Robert was a very good person - he devoted his life to helping others, first as a teacher and then as a lawyer, He was very committed to history from below: I still remember his first birthday present to Penny was E.P>Thompson's History of the English Working Classes. He suffered a lot in the last few years but was always very dignified. He and Penny really loved each other. It is so terribly sad that to lose him so soon after Paul.

Robert was a very kind and supportive member of our family and also a great friend and political ally. He was very knowledgeable and we had some interesting discussions. We also had many good games of scrabble. He was a wonderful husband and father and was heartbroken when Paul died. I will miss him ver much.

Robert was a gentle, good humoured and scholarly man – his passion was history, on which he read widely and was enormously well informed. We had a lovely trip to Cromwell’s house in Huntingdon fairly recently and he was a brilliant guide. He was a wonderful lifelong companion to Penny –as my mother said when they lived with her ‘never a cross word’! As the hold of the horrible Parkinson’s grew, Robert retained his humour, his friendliness and his dignity. I admired him so much for this, and Penny for her constant support. He was such a valued member of our family and will be very much missed. Frances

We are thinking of Penny and all Robert’s family at this sad time. May Robert RIP.

I'm terribly sad and shocked to learn of Robert's death. We were Cambridge contemporaries and he was always a loyal and solid friend. He contributed hugely to society in very many ways, always seeking the good of others. His was a life well lived and he will be missed by very many. With love and appreciation of this. - Tom Lowenstein

Sorry to hear that Robert has passed away. He was always very hospitable whenever I visited Paul at Rock Road and the historical debates were always fun. He will be greatly missed. Deepest sympathy to Penny and family.

Robert was a lovely and kind man, and the love he and Penny shared was very special. You could often see it in the way they talked to and looked at each other, and Robert left this world in the loving arms of Penny. Robert was also known for his intelligence and broad knowledge, his preference for a greener and simpler life, and for his love of Scrabble. I am grateful to him for always being kind to me during the countless summer vacations I spent with him and his family, and for even letting me stay for months on end during the hardest times of my life! Thank you Robert and may you rest in peace!