Bob

I went to university in October 1985. A school friend of mine had gone to Liverpool the previous year and then opted to stay in halls for a further year. I don't think he was very happy at that time and though I spent the first couple of weeks hanging out with him, I was keen to make some new friends.

And then, after perhaps three weeks, I met a group of friends who would turn out to be close to me for the rest of my life (so far). Two of them in particular would have a huge impact on my life. The first was Ash, whose band I joined and from whom I learnt more about music than anyone else I've ever met.

And the second was Rob. Without going into massive detail - after all, it's not my story to tell - when we left university, Rob set up his own business. While this was in itself impressive - he had a history degree and taught himself to write a business plan from a book - I found it almost unbelieveable. I came from a working class family that had morphed into a middle class one and my worldview entirely consisted of working for someone else. It seemed almost outrageous to me that Rob could work for *himself*. And do it very well, too.

I started working for myself three years later but as an IT consultant, so this was hardly the same thing at all. However, I often thought about setting up my own business (which I did in 2004) and I don't think I could have made that leap without Rob showing me that it could be done.

Of course, these influences are not why I've stayed friends with Rob and Ash (or the other university friends) for all these years: they are all smart, charming, loving, funny and excellent company.

In two days' time it will be Rob's birthday, and today he and another friend of ours came up to Kirkby Lonsdale. There was lunch and then a walk along Barbondale, where I took this picture. In the evening we attempted the Kirkby Lonsdale Eight but made the schoolboy error of having more than one drink in some of the pubs and faltered short of the finish. But it was an excellent evening.

PS You might be wondering why the post is titled 'Bob' when his name is Rob. Bob is what I call him :-)