Gary Watkins

Written today: the words Suez Canal and Ferdinand de Lesseps - but not in the same story. Surely a first for me!

Here's the story of how the Ballyjamesduff circuit came to be - and then not be. From the pages of @autosport circa 2017. https://t.co/Jg8tEXk5Cj You can also read about some other street circuit oddities: Palanga, Zhuhai, San Luis and more. @Josemivn @frentzen_hh @norramot https://t.co/iIrMTbLKEV

Hands up who thinks major 24-hour races should start at the top of the hour? Reckon it should be written in the FIA International Sporting Code @24HoursofSpa

Nice touch to round off a lovely and heart-rending tribute to my old mate Dave Price, the great 'Pricey', at @SilverstoneUK yesterday. The DPR Ralt RT3 in which Johnny Dumfries dominated British F3 in '84 - in sponge and marzipan https://t.co/XVZU0LV9IH

Spotted this on a double yellow in London! Was wondering if the clutch-release bearing had gone again. Great to see the car that should have given @MrDerekBell a sixth @24hoursoflemans win - and to celebrate his 80th birthday in the building just out of shot - @RoyalAutomobile https://t.co/KtohChFgQZ

Hope some of you are enjoying a similar view today @Brands_Hatch for @GTS_GTWCEurope Rare trip to outside of Hawthorns yesterday for me. https://t.co/991qSEmf9k

But always thought it was a shame that the @johnnyherbertf1 Festival win didn't generate more sales for Quest - even with an advertising campaign like this! https://t.co/D6tOHBInFB

Was great to talk to @johnnyherbertf1 @DerekDaly500 @janmagnussen & @wayneboydracing about their Formula Ford Festival victories for @autosport https://t.co/4nokkHuqs0

This pic illustrates the importance of the Formula Ford Festival yonks back. @DerekDaly500 got his trophy from newly-crowned world champ James Hunt in '76 and 18 months later was on the F1 grid with him. https://t.co/6HfvR1sTGI https://t.co/t4rOHRFlvv

Hearing a Buffalo Springfield song on the radio brings back memories of the 1996 ITC. For What it's Worth was a pretty left-field choice for the paddock PA play list. Reckon Norbert Haug had something to do with it.

A mention for @mallorycircuit on @bbc5live courtesy of @JackNichollsF1E Who would have thought? @andrewbensonf1 sounds bemused. Wonder if he ever went to Mallory when he was on the @autosport mag club desk.

Covering North American sportscar races ain't going to be nearly so much fun now that the fast-talking Doug Fehan is leaving @CorvetteRacing https://t.co/oLPGXFBD0p Never fell out with him, but printing some of the things he said made me fall out with others!

Sad that @BMWMotorsport has parted company with Schnitzer. Will remember the good times, its successes and my chats with the much-missed Charly Lamm. Reckon it's a toss-up between the V12 LMR and a Ravaglia/Pirro M3 for my favourite Schnitzer racing car. https://t.co/srUj8jGsE4

It's almost dinner time at @BAH_Int_Circuit for @FIAWEC, so good to know that @keatingcarguy is properly attired out there in his @Project1_93 Porsche https://t.co/l1iF7zZ0bg

Here comes the Goodyear airship. So happy to have it back here at @24hoursoflemans . Reminds me of days at British GPs in the first half of the 1980s. Wish we had a Harrier jump-jet, too, just like Brands Hatch 1980 https://t.co/SYT9nie2Tj

Thierry Boutsen still has one of the brake discs that somehow went the full distance at the 1990 Hungarian GP. It's translucent in places. Managed to persuade him to dig it out at end of @autosport Race of My Life podcast with @james_newbold https://t.co/1jSqTIFtkJ https://t.co/4lZNb5CI5d

The eagle has landed! Postie must follow me. https://t.co/fr3zlQL5z6