ONE of my sporting highlights of the last few years was heading to Silverstone to be among the punters that watched a tremendous 2011 British Grand Prix.

To be stood at Vale and watch the drama of Lewis Hamilton passing Felipe Massa for a superb last-gasp fourth capped a brilliant, albeit muddy, weekend.

Motorsport is not everyone’s cup of tea and I’m not one of those that spend my weekends watching Formula 3 on MotorsTV. But I did enjoy being taken to Silverstone (where Uncle Des was a marshal) and Donnington in my youth, watching the likes of John Cleland, Will Hoy, Alain Menu and Joachim Winkelhock bombing around in the British Touring Car Championship.

They are family occasions, not just gatherings for petrol heads in garish caps and team t-shirts. So it would be great for Gwent to benefit from the planned £280 million Circuit of Wales in Ebbw Vale, which was backed by Blaenau Gwent councillers yesterday.

Hopefully the remaining hurdles will be passed and the circuit can deliver plenty of sporting memories as well as jobs and an economic boost.