Meeting a hero

It was nice to read Alain de Cadenet’s appraisal of Paul Frère (de Cad’s heroes, April), but a shame about the photo of Olivier Gendebien celebrating the Le Mans win.

My adoptive grandfather was host to Frère in the late ’20s and early ’30s, and when Paul won Le Mans, I – as a racing-mad teenager – wrote to him, care of Autosport, asking if he was the Paul Frère who had spent his holidays at my grandfather’s house in Felixstowe.

I got no reply, but one very rainy Sunday morning in North Harrow our doorbell rang and there was Paul. Imagine a gobsmacked teen, presented with his idol at the door; I was speechless. I reckon Paul was looking for a day of not driving, but he was kind enough to take me and my Dad for a very instructive drive where I learnt to heel-and-toe, double-declutch, change gear without a clutch and how to take roundabouts. All in not a Porsche but a Farina Riley – the only slight downside to an unforgettable day.

I eventually got my Ferrari at the age of 60 and wish I could have contacted Paul again, but by then too many years had gone by.

Sergio Ransford

Via e-mail

Apologies to the many who spotted the Gendebien mistake. It was the right picture, but the wrong crop! Ed