Sir Clive Sinclair, fondly remembered

I was sorry to hear that the inventor Sir Clive Sinclair had died, aged 81.

It's easy to mock the Sinclair C5 (an "electric slipper") and other inventions that failed to find a market, but several can now be seen to be ahead of their time.

Most important, at the height of his career he brought computing into the home at a cost people could afford.

Although I never owned a Sinclair computer, Clive still played a central role in my life.

He was chairman of British Mensa, a society I worked for from 1985 to December 1998 (14 years).

I wasn't a member (I hasten to add!), I was employed as a freelance journalist to edit the society's monthly magazine.

I got the job through Madsen Pirie, founder and president of the Adam Smith Institute. Madsen was secretary of Mensa for many years and a close friend of Clive's.

He persuaded Clive that a non-member might help steer the magazine away from the petty politics that frequently engulfed the organisation.

I did keep Mensa politics out of the magazine but it was always bubbling away and after Madsen and then Clive stood down in the mid/late Nineties I lost my strongest supporters (and my line of defence!) so I left and joined Forest.

I can't say I knew Clive well. Despite his many achievements he was shy and socially gauche with, in my experience, a complete inability to engage in even the most rudimentary small talk.

He had firm opinions on many issues though and if you could get him talking on one of the many subjects that interested him he was happy to share his thoughts.

Unfortunately, aside from politics (he was an avowed Thatcherite), we had no other shared interests so conversation was a bit of a struggle.

That said, he was very supportive and stood by me when many other people didn't.

The last time I saw him was a few years ago (2015). 

Madsen had become a member of the East India Club in London and to mark the occasion he invited a few guests – including Clive and me – to join him for dinner.

Clive didn’t appear to be enjoying himself and left early after some minor disagreement.

It was a bit awkward but not a surprise. To me he seemed a rather restless soul, always looking for the next big thing and never entirely happy.

He once owned a rather grand flat with high ceilings and huge sash windows overlooking Trafalgar Square. 

Inevitably he tired of it and bought something completely different, a modern open plan penthouse with a large wrap-around balcony overlooking Kings Cross station. 

Soon after he moved in he generously agreed to my suggestion that he host a summer party for Mensa members and it was a great success.

If he was initially ambivalent about the event it was because he didn't think many people would want to attend.

What he underestimated was his own appeal. People were drawn to him in a way I'm not sure he fully appreciated.

He also inspired great loyalty from close friends who accepted his idiosyncrasies.

He had a rollercoaster career with enormous highs and some significant lows but I hope the obituaries do him justice.

He deserves to be remembered fondly and that's how I will remember him.

PS. When I get a moment I will post an article I wrote about Clive when he stepped down as Mensa chairman in 1997.

I also interviewed him for another magazine I edited – Capital Account. It was for a regular feature called 'Money Talks' but I'm not sure I still have a copy. I'll check.