No, my first encounter with Bob was not a romantic one. Way back, sometime in 1971, while negotiating the corridors of Maidstone Grammar School it was only our shoulders that ‘kissed’. In time-honoured schoolboy fashion Bob and I squared up to one another, each, I suspect, desperate to avoid escalating the confrontation beyond a bit of adolescent bravado. As we parted, respective honours intact, one of my classmates whispered, “You know who that was… Bob Golinski!” He had a reputation for being tough, so having survived this first encounter unscathed enhanced my own reputation no end! Yet from that day onwards we were only ever good friends. I came to realise that Bob’s apparent ‘toughness’ was really just a quiet self-confidence, unusual in boy of that age. What he did have was an aura that drew people to him, a quality he retained through his life.

A few years later Bob’s musical journey began. In the group that coalesced around Bob at school it was required of each to become the resident muso for a particular band or artist – Bowie (me), Alice Cooper (Doug), ELP (Nick) – and it was entirely in character for Bob to alight upon Led Zep. We put these musical influences to good use, forming imaginary bands, planning lavish concept albums, and then splitting over ‘musical differences’. Of course, Bob had an advantage over the rest of us in both having an instrument and being able to play it. He also had the talent, dedication, charisma, and the right name, to make being in a band a reality. It was such a thrill to see my old schoolfriend rocking various sweaty pubs in Brighton and hear John Peel eulogise over The Golinski Brothers on national radio.

Although our life paths diverged – me meandering happily to Bristol, in the mild mild west, and Bob on a more focused career trajectory to Manchester – we always stayed in touch. Stella and I have so many happy memories of times spent with Bob, Jane, Ellie & Fran back in the South East at Christmastime or during numerous holidays together. Bob was always great company; interesting, entertaining and fun. It was astonishing to me how much he fitted into life, holding down an incredibly demanding job, pursuing his music, socialising and being a devoted family man.

If I have one regret about my friendship with Bob, it is that I was a useless fisherman. During the course of several fishing trips, Bob, with his customary patience, tried to tutor me in the art of fly fishing. All to no avail. In a role reversal of Whitehouse and Mortimer it was Bob casting ‘tight lines’ and landing the fish, while Paul was floundering around losing his footing on the riverbank. Never mind, it was lovely way to spend time together.

Farewell old friend, I’ll never forget you.

Swifty.