His music was actually rather charming, but mostly I recall the hilarious tales of his youth growing up as the child of party-throwing diplomats stationed in Paris during the 1930s, when Anaïs Nin would arrive late at night, tear off her clothes and dance on the tables.
The boys were less cautious, particularly in their alcohol consumption, but there was still something rather charming about the easy satisfactions that novelty brings – "It's like a penthouse!" enthused one lad, on seeing their dingy set of rooms.
As you trundle up the hill in the illuminated land train to the entrance, it would be easy to be cynical about Gozo's Bethlehem: but it is in fact rather charming and uncommercial.
The interview was thrilling to listen to as it sounded so likely to derail at various points, but it was also a rather charming, complex study of close siblings.
It is like an old friend whose eccentricity has hitherto been rather charming and harmless, but whose behaviour is now more erratic and disturbing.
But Newman isn't difficult — he's rather charming, in fact — and he confesses that he's only recently gotten comfortable with being this direct.
Nürnberger Strasse 50-55, Wilmersdorf; nearest U-bahn, Wittenbergplatz; +44 30 683150, ellington-hotel.com; doubles from €128 Hotel Askanischer Hof Cheaper and chintzier than the Ellington, but rather more charming, is this small, family-run hotel near the Schaubühne theatre.
He also says that the side is "so strong that it makes the remaining tracks — all enjoyable, but rather pedestrian — charming by their association with songs so brilliantly alive", and that it was "astonishing it is consistency".
But despite his tiredness, his earnest integrity seems rather charming.
Unfortunately, I have since changed the photo to a rather charming pic of Elin Nordegren, but you can see what he was hinting at.
