I was very proud to have given a tribute to Bob at his funeral on 5th August 2005. The text reads as follows: Despite a feeling of loss and of a great void in my life at this time, it also fills me with great pride to be allowed to pay tribute to Bob today. Bob Izzard….. My friend! If we had all day to speak about Bob’s life and all that he went through and ultimately achieved, then we might touch the surface, but to speak about his character would be a lot simpler. In fact it was his simplicity yet strength of character that made him so special to me. There was no front to him at all. He simply was a friend to everyone. He never looked below the surface. He had a big heart and was never afraid to show it. Bob was often misunderstood by other people, but being a man of no hidden agenda he would retort ‘What you see is what you get. They’ll probably feel differently tomorrow’ There is a saying...... ‘never trust a man with a weak handshake’. Well, if that were the case you could trust Bob with your life!!! His bone crushing handshake was testimony to the warmth and sincerity of the man. When Bob and I were baptized together some 20 years ago, he waited for me in the backroom afterwards and as I entered, he beamed a big smile and threw his arms around me into a bear like hug which will always stay with me. I had the pleasure of knowing Bob for the last 22 years of his life and like all lasting friendships, there were ups and downs, but one thing that always remained was Bob’s unswerving loyalty. In fact of all his attributes his loyalty was perhaps the greatest. There are so many anecdotes I could tell you about Bob and again we haven’t got all day: Bob the competitor: Who would stay up half the night playing on his computer trying to master the next level on the ‘chukkie egg’ game. Who’s competitiveness even spilled over into his love of Indian Food, whereby he would have to order the hottest dish on the menu just to prove it could be eaten. If we were playing best of three at pool and he had lost 2 -1. He would pause and say… ‘Tell you what, we’ve got a bit of time left… let’s extend it to best of 5!’. But Bob would almost always win in the end. He always played to win, not only in games but life in general. Bob …Mr Indestructible. Whatever scrapes he got himself in, he always seemed to pull through. I remember at about 4 am one morning being woken by the phone. It was Barbara. Bob has had an accident. When we got to the Bristol Royal Infirmary there lay Bob with numerous breakages. He just held his hands up and looked at me as if to say.. ‘That’s another fine mess I’ve got myself into, but I’ll be ok’. And he was. Bob …The determined Whenever the chips were down he would pick himself up and walk with a stubbornness that could only be Bob. Bob the gentle giant: who was always willing to lend a hand whatever the price. who children would always make a beeline for. I’m sure Ray won’t mind me repeating his words about Bob which were published in last weeks paper. ‘He was a big built man, but he had a very big heart. He was a friend to everyone.’ My friend Bob, Our friend Bob was larger than life. I’m sure if we were all to close our eyes and think of him we would see and hear him as clearly as if he were standing here now, and for that reason he remains with us. Bob Izzard remains with us.