Peter Jackson

I don't own a Swiss army knife and even if I did I doubt I would be as talented as Pete was with his.

I attended the funeral today of a truly remarkable man. Peter Jackson or Professor Pete as I affectionately knew him was a physicist. When I was younger after i'd overheard adults talking I thought he had a "double degree" but it was in fact a degree, PhD and who knows what else in physics. He really was a master of his subject.

I met Pete through our shared love of Motorsport, his sons karting like I was. But Pete was different to all of the other karting dads, for starters with his long white hair and pipe he wasn't cool like some other dads and his old motorhome which he had replaced the engine in about 5 times was dilapidated to say the least. But the stories he told and the way he entertained as we were sat around a BBQ in the pits was enthralling even as a young boy.

But it was in my teenage years when I first started to understand the genius of the man. During one such evening session discussing the days karting Pete had mused that if a driver could alter the length of his exhaust as he was driving it would increase performance. The next day he built a contraption that did just this. It only lasted about 3 laps but boy did it work. Variable valve timing on a 100cc kart engine, built in a garden shed. The guy was brilliant!

Pete had two Jaguar XJS' but only enough running gear for one. He spent his time driving one while repairing the other then swapping the running gear between them. What a brilliant hobby!

RIP Professor Pete, you will be missed.