RELATIONSHIPS

John Lydon & Nora Forster, married over 30 years.

‘Now there’s a saucy girl,’ he grins. ‘It’s love, you know. I’ve always loved that woman. And she knows it. When we met we didn’t expect to get on. We’d both been told the other was a bad ‘un. But blimey. Sparks flew. It was instant attraction. And that’s never gone. I never expected to feel like that. I never thought I was in any way attractive. Or anyone’s idea of a good date.

‘It’s volatile, the marriage. Which one isn’t? Nothing better than a good, full-on row. Get it all out. Say rude and nasty things. And then be sorry. Genuinely sorry, afterwards. But you know I can’t think of a better woman on God’s earth than Nora. If we ceased to function as a couple tomorrow there would be no one else. Not ever. I mean it.’

I had no idea and why should we know about our musicians partners, wives and girl and boyfriends etc. but this struck me as brilliant as quotes go. He came to Oxford to do a signing after I had left Blackwell's Book Shop but those that went really enjoyed it and said how lovely he was which I wasn't expecting from 'Johnny Rotten' I think I was actually too scared to go but have most recordings or certainly the classic ones, the Sex Pistols album and PIL's Metal Box