodiment of motor racing, which started in 1949 and ended in 2001. I refer of course to the sad news of Murray Walker’s passing. Born in Birmingham, he was one of our own.
From his memorable partnership with the late James Hunt to his infamous ‘Murrayisms’ he was truly a great gent. His passionate yawp and yowl style of commentary was unmistakeable to a generation. Indeed, who can forget his famous remark, “I’ve got to stop now because I’ve got a lump in my throat,” when Damon Hill won in Japan, thus securing the World Championship.
Less well known was his service during the war when he was commissioned into the Royal Scots Greys and took part in the push from Normandy to the Baltic.
On a personal note, I shall remember the Murray Walker I met 11 years ago in Birmingham when I was working on a charity project and he added his support and generously donated a signed copy of his coffee table-sized book to sell to raise funds which he readily did without me even asking.
Thanks for the memory, Murray.
MARK DABBS, GREAT WYRLEY, W MIDS
No grand prix driver but our correspondent Don McLean trying out the V16 BRM’s cockpit
Ienjoyed your BRM V16 article and splendid cutaway drawing [Forever England, February]. In the 1950s I was a student in the Automobile Department at Loughborough College, and one day Sir Alfred Owen arranged to bring a BRM grand prix car for the students “to have a look at”. The delivery driver was a bit doubtful about this, imagining that it would disappear under a scrum of students and when they departed there would be just a few nuts and bolts lying on the ground. For this reason he took the bonnet away with him. I am left with a lovely memory of that day, and the photo [above] of me sitting in the car.