When I was about ten years old I wrote to Patrick Moore after seeing a meteor and he sent me a lovely typed letter back explaining it was a Quadrantid and encouraging me in astronomy. It seems he wrote to back everyone who wrote to him - who can imagine how much time he must have spent a day doing this? How incredibly generous.
I saw him lecture at the Leas Cliff Hall in March 2003 (photo below) and despite being in his early eighties still managed to keep on his feet for well over an hour. I asked him what his favourite moment of his career ha been, doubtless a question he had fielded hundreds of times, He replied it was back in 1959 when a Russian probe transmitted live on air the first image of the far side of the moon.
At the book signing afterwards, remembering the Room 101 Paul Merton interview, I asked him if he was still tormented by cockchafers, insects he detests. He smiled at said "they'll get me in the end, you know."
RIP Patrick, a hero to me.
