Robert was very enthusiastic about Hawkwind and wanted to join the band. Nik was happy to oblige.

Robert and Nik both lived in Notting Hill in London with DikMik. Robert was writing for Friends/Frendz magazine, working with Barney Bubbles and Mike Moorcock. Nik and Hawkwind were playing everywhere. Robert came along and, sometimes, Barney and Mike came along too.

Robert worked with Barney on the ship's log that was integral to the sci-fi/metaphysical/mythological/philosophical concept of Hawkwind's 'Xin Search of Space' album. The band did lots of gigs all over. Robert wrote the hit single 'Silver Machine', but was unable to sing it due to his problem. So Lemmy obliged, and, with the success of the single, which went to number two in the pop charts, Robert's Space Ritual was realised. Unfortunately, when the Space Ritual show was being put together, Robert had a nervous breakdown, so the show was directed from the hospital by telepathy, and was put together by the band with Barney and manager Doug Smith.

The show was very successful, toured all over Europe and the US, but Robert didn't go too far afield, playing most of the gigs in the UK and recording the live album, 'Space Ritual Alive'. Same old problem. When Robert couldn't make it, Mike Moorcock used to recite poetry in his place.

Nik and Robert went hang-gliding. Nik had a friend who was a hang-gliding instructor in Bristol, and he was happy to teach them. They went to the downs outside Bristol, and, after much practicing on the simulator. Robert did really well on the real thing - a natural, like. Nik, however, had a few problems, and crashed into the side of the hill, somewhat injuring his leg, not quite such a natural.

He got over it.

During these times, before Jill, Robert had had to leave Pauline, and then had a succession of girl friends. He also wrote several stage productions that were performed during these times, like 'The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice' and the 'Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters' stage show.

In August 1975, Robert won the Capital Radio poetry competition, judged by Roger McGough.

In the autumn of 1976, Hawkwind played a concert at Cardiff castle, which also featured Status Quo, Curved Air and many more bands. Robert performed with the band, looking like a cross between, T.E.Lawrence of Arabia (he was a fan of Lawrence and of Peter O'Toole who played the part in the film) and Rudolf Valentino. Robert was brandishing a sub-machine gun (loaded with blanks, fortunately), and proceeded to fire it off, frighteningly and dramatically from the stage. Awesome!!? Incidentally, this happened to be the last concert that Nik performed with the band in the 70's. Does that sound ominously sinister/prophetic?

When Nik left Hawkwind, Robert recorded 'Quark, Strangeness and Charm', and then formed 'Hawklords', writing most of the songs and co-ordinating with Barney on the stage show. Dave Brock changed the show without reference to anybody else, rendering most of the copious work done by Barney and photographer Francis Griffin as obsolete. Barney said he would never work with Dave again. Sad, but true.

Nik and Bob always stayed in touch. Nik remembers spending Christmas with Robert, and Jill, Mike Moorcock's ex-wife, who Robert was then living with. Robert was depressed, so they all stayed in bed for the whole time, watching Humphrey Bogart movies like the Big Sleep, the Maltese Falcon, and the African Queen. Another time, after Nik and Robert had left Hawkwind, the band played a concert at the Rainbow theatre. Nik and Robert turned up uninvited and gatecrashed the stage during the interval. They performed a duet on 'Master of the Universe' and some of Robert's material, with Robert on the Wasp synthesizer, Nik on sax, and both singing. Mike Moorcock was there, reading some of his poetry. Next thing you know, Robert and Mike were having a full-scale punch-up. They had to be pulled apart. Nik and Robert left in a hurry. Robert and Mike did become friends again sometime later.

Robert and Jill moved back to Ramsgate, where, co-incidentally, Jill's family lived. Nik visited them from time to time. They had a baby boy, who they called Nicholas (after Nik). Jill continued with her painting and Robert was working on his writing in his garden shed (of Lord of the Hornets fame). They seemed very happy, though mostly broke. Robert was receiving no credit or remuneration from the ongoing use of his creative output, which disturbed him. Also sad, but true.