The death of John Prescott marks the real end of an era in British politics - as deputy prime minister he was a central figure in Tony Blair's New Labour administration.

I met him a few times on visits to the area and at a Downing Street reception for regional journalists, but the encounter I'll always remember was during the general election campaign in 2001.

It wasn't the first time I'd met him. I covered politics for what was then the Evening Star and I'd seen him at an event in Ipswich when he spoke to the local press for a few minutes - but he really was in a rush and didn't really make much of an impression.

But in 2001 he was on a regional tour of seats in Essex. At the time Ipswich wasn't considered as particularly marginal so he wasn't coming here - but I was invited to meet him in Clacton and was told he'd be briefed to talk about some of the election issues in Ipswich and Suffolk generally.

I got to Clacton and was met by his press officer who ushered me into a room in the business centre he was visiting and promised to bring him to me in a few minutes.

True to his word, he returned with the deputy PM - someone who had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly.

Mr Prescott offered me a coffee. We talked for about 30 minutes on a number of issues in the Ipswich area. He'd been well-briefed and seemed to enjoy the interview.

I returned to the office, wrote quite a long piece - there were good newsworthy nuggets he'd given me. 

And then wrote a side piece to go with it about what a pleasant experienced it had been to meet Mr Prescott and about how his combustible reputation was clearly mellowing.

This was published at noon - as was always the case with the Star in those days. 

John Prescott got into a melee after eggs were thrown at him in Wales in 2001.John Prescott got into a melee after eggs were thrown at him in Wales in 2001. (Image: David Kendall/PA Wire)

By 2pm Mr Prescott was all over the news reports for having punched a burly Welshman who had thrown eggs at him during a visit to North Wales.

My colleagues spent the rest of the campaign having a field day about my description of a mild-mannered Prescott coming out just as he was grappling with the egg-chucker!