Dr Bob Purdie: Author, historian, activist

Earlier today I made a call to our local hospice to arrange to drop in and see my friend Bob Purdie. I was told he had passed away a little earlier. I feel rather sad that I didn't get the opportunity to say farewell.

Bob was known locally as an SNP activist, and was political education officer for Kirkcaldy branch. But he was very much more than that. I have used as my Blip his recent book examining the political life of the great Hugh McDiarmid, Scotland's foremost poet of the twentieth century in my opinion.

He was a fine political historian, and indeed the backcover of the book contains erudite comments from two of our mutual friends, historians Owen Dudley Edwards and Chris Harvie.

Bob had many friends. He was to the radical left within the SNP and counted amongst his political acquaintances Tariq Ali whom he brought recently to hold a meeting in Kirkcaldy.

I'll miss his wit, compassion and radicalism.