Riding by on his bike, wearing a big grin and hatching plans

My old boss had been bothering me to meet James for a long time, before the pandemic. They’d met at a Virtual Reality event in London and hit it off in the queue. James and I had spoken via email about trying to support an art installation he was developing, but timing didn’t align. We eventually got a coffee in Chichester in the winter of 2022. James recommended an amazing coffee shop, that turned out to be closed when we got there, but we ended up in The Barn, where he jokingly asked whether I voted according to the colour of my jumper (it was cold and practical). Chatting we discovered a lot of common friends, and we became fast friends.

Since moving to Chichester, James was always a constant. Someone with boundless energy, incredibly passionate, and always ready for a hug on the school gates or a pint (dangerous) and a chat. We were trying to set up a project at the cathedral, and I accompanied James for the initial meeting. He was so full of passion about his work and vision that he could barely string one coherent sentence together and kept bouncing off in all directions of all the possibilities. He was so excited. I still expect to see him in a colourful coat, riding by on his bike, wearing a big grin and hatching plans. I will miss him deeply.