I HAVE been fortunate to come across some notable people in the course of my life, and one of these was Dr Catherine Wills. The epitome of a renaissance woman, she was an art historian, accomplished horsewoman and successful breeder and a generous, energetic and enthusiastic philanthropist.

She made a significant contribution to one part of our industry that is a major void following her death four years ago. She created the Wills Writing Prize in honour of her brother, and I was proud to have been a judge on a number of occasions. The competition produced many noteworthy winners, some of whom have gone on to successful careers in journalism and broadcasting. Another of its esteemed winners was Patrick Mullins.