Steve…I first met Robert when Tony Dyer and I organised the first forum get-together at Duxford back in January 2003. Tony contacted Robert and asked him if he would come to the get-together and give his renowned presentation on the making of the film, and Robert very kindly agreed.
If my memory serves me correctly, 20 something forumites attended that day. I remember vividly, sitting at the back of the room listening to Robert, and horrifying realising that all the forumites were deadly silent…”my God!” I thought, “they don’t like it!” (Afterwards, Robert said exactly the same thing to me, as did his wife, Joyce!) Robert thought he was “preaching to the converted” but we need not have worried, as we eventually realised that all were transfixed! I shall never forget that first forum get-together, and I believe that the forum spirit/camaraderie/sense of belonging we now have, really began that day.
I did not know Robert very well, but in the few short months that I knew him, he was always friendly, helpful, thoughtful, kind, considerate, and welcoming. It is all too easy to throw about words like these after the death of someone, but Robert truly merited these words in my opinion. The last time I spoke to him, he telephoned me all full of excitement, to tell me that MGM had finally decided to add “The Making of The Battle of Britain” documentary to the forthcoming DVD (Robert had one of the very rare original prints of the documentary, and he passionately wanted others to be able to see it and enjoy it – as I am sure you all do when you watch it on your DVDs of the film :))
Becka
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