From Richard: I got to know Mel back in 1997, when I joined the DTI's finance division. He had been there for a couple of years and helped me settle in. I always found him a helpful, reliable and friendly colleague - the ideal sort of person to have working in your branch. He moved on to another part of DTI, as it was then called, two or so years later. Our paths did not cross again until 2015, when I bumped into him, along with a friend from his film class, in the foyer of the Ritzy cinema at Brixton. We were both about to see a Joel Edgerton film called "The Gift", a psychological thriller, which we both enjoyed. We met for lunch along with our mutual friend Ken on regular occasions. It was clear that Mel was making the most of his retirement, with frequent trips abroad and visits to the theatre. They were always enjoyable and in fact we last met on 3 March, which makes what happened so much more of a shock to the both of us.