Eric Thomas had an elusive quality best described as “presence” — the kind that draws people in like moths to a flame.
It may have had something to do with his commanding height, upright posture and impeccable clothes and grooming. Or it may have been his gale-force laugh, which was often audible from the other side of the building — it was said of Eric that you could hear him before you saw him.
But most likely it was the energy and intelligence he radiated, matched by his charm, openness and zest for people and life.
Taking charge as vice-chancellor and president of Bristol University in 2001 was not easy for Eric. Under his predecessor, Sir John Kingman, the university had cemented its longstanding reputation