Rod was one of those writers it was impossible to dislike, however successful he became, because reading him gave you so much pleasure. Rod was one of those writers it was impossible to dislike, however successful he becameWe didn’t always get along. He reviewed the play for the Sunday Times – ‘a witless amalgam of knob jokes, bum jokes, tit jokes, single entendres, buggeries and blow jobs’ – and vowed to punch me in the face if he ever saw me again. Rod was a passionate animal lover, particularly of birds, and often railed against blood sports in his columns. He didn’t just talk the talk, either, standing as a candidate for the SDP in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland at the last election.