My friend I first met James in 1971 at the Lucas Aerospace company in Hemel Hempstead where we were both graduate trainees. James wife-to-be Jo was a university friend of my wife Joan and we often went out in London as a foursome. James was a bit of a car fanatic owning a Mini Cooper S and other such semi racing cars. One particular memorable event was a weekend away in Littlehampton. James and Jo turned up in James' property development company car, a 7 litre Oldsmobile with a front bench seat so wide all 4 of us could sit in front. Heading down through country lanes to a hotel the question was not if there was room for two cars to pass but was the road wide enough for the car to drive down at all? There followed a succession of cars including a Pontiac Firebird. James was forced to slow down a bit after a tragic accident with a company car and a railway bridge. After the accident on his arrival at a hospital he was initially thought to have died and was sent to the mortuary - on arrival at the mortuary door someone noticed a tiny movement and so James was sent instead to A and E and after a long stay in intensive care he eventually recovered. By buying and renovating a succession of properties the family ended up with a five bed house in Golders Green and no mortgage. It was typical of James that he did it his way - living in the houses at the same time as ripping them apart. I well remember visiting his house where the first two stairs consisted of a breeze block and a oil drum, an arrangement which continued for a few months. The arrival of Gregory and Andrew only temporarily slowed James down. Jo went back to work as an archivist while James was one of the earliest stay-at-home dads. Once while up a ladder fixing a guttering, he felt a tug on his trousers. Gregory, tired of playing below, had climbed up the ladder after him to see what dad was doing! James was a lifelong supporter of the underdog, or at least undercat, picking up strays and waifs including three legged cats. Always kind to his neighbours and the old he will be sadly missed.