Clare Hollingworth was my mentor and gave me confidence when I joined the Guardian – a greenhorn and virtually the only other female foreign correspondent. On trips to Hong Kong in later years as diplomatic correspondent, I always saw her: she took me under her wing and introduced me to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, where she was the acknowledged queen, and hugely respected and loved. Chris Patten, the last governor, was a great supporter of hers. She was an indomitable force and always a generous and loyal friend.
