Almost 20 years ago Bob and I travelled from the North West to Portsmouth. Not a music tour to the south coast. Rather, we were co-defending in a case involving a speed boat, some illicit cargo and a brush with the authorities. The case had its comical moments (the judge was a commodore who our clients insisted on calling “captain”) but my overriding memory of it is that of Bob, in our hotel, night after night, talking of his beloved Jane, sharing stories of his children, playing his guitar, his warmth, his love of life and his utter unparalleled coolness. Bob was both a gentleman and a gentle man. You never walked away from a conversation with him, without feeling better about life. He was the best of men. It was a genuine privilege to have known him. My deepest and sincere condolences to his family and closest friends. Ian Unsworth