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Peter Moss: a life on the move

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Family and friends of Peter Moss, killed by the Marrakesh bomb last week, have paid tribute to the "inspirational" and "passionate" travel writer.

Mr Moss, a former Hasmonean School pupil and a long-time writer for the JC, was among 16 victims killed by a remotely-activated bomb at the Argana café in Djema el Fnaa Square in the city's old quarter last Thursday.

He had booked a last-minute four-day trip to Morocco on Sunday, leaving the following Tuesday and travelling alone.

His daughter, Lucy, 29, from Maida Vale, said: "I heard about the bomb on the radio and we tried to get in touch with him, but couldn't and were worried. On Friday mid-afternoon, the police came around and confirmed what we had feared."

Ms Moss, who works in travel PR, said her father had influenced her career choice.

"We grew up travelling and went on some amazing trips," she said. "We are very proud to be his children and his passion for life is an inspiring legacy."

Mr Moss, a member of New London Synagogue in St Johns Wood, was a coach for his 26-year-old filmmaker son's football team, FC Team. He previously taught sports at Rosh Pinah Primary School and performed stand-up comedy shows at various venues around the world. His son, Gideon, said: "He was the fittest player in the squad and even played for us when the team was first formed.

"Dad had a massive passion for films and watched them ferociously. It was on a trip he took us on to Kenya when I was about seven that I first used the family camcorder to make a film and was captivated from then on."

Stuart Lustigman, chairman of the Maccabi Masters Football League, which Mr Moss played for, said: "I was fortunate to have known him and I will always remember him for his individuality and unique personality."

Former JC travel editor, Jan Shure, said: "Peter Moss was a leading contributor for a decade, always bringing a very personal perspective to any destination he wrote about.

"He wrote with an artless fluency, his thrillingly vivid and beautifully structured prose bringing to life the cities, countries or hotels he experienced.

"In a citation in the British Press Awards, where he was a runner-up in 2001, for his JC writing, he was praised as one of the UK's finest travel writers 'with an unmatched eye for detail'. He always brought huge enthusiasm to his craft. He liked nothing better than to plant himself in a café, people-watch and make notes. It is a tragic irony he died almost certainly in search of something fresh and sharp to write about Marrakesh."

At the time of publication, the family were still waiting to hear when they could hold the funeral. Moroccan envoy Princess Lalla Joumala wrote to JC editor Stephen Pollard to say she had read the "moving tributes" on our website and promised "rapidly to bring those responsible to justice".

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