Murray Walker - CLUB FRESSINGFIELD OILY RAG - Fressingfield Oily Rag Club

FRESSINGFIELD OILY RAG
        CLUB

      Murray Walker
10th October 1923 – 13th March 2021

          Looking back

Murray Walker at FORC
                     Stradbroke Community Centre
                                  29 April 2014

So much has been said in the wake of his passing that we have chosen to recall, as
our tribute to Murray, his visit to FORC and the events leading up to that memorable
occasion.

Over the years Norman and I developed into kind of ‘Stage Door Johnnies’, hanging
around in the hope of persuading our targets to talk to us, and having done so agree
to come and talk to FORC. You could say trying to capture Murray became close to
an obsession. On a number of occasions we managed to grab a quick word but never
at an appropriate moment to talk business.

Eventually a couple of good friends of FORC – I won’t embarrass them by naming
names – convinced Murray that ours is a serious operation and in 2011 we started
exchanging emails.

Despite his ‘retirement’ from Formula 1 in 2001, there was still a huge demand for
his time for television, interviewing, being interviewed, and awards presentations
and such. Deepest darkest Suffolk seemed a long way to come too for one who back
then described himself as ‘a very old man’!

Eventually, a couple of years later, having having put a convincing hospitality
package together I had the long hoped for call: ‘Steve, alright you’ve convinced me,
I can manage Thursday 29th April next year’ Fantastic! Thanking Murray profusely I
ended by telling him that it couldn’t be better: my 71st birthday! He retorted:
‘Seventy-one! You’re one of the young guys!’ Something for some of you on that
particular cusp to bear in mind!

Having put the phone down I remembered our meetings were held every last
Wednesday! There was no way I was going to get back to Murray to see if he could
change dates. Fortunately the Stradbroke Table Tennis Club were persuaded to do a
swap.

Transport from the New Forest was the next challenge. Salvation was our very good
friend and FORC member, Surrey dwelling and world travelling race marshal, John
Tillott. John needed no persuasion to have Murray to himself for a few hours. Later I
asked John ‘what did you talk about?’ His reply to that silly question: ‘Motor
Racing’.

I arrived at The White Horse to ferry them to supper at Bridge Cottage to be greeted
with ‘Evening Boss.’ En route I learned all about how the Rudge ‘Ulster’ got its
name from father Graham’s success in the Ards TT.

The largest audience we have ever mustered before or since, in excess of 215,
waited back at Stradbroke! It was, as those of you there will recall, a memorable
evening!

I offered Murray what I thought would be a relaxing armchair and coffee table set up
on stage. No need, he preferred to stand, at a lectern, entertaining us for over two
hours.

He told me an eminent chest specialist once told him that people who sat down to
commentate compressed their lungs whereas if you stood up you projected your
voice to a much better degree i.e. louder!

 I’m sure the questions went on as long as his talk. Eventually time ran out and the
presentations followed. After the regulation bottle had been handed over Andy
Kitson presented Murray with his ‘Wingman’ print of Mario Andretti leading Ronnie
Peterson in the Lotus 79’s at Zandvoort in 1978.

Then it was left to me to call a halt to the formal part of the evening.

                     Steve winds the meeting up with a smiling Murray.

Then, as usual the really informal part of the evening got under way with everyone
clamouring for a photograph, autograph, or just a chat.

                             Murray with Barbie Cooper.

We met up with John and Murray for breakfast at The White Horse before they
headed off. One of those occasions when you want to pinch yourself to realise you
were sitting down to bacon and eggs with an icon of motor-sport!

An unforgettable, and sadly unrepeatable event….thank you Murray.