As the first chief executive of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, I was responsible for developing the first Strategic Economic Plan for the region. I was thrilled when Martin agreed to offer his time and knowledge as an economic geographer to the process. Martin turned out to be a god-send. His expertise and guidance gave the team that were developing the plan confidence in the approach we took. Martin helped us believe and know that what we were doing was up to scratch (and from time to time he nudged us down a better path). Martin’s calm gravitas, generosity of time, and friendliness meant the LEP staff greatly appreciated his numerous contributions. In the end, the Strategic Economic Plan was singled out by the Secretary of State as the best in England, and it went on to deliver the highest per capital funding to the region of any LEP plan. Martin and I continued to be friends, and being fairly new to Bristol, I continued to enjoy his friendship, his insights, and his calm and thoughtful manner. Martin thank you for your generosity and wisdom, we will miss you.