Plenty of stories abound about Sir Ed but my favourite factoid is that he's in the Auckland phone book.

Can you imagine anywhere else in the world where someone that famous retains his phonebook listing?

I heard an interview with him not long ago where he said people would send him $5 notes (he's on it) and ask him to sign them. Quite often they'd forget to include return postage, but rather than sending them back $4.50 in change, he'd sign the note and return it and pay for the postage.

He'd also get school kids ringing up to ask him questions but in typical curmudgeon style "they tend to ring at tea time". He's answer their questions though.

The PM's called him a colossus. I can't think of a better way to describe him.