There is a light that never goes out.

And so late tonight the sad news that Nelson Mandela has passed away. For anyone of my generation and with any kind of political, societal and judicial awareness this man was an absolute colossus.

There will be trillions of words written; no doubt billions already have been tonight and I'll write my own over the next few days but for the moment it's just worth reflecting what he went through in his journey to become arguably the greatest human of the last hundred years, maybe ever.

One thing overrides. Having read "long Walk to Freedom" there is no doubt whatsoever that he was an unbelievably forgiving man.

What a human being.