Voice of an angel
For many of us fans of Formula One, he was the voice and the embodiment of motor racing that started in 1949 and ended in 2001. I refer, of course, to Murray Walker and the sad news of his passing (Obituaries, May).
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 unmistakable to a generation. 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.
I shall remember the Murray that I met around 11 years ago in Birmingham, when I was working on a charity project and, without me asking, he added his support by generously donating a signed copy of his book to raise funds.
So thanks for the memories, Murray, you’ll be missed.
Mark Dabbs
Great Wyrley, Staffordshire