Jim Clark tribute

Frank Galloway has emailed to say: “We have just returned from a week’s holiday in the Berwick-upon-Tweed area with a visit to Duns and the Jim Clark OBE Motorsport Museum top of our list of places to visit. Following the tragic death of Anthoine Hubert at the weekend – a Formula 2 driver – at the age of 22, we felt that this article on Jim Clark was appropriate.

“The Jim Clark OBE Motorsport Museum is a wonderful tribute to a world champion from Duns who won every trophy in Formula 1 and the Indianapolis 500. His death at 32 years of age in a Formula 1 race was never proved to be due to a clip from a following car, or a mechanical failure in his car that was virtually destroyed. His close friend Sir Jackie Stewart – who officially opened the Jim Clark Museum on August 29 – campaigned tirelessly after Jim’s death for better safety all round in motorsport.

“Anybody who has an interest in this sport should make a visit to Duns and be astonished – as we were – by the great success of a ‘farm boy’ who loved fast driving so much that he made it a career that found him crowned the youngest world champion in Formula 1.

“The whole display of trophies, photographs, and race highlights is topped with an actual Lotus Formula 1 car and a Saloon used on the Indianapolis 500.

“If you are fortunate enough you can sit in the Lotus with a simulator that gives race track thrills, with the driving displayed on a screen for all to see. I was told that I could get into the Lotus but getting out would be real problem so I declined the offer.

“Other places visited in an excellent week were Holy Island and Lindisfarne, Bamburgh Castle, The RNLI Grace Darling Museum in the village of Bamburgh, Alnwick Castle and Garden, and the Berwick Barracks. These Barracks were home to over 700 troops of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers until their departure in 1964.

“Going back to Jim Clark OBE and Duns – the 50th anniversary of his death was given a wonderful tribute of remembrance in 2018.”