Johnny Krcmar - great fun to be with

One enduring memory I have of Johnny is of him sitting next to me in the makeshift Reuters office in the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest patiently - very patiently - instructing me how to file using the Telex machine. I’d never seen one before, but Johnny could make out what all the dots on the tape meant and knew exactly where a paragraph ended if he needed to tear it.

He also made sure I kept the women operating the hotel switchboard happy with a constant supply of Marlboro’s best so that they’d prioritise our calls.

I also remember with affection the delicious family meals with him, Petra and the children during our time in Vienna.

A great colleague and great fun to be with. ■