I remember Dennis fondly. He was a great colleague and I very much enjoyed his company. And I remember the twinkle in his eye so well. Although I didn't see him once we'd both retired, I enjoyed the occasional email from him supporting my work in the Lords. What a loss.

Although I joined the sociology group at Loughborough after Dennis had left, he continued to contribute in many ways. He was always thoughtful - kind and generous - as well as thought-provoking - creative and intellectually stimulating. He helped to make the department such a welcoming place to work.

Dennis was an extremely creative and productive historical sociologist. Each of his books - and there were many of them - made highly original points. He was a genuine intellectual who loved the interchange of ideas. I had many discussions with Dennis and was privileged to receive his twinkle as he made his points. I should also add that Dennis was unselfish and had great integrity as a head of department. He was an old-fashioned academic in the very best sense: enjoying new ideas and respecting old values. And, of course, that special twinkle lit up the corridors of Loughborough's department of social sciences.