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An Evening with Murray Walker

Broadcasting legend Murray Walker capivates his audience during a special evening at BU.

Broadcasting legend Murray Walker captivated his audience during a special evening at Bournemouth University, with tales from the F1 racing circuit and anecdotes from his days in advertising.

The voice of motorsports for over 50 years, Murray revved up the crowd on 7 December 2006 by talking about his relationship with former world F1 champion James Hunt, with whom Murray shared a broadcast booth, and his reckoning that Michael Schumacher is the greatest driver ever to take the wheel.

He reminisced about his father Graham, who he was privileged to work with ‘behind the microphone’ during the early days of his career.

He also told how, at one stage when working for the BBC, he used to call races held overseas from a sound stage in London, without letting the viewers at home that he wasn’t actually live at the circuit.

Murray’s ‘day job’ in advertising also came under the spotlight as he spent nearly four years giving the public iconic campaigns such as "A Mars a Day Helps You Work, Rest and Play," "Opal Fruits Make Your Mouth Water," and the seat belt safety message "Clunk, Click, Think" in building up a multi-million pound advertising business.

It was for Murray's success in both broadcasting and advertising that Bournemouth University bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree during a ceremony in November, 1997.

BU’s An Evening with Murray Walker was the third in a series of such activities which aims to bring the community and university closer together.

Peter Alliss, another of Bournemouth's Honorary Doctorates (2001) 'teed off' the series in November 2005, and Bill Bryson, who collected his Honorary Degree in 2005, spent an evening at the University last May.

Proceeds from these activities go to support Alumni Fund Scholarships in aid of worthy students in need of financial assistance. The evening features a buffet reception.

The next scheduled ‘evening with’ will feature the crime novelist Minette Walters on Thursday, 17th May, 2007.

For further information on this and other future events at BU, please email: press@bournemouth.ac.uk.

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