I was shocked to hear the news this morning that Charles Kennedy has died.

The last time I saw him on television – on This Week the week Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister – he seemed in fine health.

I have since read elsewhere that he didn’t look well during the General Election campaign. The death of his father only a few weeks before followed by his defeat at the polls after 32 years as an MP can only have added to his burdens even if he took it well at the time with his joke about “the night of the long sgian dubhs.”

Since his first election (for the SDP) he always came across as likeable – an almost priceless asset in a politician – even decent. The revelations about his alcohol problem didn’t puncture the sense of warmth people felt for him.

He was a man whose instincts seemed to be right. This was exemplified by his opposition to the Iraq War.

Public life in Scotland and the UK is diminished by his passing.

Charles Peter Kennedy: 25/11/1959 – 1/6/2015. So it goes.

This is the earliest I’ve noted poppy wearing since my blog started. For the record the posts were on 28/10/08, 23/10/09, 23/10/10 and 6/11/11.

This is only October 17^th.

And who was it this year?

Why, none other than our esteemed First Minister, Wee Eck, otherwise known as Alex Salmond, on the lunchtime BBC Scotland news commenting on the green light finally being given to the Aberdeen by-pass. On the evening Reporting Scotland a local Aberdeen councillor was also shown with one.

It’s over three weeks till Remembrance Day. I do think they could at least wait until November.