I was lucky enough to have Alan as my first news editor when I started as a trainee reporter on the Observer in 1984. His relaxed and friendly manner belied his razor sharp mind. He knew every dodge and every excuse used by young reporters hoping to cut corners here or there in order to better employ their time chasing members of the opposite sex, drinking beer or otherwise getting into scrapes. Whenever he was trying to size up the information you were giving him or assess a situation, he would suck on his (frequently unlit) pipe. Invariably this would supply him with the necessary insight and he would discharge you, or the problem, with a pithy phrase. I won't quote the exact words he used on one occasion when 20 minutes before deadline he received a telephone tip about a murder. I think it's enough simply to say he was held in the utmost respect by his colleagues and peers. To have Alan as your teacher was truly to hit the jackpot.