Without a doubt, Vidal Sassoon, whose death has just been announced, was a really lovely guy. I interviewed him a few years ago and was astonished when Sassoon, rather than take refuge behind a usual retinue of "people" and hangers-on, made all the arrangements for the meeting himself, phoning me up, just like a regular human being. This was unusual behaviour for a celebrity, but Sassoon was unusual. A fierce anti-fascist and lifelong fighter against antisemitism, he didn't just talk the talk. He was a mensch who never forgot his roots. Baruch Dayan emet.
