1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Well, it is very sad news this afternoon that Bob 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:06,039 Speaker 1: Jones has passed away. It is not altogether a surprise, 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: because Bob Jones was getting on in age, and he 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: had actually been feeling pretty unwell and slowing down quite 5 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: a lot, just over the last couple of years at least. 6 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: But still, even though these things happen, and you know 7 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: they're going to happen, it is the passing of a 8 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: great and colorful and larger than life character. Today. Now, 9 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: I can't remember the first time that I met Bob Jones. 10 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: I've known him for close to twenty years. He was 11 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: actually the first person that I saw at my wedding 12 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: on my wedding day, but not for a good reason. 13 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: It's because he was leaving because I was late. I 14 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: thought it was a bride's prerogative, you got to stretch 15 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 1: it out as much as you possibly can. But I 16 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: was that late that he was so cross he was 17 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: actually walking out in protests. Fortunately I bumped into him 18 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: on my way in. He turned around and went back in, 19 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: and then there was there for the wedding. Afterwards, though, 20 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: he gave me a rundown of all the things that 21 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: he enjoyed and didn't enjoy about the wedding, apparently, could 22 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: have kept the champagne and cannopeys going for longer, could 23 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: have skipped the dinner. He gave some pretty unusual life advice. 24 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: I mean, he was not short of an opinion was here. 25 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: And the life advice that I remember most clearly and 26 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: which has proved to be bang on, is when I 27 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: was pregnant with my son. We had a dinner with 28 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: Bob one night, and he spent a very long time 29 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: telling me that my son would wear me out because 30 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: boys are energetic, and that if I had a girl 31 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: after the boy, I'd probably think there was something wrong 32 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: with her, and I might want it to take it, 33 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: might want to take her to the doctor, but there 34 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: would be nothing wrong with her because boys are just 35 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: more energetic than girls. And to bear that in mind, 36 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: and I am bearing that in mind. And of course 37 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: he's been proven right now. I know not everyone loves Bob. 38 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 1: Bob was a very polarizing character. I mean, he punched 39 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: a reporter interrupting his fishing. He launched a party to 40 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: run against Muldoon. He featured in countless court cases. He 41 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: didn't mind rubbing people up the wrong way, but he 42 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: had something that I think a lot of us could 43 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: learn from, and that was a wicked sense of humor. 44 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: He laughed a lot, he played pranks, He enjoyed mocking 45 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: things that he didn't like. He was incredibly wealthy, but 46 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: he was never pretentious. I mean he grew up in 47 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: a state house in nine nine, after all, and he 48 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: was very, very clever. I mean, you go away and 49 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: read anything that he's written, and you would wish that 50 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: you could write like him. Now, of all the people 51 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: that I know, I count myself lucky to have known 52 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: Bob Jones. He's the kind of person I think my 53 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: grandkids will ask me about one day. He's one of 54 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: those characters we seem to have had a lot of 55 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: in the seventies and eighties, but we don't seem to 56 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: make nowadays. And as someone else said, today, New Zealand 57 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: is Duller without him. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, 58 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: listen live to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 59 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.