Moving tributes to Russell Johnston

The Inverness Chronicle has a very full report on the funeral of Lord Russell-Johnston, including the full eulogy delivered by Lord Steel, of which this is the first few sentences:

Russell would not have wanted this to be a sad or over-solemn occasion. Yet we are all left still with a sense of shock at his sudden departure. Judy and I had spent our last evening with him before setting off on a week’s holiday cruise. He spoke warmly of his own leaving two days later for a holiday in Paris. We had known him since student days in Edinburgh, so we spent the evening reminiscing over a bottle of wine – well maybe two bottles – actually to be honest it was three. Judy had in fact joined the Liberal Party after hearing one of his speeches, just as Jim Wallace and so many others later did.

He said he was going to take three books with him: a trashy novel, John Stuart Mill on Liberty, and my autobiography. I told him I was not very flattered –“You mean you have never read it?” Crushingly he responded: “No, I had better things to do”. Yet I see his name 23 times in the index.