I had the great pleasure of knowing Rob since the early 90’s. Throughout the next 20 years I was lucky enough to share many experiences, meals, holidays, bouts of DIY, conversations, bottles of Rioja and most of all laughs with him. The aspect of Rob’s character that impressed most was the sheer effort he put into life. Rob was the hardest working person I’ve ever met, and he put everything he had into everything he did, often leaving people (certainly me) wondering where on earth he got the energy from. His lists of jobs were legendary – never to be written on proper paper (a waste), they ended up on the back of crosswords, down the edges of newspapers and pretty much in any available white space. This tremendous level of effort applied in all areas of his life – not just work, but family, relationships, entertaining and leisure. An epic drive from Nottingham to his home in Mojacar in 1993 was just the start of realising just how much Rob put into all his endeavors. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much stuff crammed into one car, and that was before he started packing the fridge in. Two days in a car with some people would be a struggle; with Rob you were never once bored. I can never see a Repsol sign without hearing his adapted version of ‘Roxanne’. ‘Rep-sol…you don’t have to put on the red light’. Everyone who knew Rob will remember his sense of humour and big laugh. It brings a smile to my face just remembering watching series after series of Have I Got News For You with him. There’s no doubt he was the teller of some truly awful jokes, but the telling and accompanying grin would have you in stitches anyway. Rob was a massively generous person. He loved entertaining, and whether it was a simple meal or a birthday feast, you were assured of, again, a big effort. Rob had a huge circle of close friends, and will leave his mark on many people. He was one of those rare individuals who are confident in just about any social situation, and more than that, the type of person who could make everyone feel included. I always thought of Rob as a true gentleman. The best definition I could find is ‘a man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated’. If to that you add ‘giving, ‘inspirational’, ‘thoughtful’ and ‘loving’, you’ll be a lot closer to a true description of Rob. I never looked up to someone as much as I did him. I’ll always miss you Rob, and I’m glad that the sheer breadth of talents and interests you had means that there are reminders of you at every turn. I’m sure somewhere there is a jobs list underway, a wall being moved by two inches, and a joke being told in a slightly dubious accent…