If I could combine a few of the people I met in rehab into one person, that individual would probably end up being pretty similar to Stuart Shorter.
Esther and I watched 'A Life Backwards' last night, the story of a human being, as my friend from Highwood House, Paul, would have put it.
Paul didn't like the labels like Heroin Addict, Alcoholic, Street Drinker and would regularly infuriate everyone by insisting on 'human' being used throughout a conversation.
Paul, like Stuart, was astonishingly irritating, Paul, like Stuart was great company.
Last night's drama, based on real events, took place in 2000, the same sounds, news and mood draping over their Cambridge world that were draping over ours in Bristol.
By telling Stuart's story in reverse, the drama successfully explained how he got to where he was, it seems that people who condemn the 'humans' they don't understand or like the look of, think that bit doesn't exist.
Stuart's story was extreme, but not that extreme, I came across every element of it amongst my housemates, just not in one person.
Like I say, roll them into one and they would be just like Stuart, in fact so like Stuart, they would have walked in front of the 11.15 London to Kings Lynn train too.