The Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force led primarily by the United States and The United Kingdom in order to return Kuwait to the control of the Emir. The war proved a one-sided affair in which about 100 of the coalition forces were killed as against nearly 200 000 Iraqis. As were most of the left, Rowland was against the Gulf War which he perceived as having little to do with the sovereignty of Kuwait and everything to do with oil.

We were determined that it would be a surprise. His Durham and Stirling family, his work colleaques, the Chilean community, his political and personal friends, everybody turned up.

Rowland was an accomplished bridge player. Although these photographs were taken in 1997, he actually learned the game in 1980. His partner was always May Chipulina and their adversaries invariably Alan Pow and me. Over a period of about 15 years we played almost every friday night keeping a meticulous record of all our rubber scores including slams, Yarboroughs and other oddities. I really miss those games.

THE CHILE COMMITTEE ON SWEDISH TV. PATRICIA INTERVIEWED ON CHANNEL 4. In October 1998, General Pinochet, the recently retired Chilean dictator was arrested in London for the many crimes which he had committed during his dictatorship. When Swedish Television decided to make a documentary of the affair they interviewed Patricia Pizarro, a member of the Chile Solidarity Committee in Stirling.

With Pinochet still under house arrest, Chile Solidarity and other like-minded committees organised a London protest march to try to persuade Jack Straw and the British Government to allow the General to be extradited to Spain to face trial.