Jane first introduced me to Bob (at that stage they were not an item) in York Bar at the University of Sussex towards the end of our first year.  My first thoughts were what a devilishly handsome chap he was, also very charming and modest.
 
Being the organised person that she is, Jane had identified Bob, Darris, Ray and I as suitable housemates for a house she had found in Freshfield Place in the Kemptown area of Brighton.  As a household we stayed together (with an occasional transfer, most notably Bethan) until after we graduated.
 
We had a lot of fun staying in and going out.  I remember (mostly) many forays with Bob and other co-tenants to various Brighton pubs and mornings-after breakfasting in the local greasy spoon.
 
I seem to recall cooking duties were shared although I can’t remember anything that Bob, or I for that matter, cooked.  Our efforts probably paled into insignificance when contrasted with Jane’s Sosmix (TM)(C) based recipes or Ray’s Cabbage Crumble (whose formulation is now inexplicably lost to humanity).
 
As evidenced in multiple surviving photos, dressing up became a not infrequent evening (post pub) entertainment.
 
Bob always had his guitar in his room and the Golinski Brothers got going quite early on which added to the general household excitement.  I remember once accompanying them from Brighton to the Moonlight Club in Hampstead and back travelling in the back of a Ford Box Transit rattling around with all the music gear, oh how we laughed in the face of Health & Safety!
 
Bob called time on his Sussex academic career and did a stint working in a fine china shop, he was undoubtedly one of the finest Royal Doulton salespeople of his generation and would enjoy mimicking the diction of his most well-heeled customers (not to their faces of course!). Subsequently he worked in an old people’s home.  After explaining to me what he did in one of his shifts the word “manual” will somehow never be the same again.
 
After Sussex we dispersed, all initially to London, where Bob Got Law Done.  Subsequently we enjoyed visits from Bob, Jane, Ellie and Fran to his teenage family home in Flimwell East Sussex and see favourite haunts from his youth.
 
We’ve stayed in touch over the years and it is so sad to have seen him for the last time only a few weeks ago.  His stoicism was notable and together with Jane and the girls we had a very ‘normal’ feeling afternoon which in the circumstances was remarkable.  I’ll always miss Bob but I feel so very lucky to have had him as a lifelong friend.