Friday 9 April 2010

Farewell, Colin the Fishperson

Colin 'The Fishperson' Robb
13 December 1963 - 29 March 2010

I've no idea why he was known as 'The Fishperson' but I met Colin first when he was, I think, still a student of something computery at the University of Surrey way back in about 1987.  He was a bassist and it was through him that I ended up playing saxophone with both Holy Durex and Steel Bill and the Buffaloes.  It was a time of huge enjoyment, with lots of gigging and even recording.

After college, Colin moved back home up north and ended up as someone quite important in Hewlett Packard, but still played bass in local bands.

I hadn't seen Colin for a number of years and it was only a matter of months after tracking him down on Facebook that, in November 2008, he announced he had been diagnosed with Oesophageal Cancer.  All cancers are bad, but that's a particularly bad one to get.  He started his own blog to keep people up to date with progress and I was constantly amazed at how upbeat his posts were.

He was a man with a very fine sense of the absurd and surreal, and with a distinct penchant for dressing up.  I will leave you with a montage of pictures that show how I'll remember him:



Colin has shed his skin and left the building:

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two posts in one day? YOU are unstoppable now!

Kella said...

Didn't know the guy but it's always hard to say goodbye, so I'm thinking of you at this time.

Anonymous said...

He must have been quite a character! It is tragic when someone dies so you; at least you have some great memories of him.

A Woman Of No Importance said...

What a man, what a sense of humour - I'm very sorry for your loss Mrs Jones, and for the loss of Colin The Fishperson, a true English eccentric and now other-worldly Lord xox

peevish said...

I'm so sorry, dear. That is yet another crap part of growing older: we start losing our friends. He sounds wonderful. You are blessed to have known him.

Mrs Jones said...

Anon - like I said, I will post if I actually have something to say and, rather sadly, in this case I did. Normal service will be resumed, don't despair.

Kella - Thank you.

Alienne - Indeed he was, and he was only 6 months younger than me which is VERY scary.

Ms No Importance - I really love your description of him as a Lord of the Other World - he'd have liked that...

Peevish - It is, indeed, a factor of growing older. I think I'm up to six so far, and the number will only increase.

Anonymous said...

Oh Bollocks ah? I'm so sorry, he looked a real good bloke to know.