Taking prisoners: Roo

I first met Roo the day after the Sept 11 bombings in 2001.

I don't think this is simple co-incidence.

I don't think it's fate either.

Roo is one of those people that you'd be stupid to let go once you've found him. So I never have, despite his various attempts at getting away from me, that have included temporary emigration to Italy for 18 months (the swine!).

Were it not for Roo, then the world would be without my infamous drinking story (often re-told when I'm drunk as a reminder to myself never to get that drunk again). To sum up a horrible tale of regret in as few words as possible, Roo got me very drunk, took me back to his house and watched me vomit in his wok. I could dress the story up in fancy language, but those are the bare facts.

Roo is a journalist. He knows about art. And unlike Jon, he genuinely is posh (he even had a double-barrelled surname til one half of it dropped off a couple of years ago).

I have to thank Roo in particular for his patience as the sound failed on our first recording so we had to do it all over again.