i thought i would come on here and show my face, i joined the forum many moons ago when jimmy advised me to ask for some help with a RC project i had.
I have known James since around 1996, we lived in the same village and i used to see him flying round on his mountain bike, then like true strangers we had a nod, a chat, and we were biking friends just like that.
Slowly our friendship grew and i was at college doing graphic design, and i find out he was not tooooo bad on a computer at design aswell
Then our friendship just grew, spending most nights days just riding bikes and talking designing. Jimmy had a mk2 fiesta when i met him, and i put my finger right through a "bit of rust" on his wing, he never said it but im pretty sure he stopped playing out for a few weeks because of it.
He got himself a mk2 golf GTI, and i think the reg was G192 OHR??? why on earth do i recall this>??? We used to spend many a night driving to mcdonalds, lennys house to wheel spin and wake him up, generally act like children.
Then Vicky came on the scene, and i wont like she STOLE HIM from me, bike riding became less, but we were both doing our own thing. Aside all that, Jimmy now had a sparkle and happiness to his life. It was very evident, i watched their relationship grow and they were very much in love.
Once i saw James and his golf gti it sent me down a volkswagen path with my first polo. A road which actually led me to where i am now running my own print and design company specialising in classic volkswagen decals, oh and owning i think to date around 40 volkswagens.
Jimmy has helped me so much over the years, ive printed his stickers for years now and we talked regularly about work and general crap. Due to work commitments and the usual distractions mine and Jimmys time seeing each other became near none existent!
But lately we have been more in touch and we have had some real heart to heart chats about things. Planning on finishing his mx5, get our bikes back out, getting our shins cut and grazed again.
I am absolutely devastated by what has happened. It has blindsided me and all these memories are now flowing back.
I wish i could just tell him how happy i was for him being a part of my life, the effect one man can have on someones decisions, life as a whole is just what jimmy was about. He never asked for anything, nothing. But gave so much and the thing is he loved it.
I have been scanning through facebook/forum looking at all the comments by people with their little stories and accounts. It paints a picture of a man (I use the term loosely, he was always a boy) who had such a positive effect on people, i just wish wish wish he knew how much we all loved him.
I wont lie i am going to miss him, he was the one friend i expected to get old with, we had so much to still do.
I found myself reading last weeks emails, facebook conversations, and the one that got me yesterday was deleting his artwork off the printer.
I have to try and take what good i can from this, and there is little if not none. But im going to set myself things to do, a things to do for jimmy list.
i miss you mate.
Dan