Obiter’s Memory Lane slot often features correspondence to the Gazette’s editor. But rarely are we contacted by the original author across the intervening decades:

Dear Sir,What a surprise to see a letter that I wrote to the Gazette in 1971 being reproduced in last week’s edition (24 February).

As a matter of interest, my letter resulted in the formation of the Law Society Motor Club, which ran I think for about 10 years. Our principal get-together was once a year at a motor racing circuit, where we raced a series of unsuitable cars around a track.

I remember the first outing, which was at Silverstone, and enjoyed the sight of Lord Goodman (who was then a very senior government law officer) screaming round the circuit in a small Renault practically on the door handles, and then pausing for lunch sitting on the running board of his car with a hamper which probably came from Fortnum & Mason, and which included a bottle of champagne to which he treated himself. After lunch he stowed the hamper and went back to see if he could take some more tread off his tyres, and appeared to be enjoying himself thoroughly.

Although I believe the motor club is now defunct, we took part in several relay races as a scratch team. My car, which by then was a Lotus Esprit Turbo, usually expired at the end of 45 minutes when the brakes failed and the gearbox overheated, but we always seemed to finish, even if it was with only with one car running, and I think acquitted ourselves nobly in the circumstances.Jeremy Ferguson

Mr Ferguson goes on to add that since writing his letter to the Gazette in 1971 he has: obtained a private pilot’s licence; ‘represented Norman Scott when he made his famous declaration’; and passed the 50 years qualified mark last year. ‘There is life in the old dog yet!’ he quips.