Celebrating the life of Bob Jones

Round about now, people have gathered in Wolverhampton to celebrate the life of PCC Bob Jones who died three weeks ago. Clearly there are going to many people there from across his many interests be they CAMRA, local politics and policing of course. I would have been there too, had I known before this morning that the service was happening. So in the absence of my presence, I felt moved to write this blog. 

Firstly, I would commend to you this moving tribute by his Deputy, Yvonne Mosquito: Celebration of the Life of Bob Jones (here). Please read it, all of it. Whether you knew Bob or not, you will be moved by her words. Would that we all could have someone say of us "there was no misalignment between what he believed, what he said, and how he acted". 

I have already written my tribute to Bob  (here) on this blog. But I have been reflecting some more on what I learnt from Bob, from meeting him a fair number of times over the last twenty years and reading many articles by him:

• Be who you are
• Stand up for what you believe in
• Have the courage to challenge, courteously and clearly
• Listen closely
• Look for the 'inside track' and hidden implications to what is being proposed
• Respect and support the police, officers and staff, as they have an extraordinarily difficult task to perform
• Smile when you don't win, there will always be a next time 

I am going to miss Bob and his wisdom massively. My sincere thoughts and sympathies are with his family, his friends and all who are grieving his exit. (And as requested by his family, this blog is wearing red in his honour.)