I worked with Bob back in the 80s when he was Assistant Secretary and I was Chair of Camden Nalgo. We were fighting privatisation, cuts, closures and attacks on equality, launched by the Thatcher government and resisted to varying degrees by the council. it was an exhilarating time to be an activist, with thousands turning up to branch meetings and tens of thousands to national demos. The arguments within the union were fierce but Bob always managed to be the calm voice in the storm - he helped me so much, showing me how to step back when needed. He seemed to have less ego (or manage it better) than the rest of us, so the disputes never got personal when he was around. he played a crucial part in building a very passionate, inclusive and committed community fighting to protect local rights.

At the time he was working as very low paid assistant in care homes, so I was mightily impressed with his trajectory from there to the Bar, a real testament to his capacity for hard work -  and Jane's support, of course. We all stayed in touch when he left London, especially when I moved to the north of England, but I regret letting work take up too much time to keep visiting. My loss.

I will remember Bob as a funny, kind, gentle man who dearly loved his family, who are in my thoughts.