I was saddened to read of the recent death of former Lord Mayor and Alderman Jack Fisk.

I first met Jack when I was chairman of the Bristol Hotels Association in the late 1980s, I was the associations director on the board of the World Wine Fair and Jack was the city councils director.

One year of the WWF there was to be an auction of fine wines conducted by Christie's , and very late on, it was discovered that there was a large bottle of rare South African sherry to be auctioned. This was in the days of apartheid. Bristol, like many other cities, had a ban on South African goods.

On the day of the auction, the media discovered this and tried to contact Jack, being the astute politician that he was, he was never available, when they called his home he was either at or on his way to the wine fair, when they contacted myself or others at the wine fair, he was either at home or on his way.

Jack knew how to play this and no one was able to contact him and the sherry was, I believe, sold.

As a former Conservative councillor, I respected Jack and always enjoyed my brief chats with him whenever we met on a social occasion.

A true Labour politician who will be sadly missed by all who knew him

Philip Cobbold

It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Jack Fisk. Jack was a great friend and colleague.

He was a former member of the Public and Patient Involvement Forum and until his death was an active member of the Bristol Local Involvement Network (LINk).

This followed a long and exemplary career in local politics as a Henbury ward councillor and also as Lord Mayor and Alderman. Jack cared deeply about people but did not suffer fools gladly.

He had a great sense of humour and an almost inexhaustible stock of stories to tell. He and I were of different political views, but never let that get in the way of our friendship. I shall miss the warmth of his friendship and particularly that little twinkle in his eye when he was teasing someone.

Bristol will be a poorer place for his passing.

Chris Windows, Henbury Ward Councillor, Chair of Bristol LINk.