You may not remember Struan Stevenson or Catherine Stihler, but the two Scottish MEPs - along with London-based Claude Moraes - were some of the first MEPs I met as a young journalist.
Taking me under their wing to an extent, they were enthusiastically pro-European, focussed on doing the best for their constituents and sharing an enthusiasm for positive, cross-party politics seemingly long gone in the UK.
As British MEPs prepare for their curtain call, I’ve been reminiscing on some of the current and former members that we’ve worked with over the years.
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For sheer expertise and depth of EU knowledge, Socialist Group deputy Richard Corbett literally wrote the book on the European Parliament (it’s now in its 9th edition).
He and his liberal colleague Andrew Duff were the go-to people if you needed to know how the EU institutions actually worked.
Glenys Kinnock was one of the most formidable MEPs I ever interviewed. Hailing from the thick-skinned, hard-nosed 80s and 90s Welsh Labour politics, she could and would shred unwary journalists for breakfast.
However, she also had a great sense of humour and could always be relied on for a quote whatever the circumstances.
Tory Grandee Malcolm Harbour also never missed the opportunity for a chinwag on the merits of the Single Market.
Despite the Conservative Party leading the UK out of the EU, British Tories such as Malcolm Harbour, Julie Girling and Charles Tannock were always recognised as constructive and hard-working deputies.
For pure passion and rhetoric, few MEPs, British or otherwise, could match the likes of Alyn Smith, Graham Watson, Chris Davies or Caroline Lucas in full flow.
Smith’s rousing “Chers collègues” speech is a fine example – and did his political profile no harm. Meanwhile, Davies’ inimitable style can be found in pages 28-30 of this issue.
Special mentions must also go to Jill Evans, Baroness (Sarah) Ludford, Jean Lambert, Arlene McCarthy, Edward McMillan-Scott, Bill Newton Dunn, Michael Cashman, John Bowis and Liz Lynne.
There are also many more practical, professional and personable European policymakers who will be sorely missed come 1 February.
Let’s hope their absence is purely temporary; Brussels will be a lesser place without them.