Losing the toss!

Sir,
How much I enjoyed reading “A Thing of the Past” (Motor Sport, April 1989). It brought back many happy memories of the International Trophy and British Grand Prix meetings in the Fifties and Sixties — I never missed one. The sight of Jaguars, Zephyrs, Falcons, Cortina GTs, etc, driven by the likes of Salvadori, Hill, Parks and Hobbs, coming round Woodcote on the proper circuit is a sight I will never forget. I am writing this letter having returned from today’s International Trophy Meeting at Stalag Luft Silverstone. Yes, the racing was fast, but I am afraid processional and boring. In successive order, the Formula Three, saloon and Formula 3000 races were each won by a leader who was never really challenged from the green light. Behind came a crocodile of cars virtually identical (apart from the advertising decals) in shape and size. In the saloon race there were ten Sierra RS500s in the first ten places! I left disillusioned during the Formula Ford pile-up. What with the high fencing everywhere, the £14 admission charge and the go-faster tat being sold behind the grandstands, the big Silverstone meetings ain’t what they used to be!

It was a toss-up on the day between the Silverstone or Prescott meetings. I now wish I had taken the Cheltenham road with my memories of Silverstone in days long gone. Am I getting old?

Tony Barrett, Butlers Marston, Warwicks