News
Of the recent obituaries in the national press of Murray Walker, who has passed away aged 97, many make scant reference to his motorcycling career, while one called it ‘underwhelming.’
Well, to most people, winning a Gold Medal in an ISDT, and a first class award in the Scottish Six Days, as Walker did in 1949 (as well as the being part of the winning club team) is anything but underwhelming – but then Walker did so much more, too.
Born Graeme Murray Walker in Birmingham in October
1923, Murray was the only son of Graham and Elsie. Graham being, of course, Graham Walker, works racer, TT winner, team manager, then editor of Motor Cycling magazine for nearly 25 years. It was only natural Murray would be interested in two wheelers.
After serving in the Tank Corps during the Second World War, Murray started racing with limited success, then switched to trials, collecting a first class award in the 1949 Scottish Six Days Trial, before his ISDT outing. But he soon switched to talking about the action, rather than being part of it.
Murray Walker covered over 200 Isle of Man TT races for the BBC, as well as scrambles for ITV and the BBC, before his breakthrough into Formula 1 and establishment as a household name. He last covered the TT in 1974, but continued to commentate on the British motorcycle GP for the next 20 years.
Until 1982, as well as commentating, Murray held down a ‘day job’ as an advertising executive – handling the accounts for big companies, including
Mars and Esso – before he devoted himself fully, for the next 19 years, to the commentary box.
Though he retired in 2001, his voice remained instantly recognisable, while he was a familiar presence at events
(often accompanied by wife Elizabeth, who survives him) including the Sunbeam MCC’s Graham Walker Run, where he would chat happily and amicably while presenting the prizes and enjoying the fact his father, his own hero and inspiration, was being so well remembered.
Like father, like son, Murray Walker won’t be forgotten.