Greetings, dear lovers s of most old machinery!
Tthe crew of Classic Bike Guide, wretched, giddy, drunken fools we may be, hope you are all happy, healthy(ish) and dealing with what the world throws at us, while still planning your rides, tinkering in the shed, buying projects and not, in any way, hitting that dusty old bottle of sherry at the back of the cupboard…
I must start by sharing the sad news of the passing of Graeme Murray Walker OBE, ex- Formula 1 commentator, at the ripe old age of 97. It was sadly too close to deadline to get anything in the magazine, but Murray, born in 1923, played a massive part in my growing up, as he probably did for many of you. He was my excitable preacher on a Sunday, and in the days of just four telebox channels and no other input of information, his words, no matter how muddled up or wrong they may have been, were gospel to a young racing fan.
Only years later did this funny man, so often the butt of James Hunt’s japes, shoot even higher in my estimations as I discovered not only that his father, Graham Walker, was a racer, TT and Grand Prix winner for Rudge, also racing for Sunbeam and earlier, Norton, but he also was editor of Motor Cycling magazine, which is selfishly something I like to remember when journalism is looked down at so often these days.
And following in his father’s footsteps, Murray himself was no slouch, competing in circuit racing and winning a gold in the ISDT (International Six Days Trial) and SSDT (Scottish Six Days Trial) on a Norton 500T. Even when his world orbited around four wheels, he made no secret of the fact two wheels were his love. He will be greatly missed and for your exuberant commentaries, faux pas and excitement, we all thank you, Murray.
We have been looking back too, with two small photos emerging of my grandmother and grandfather, on a trip to Walton on the Naze, Essex, in 1934 and sitting on another Royal Enfield, a small two-stroke. They were based in Dovercourt; sadly the reg number no longer exists, but it’s a lovely reminder of old times and a lady that whilst fierce, had, for better or worse, much to do with how I’ve turned out – I hope she would approve of a life of bikes, dirty fingernails and oily jeans!
That’s it from myself, got to move a harmonium – don’t ask. So here’s to a good read and hopefully we’ll all meet up here, same time, same place next month.
Be good