I got Mike Cole on the phone and apologised gracefully to him. Fortunately he does not spend time on social media, so he was blissfully unaware of my faux pas. He seemed well and was busy with Christmas visitors, so I promised to call in January for a longer catchup.
David Barker of the VSCC, located in Derbyshire and a friend of the "other", now sadly deceased, namesake, put me wise: and he did know there were two, unlike me. Serves me right for doing the good neighbour bit between VSCC and Lancia MC.