I was truly saddened to hear of David's death: it's not so long since I spoke with him over the 'phone. We worked together for some years when I first came to Liverpool, under the aegis of the Romark project, and I visited him at the LSHTM on a few occasions. I greatly valued his knowledge of the subject, and especially antiinfective agents. He understood so well the vital importance of physicochemical properties in medicinal chemistry, a message which can hardly be overstated. At a personal level, he was a delightful man to work with. I shall miss him greatly. Andrew S.