Bill Turnbull was a comparatively-rare example of a celebrity who moved to Suffolk not to escape from the media spotlight but to become part of his new community.
One of his reasons for moving to a quiet village near the coast was his love of beekeeping. He accepted he was not the world expert on the subject - but his passion for it and his willingness to talk about made him a brilliant evangelist for it.
His love of the Suffolk coast prompted a deep concern about plans for Sizewell C and its likely impact on his own village and all the other communities in the area.
That led to his becoming a committed and eloquent opponent of the proposals - and he played a leading role in local campaigns, often chairing meetings that expressed opposition.
I met him at a Sizewell protest meeting in Theberton church where he was certainly among friends. The people at the meeting all seemed to be on first-name terms.
Afterwards we had a long chat - as a journalist he knew what I was looking for and we also chatted about some personal things as if we were old friends even though we'd only met briefly once before.
It wasn't just Sizewell though. He once hosted the EADT Business Awards. He was once the official starter for the Heritage Coast Marathon run by the local Rotary Club. And he hosted conferences on other community subjects.
Everyone who met Bill seems to have the same impression - that he was as nice and pleasant off screen as he was on.
Terry Hunt, former EADT editor, said: “Bill was guest speaker at the EADT Business Awards in 2017, and he sat next to me during the evening.
"He was a delightful man, completely untouched by fame, and he certainly didn’t take himself at all seriously.
“He never forgot his journalistic roots, and was always very kind and helpful to local journalists when they contacted him. I was always impressed by that - and very grateful to him!
“He absolutely loved Suffolk, and certainly wasn’t one of the celebrities who moved to the county to hide away. He threw himself enthusiastically into community life, and was a very familiar face around the area where he lived.”
And leading anti-Sizewell campaigner Alison Downes said his support for their cause was vital in helping to make their case: "Bill was a great supporter, mentor and friend. He helped us in so many ways and always made time to chat about the campaign.
"His journalist’s ear missed nothing in our messaging! We know he and his family would want us to fight on against Sizewell C and we will, with all our hearts, to honour him."
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