I can’t recall who got in touch, out of the blue, sometime in 2009 but it was probably Bob.
During that year the Golinski Brothers flame was reignited and over a period of ten years, four of the most enjoyable, satisfying and energising episodes ensued, each in the guise of a final band reunion.
And now we really have had the final reunion as there can be no Golinskis without brother Bob.
The music should live on however; Johnny, Struck by Lightning, Too Scared, songs penned in creative narrative by Darris but with the major musical input deriving from riff master Bob. These gems would be on my play list if even I had no connection to the performers.
Bob was rock steady. He could hold such a tight rhythm, and it will come as no surprise that he was the least prone in the band to musical mistakes.  
He was also rock steady in real life. He didn’t try to be cool – he just was.
Reliable, generous, amusing.
You can be cool and still be a family man and it was inevitable that after 20 something years when we were first reunited, Bob and Jane were still solid. A great loving partnership, that remained glowing just a few weeks ago, when I was fortunate enough to spend time with them and Ellie and Fran in their Didsbury garden.
The first reunion was not just about the gig at the Prince Albert in Brighton. The rehearsals at “The Premises” in Hackney near Ollie’s place, where we first revived the songs and thought through the potential set list was massively enjoyable.
And a superb evening  before the Prince Albert performance when we took over a restaurant with our families and I was first introduced to Ellie and Fran. (The support from our kids attending the reunions has been a joy)
Then finally there was the gig itself, rammed and sweaty. The opposite of the COVID world we currently inhabit. Guitar as fierce and as melodic as it ever was. Bob was a great musician. Easily pro level. The audience was ready to respond and it was a truly splendid night.
Bob’s departure is so harsh. So unfair. But I am sure he will have left us all with some amazing memories.
Never forgotten.
Huge love,
Al