Gordon Martin, British citizen

I was very sorry to read of the death of Gordon Martin. The following story dates back to when I was a Reuters graduate trainee in Madrid in 1971, and is taken from my memoir, Is Anything Happening?, to be published by Biteback early next year.

I once found myself caught up in the midst of a student demonstration in the company of Gordon Martin, then diplomatic correspondent for the BBC World Service. As the grey-uniformed riot police (known as los grises) bore down on us with batons raised, he whipped out his UK passport (then still the black, hard-covered version), held it aloft as if it were a magic talisman and shouted at the top of his voice, in English: “British citizens”.

The police ranks parted as they reached the spot where we were cowering, swept past us and continued on their way, leaving us untouched. Such was the power of those magisterial words inscribed on the inside of our passports' front cover: “Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty…” Or perhaps the police simply did not notice us. ■