James Eley

Donations in James’s memory to the Dogs Trust.

Gratefully received £1,336.62

Thoughts for James.

James Eley or Rat Boy, Bro, Littlebro, fatty or Ginge, a different nickname for each different group of friends. He loved life. He was always where the action was with his cheeky grin and his daft hat. Always helping and always taking part, he liked late nights and even later mornings. A lady’s man, they seemed to swarm round him. He was a part of the team who built the legendary giant spud gun, and so many other crazy projects, so much fun.

He loved people and people loved him, he had so many friends spanning all ages and all walks of life.

Like his Mum he just made friends at the drop of a hat.

He had a special bond with his dad Tony, Sarah his step mum and me. But he had an exceptional bond with his mum Tessa. She brought him up so well, on her own sometimes. James was a real credit to her.

As well as all of his other friends and family he had two special friends at Lasham ‘Q’ and ‘Gayl’, they were like brother and sister to him. Q will be speaking at his funeral. They took him to his first gig, ‘The Parlotones’, a song by them will be played for reflection during his funeral service. They took him point to point racing, they introduced him to the local band ‘The Standardz’ who will be playing at James’s memorial party. They took him to his first ever motor race and so many other things. They loved him and he loved them. He was their ‘Littlebro’.

He loved animals, his cats Dusty and Inky, he cried for weeks when they died. He loved his dogs Bouncer and Dylan. He had a special way with them, he could always get them to behave, no one else can.

He was doing a college course in motor mechanics and doing very well. Though I suspect he would have grown up to be a successful businessman. At school he bought boxes of sweets and sold them to his mates. He and some of his friends also caught loads of crayfish in the local river and sold them to the fishmonger.

He loved fishing and shooting and had all the gear, a lot of it very expensive, some of it paid for with birthday and Christmas money but most paid for with money he earned by working at three jobs.

As well as his main hobby’s he also took part in many other activities and he always turned out to be really good at them. Photography and playing poker are just two that spring to mind and although he was very good at it he was never daft enough to play for money.

He just started his driving lessons and the driving instructor told him that because he already knew how to drive he had saved himself a lot of lessons. He had learnt to drive at Lasham airfield driving the airfield trucks and buggies.

He loved his music, much of it complete rubbish to the ears of the older generation, but isn’t that always the way? The music for his funeral service is music that he loved. Not only did he love modern music but he had real appreciation for classic (not classical), music from the past. He did not play any instruments except the recorder, and weren’t we glad when he got bored of that. I think that he probably would have liked to play the drums and I suspect he would have been very good at it.

Whilst he was mostly an outdoor boy he did watch a lot of TV. And he knew all the words and jingles to the TV adverts and quite often sang along. He loved funny films ‘Paul’ and the ‘Jackarse’ series of films being his favourites. He pretty much knew all the words to all the episodes of the TV series ‘Friends’. He also loved the ‘Simpsons’. He and I always recorded the Grand Prix and watched it together when we got home after the weekend at Lasham. Always laughing together when a certain German driver didn’t do so well. The only time he moaned about what was on TV was when I was watching the cricket.

During Lasham gliding competitions he was a part of the team who launched all the gliders, a top ‘Green Man’ (as they are called). Whilst he spent a lot of time at the gliding club he never really wanted to learn to fly, but he loved flying in the T21 a vintage open cockpit glider that we used to fly together.

So many memory’s that will never leave us. The latest of which was when he was with us having dinner with group of friends, all in our 40’s and 50’s but just as much his friends as ours. After dinner he showed us a YouTube video titled ‘Harry the Hamster’. We laughed so much we couldn’t breathe.

He also loved the songs of Kevin Wilson. Not very politically correct songs but he was not a very politically correct boy. That to my mind made him a better man. He was also very caring and always had time for people, he could speak to anyone and got along with everyone.

Over the last 6 months to a year turned from a great boy into a great man. He was a better man than I will ever be and who knows what future has been taken from him and us. There is now such a gaping hole in our lives that we will never be able to fill. We will all miss him so much. We all love him so much.

Rob Jarvis 28^th July 2012