• I WAS a great admirer of Eric Gordon, few men have given of themselves to the societies in which they lived and succeeded to make a real difference, (Eric Gordon: Tributes to Camden’s great chronicler as founder and editor of CNJ dies at 89, April 8).

Eric did as a journalist, campaigner, editor, publisher, and writer. I still remember the enormous impact Freedom is a Word had on me, his excellent book whose time has now come.

In a style akin to that of Graham Greene, Eric describes the political turmoil of China’s emerging Cultural Revolution in the latter part of the 1960s and how he and his family became embroiled in the intrigues of international politics and espionage as they lived and worked in Beijing.

Eric Gordon, a then respected British journalist, and friend of China, set out for Beijing in 1967 to work as a polisher of English translation at the Foreign Languages Press accompanied by his wife Marie who would teach at a college and their son Kim.

While working in Beijing, Eric took copious notes for a book he intended to write. His notes were confiscated and he and his family arrested.

For two years they were to be detained without charge in a small room in a hotel during which he and his family would be separated, kept in solitary confinement, then reunited, interrogated, forced to make confessions and reform their ways by learning the teachings of Mao Zedong.

It became obvious that the People’s Liberation Army suspected Eric of espionage. Those were highly volatile times and their guards were unpredictable and sometimes cruel. Would they ever get home again? Few foreigners witnessed the Cultural Revolution so intimately.

Whatever importance he has had locally, in saving Talacre Town Green from extinction or pointing the finger of suspicion at Camden for allowing the developer of the Talacre building scheme on Dalby Street for not collecting some £3million owned to the borough, his influence has been wide and international.

We were blessed that he settled in our small borough and accomplished so much for its community. Rest in peace, dear friend, you have done a good job.

CÉLINE LA FRENIÈRE, NW5