I have a wonderful memory of James’ wide cheeky smile beaming as we danced until late one night in a Newcastle bar. I’ve been thinking about that smile a lot recently. He brought such joy to everyone that came into contact with him and we’ll all miss him dearly.

2017

Such sad news to hear that James has died. I worked with him in 2017 when he was an FY1 on the orthopaedic ward at Northumbria. It isn’t often you get a set of trainees that gel together as well as the group that James was a part of. He was an excellent foundation doctor, knowledgeable, caring, sensitive and supportive of his other colleagues and worked incredibly well with all members of the team. He will be sadly missed by so many people whose lives he’s touched.

2017-2019

I didn't know James that well, but I had the pleasure of working with him while he was a Foundation doctor at Northumbria and in particular during his time in the ED. What I can say is he was a good doctor, the type that we are proud to have trained when they go their different ways at the end of the 2 year training program. You could tell he was one of life's thinkers, I remember him presenting an interesting perspective on a case of missed encephalitis that made everyone listening think a bit deeper about how we all work. A caring and compassionate doctor, a crying shame to have lost.

We have so many lovely, fond memories of James. Tom met James whilst he was at medical school and I met them both during our first FY1 job in 2017 where we all worked on the same ortho ward in Cramlington. My first impression of James was that he was kind, cheeky, very charming and funny. He was also an exceptional doctor, very knowledgeable and reliable and someone I would have no hesitation in having look after a family member.

James was a thoughtful and supportive friend. One memory that comes to mind is when he helped Tom when his motorbiking midlife crisis came to an abrupt end and when he organised a surprise birthday at work for him. He was a great listener and would always come up with practical and sensible solutions. One of our favourite memories of James is our campervan tour across parts of Northumberland. Trying to navigate a huge left hand drive RV around tiny winding countryside roads was a frightening experience as a passenger!

We would regularly go to the Brandling in Gosforth or the Office in Morpeth when he was in the UK. I remember how excited he was about going to Orkney and later, New Zealand. He was so full of life and although he was the other side of the world, we regularly kept in touch and loved hearing about his outdoor adventures.

James, I'm sorry that we didn't get to see each other again but we will miss you and never forget you.

I met James on our ski season in Flaine back in 2011. We met on the first day of the company orientation and were fast friends. At the time I thought he felt sorry for an awkward Australian snowboarder who didn’t know his pants from his trousers and was completely out of his comfort zone, but as I soon learnt that was just his nature, exceptionally friendly and generous to a fault.
During the season I was sharing a company one bed flat with a couple, sleeping on the couch. When James had a flatmate leave, he suggested I move in with him. He was also in a one bed flat and rather than take the bedroom for himself he moved to the couch... in his own flat! That's just the sort of guy he was.
James became like a brother to me during that time- an antidote for homesickness, a great listener, tremendously intelligent and knowledgeable about so many things (you don’t find many people with history degrees doing seasons in ski resorts), an excellent skier and he was always up for trying something new. He always tackled everything head on. He took to flipping a coin to decide a choice, probably not because he couldn’t choose but because he loved embracing the unpredictability. I loved his sense of humour, and he taught me all about the quirks of Britishness. There were all these phases he coined (or at least I thought he made them up!) I still think of James whenever I describe my Sunday state on the couch as ‘monging’ or when I celebrate a little win by whispering an enthusiastic ‘get-in’ to myself.
I remember one time we went to build a ski jump off-piste. We were fooling around and out of nowhere James decides he wants to try a backflip. Now James was no slouch, but this was definitely at the periphery of his abilities. He made a meal of it if I’m honest, totally underrotated, and landed awkwardly. He was in a lot of pain but still had the presence of mind to request that we dragged him onto the piste before we called ski patrol (our company insurance didn’t cover off-piste accidents). I think his later medical training would have suggested this was a terrible idea! Ski patrol eventually came, loaded him onto the sled and put him on oxygen. When I asked him later if he was in a lot of pain, he said that the back ache was manageable, but that the oxygen tank the ski patroller had rested on his crotch, which readjusted with every bump on the sled ride down the hill, was much, much worse!
So many of my great memories from that season feature James- late nights partying with Dutch students, early morning ski guiding with hotel guests, inventing novel ways of incorporating vodka in cooking, sharing stories of troublesome hotel guests, late nights talking about home, our partners, our plans for the future.
We went heliskiing in Italy one day. We were all giddy with excitement, but I don’t think any of us more than James. I still remember this image so clearly- James looking so natural at the top of mountain while a helicopter takes off right next to him, ready to send it down an untracked valley.
He didn’t slow down all season either- probably the last powder day of the season we were tree skiing together in a big group. James had a tumble and landed on his shoulder. He skied himself down the mountain, cradling his arm, and went to the medical centre. We didn’t hear from him until a few hours later. He had snapped his humerus clean in two! Apparently, he asked the surgeon in broken French if he wouldn’t mind wearing a GoPro while he operated on him to install a steel plate in his arm… so that James could watch the footage back later!
After the season I headed back to Aus. In 2015 I visited James in Stockton on Tees while he was studying in Durham. Not a glamourous place it turns out (he did warn me!), but even so, I have a cherished memory of sitting on a riverbank on a lovely sunny afternoon, working our way through a six-pack of lager while catching up and talking all about our lives. Simple honest pleasures.
In 2020 I moved to London. James was working up north at the time. A few of us from the Flaine ski season decided to meet up for a lunch and we found a date that worked for everyone. At the lunch I remember asking him if he was in London for long and he sheepishly admitted to spending 4 hours each way on the train, just to see us for a lunch. He was generous beyond belief. The lunch party headed their ways, but James and I found a quiet ledge in a Soho pub to grab one more drink. We slotted right back to great conversation. I was so happy to hear he had achieved his dream of working in emergency medicine and his stories and experiences sounded incredible.
These memories, and so many more, will stay with me for life. I feel blessed to have known James, and will always have him with me, urging me to take the chance, flip a coin, and send it bigger one more time.

I first met James as a naïve 18 year old, freshly moved over to England from Belfast for university. James was easy to befriend because he was so outgoing, and having done uni before, seemed to me to have it all figured out. He was also the only other person in England who'd heard of the legendary Northern Irisb band General Fiasco - which if my memory serves me correctly, his brother had something to do with, maybe recording their debut album? Apologies if you're reading this!

One particular memory that sticks out is November of first year. I was celebrating my 19th birthday and had invited a friend from school to my swanky student accommodation. Me and James went to pick him up and brought him back to flat when I realised I had completely forgot I had to go to a rowing training session, and would have to leave my friend alone for well over an hour by the time I'd showered and got ready. James of course, volunteered to take him under his wing and by the time I returned, they were drinking beers and having the craic like they'd known each other for years.

Later, me and James worked on the MedSoc committee together, he was so organised compared to my chaos, he had an excel spreadsheet for every madcap idea we'd come up with, he actually turned those ideas into reality.

Then came our years of football - the kind of bond that can only be forged by being in the same team that's been hammered 9-1. (That one goal was a screamer, though.)

We teamed up again to help organise the graduation ball at the end of our time in Medical School. I say teamed up, I helped a bit, James basically organised the whole thing himself, whilst making the rest of the committee really feel like they were part of something. Again, those excel spreadsheets came in handy. And having done all that work, he still found time to do something extraordinary. On my seat at the grad ball was a framed poster. It was custom made with my name and qualification on it and with all the landmarks of the North East that were relevant to me - it was everywhere I'd lived, everywhere I'd been on placement. But then I looked harder and realised those North East landmarks were interspersed with Belfast landmarks. James didn't tell any of us he was doing that and didn't have to do that. He just did, no fuss.
That poster is still hanging in my house, now back in Belfast, beside my acoustic guitar. I'm away to go play some terrible General Fiasco covers. Thanks James.

Thank you for all the great memories and always being keen to do something fun at any time of day. From cycling around Scotland to running around Newcastle. I only have fun memores of you. You'll be missed but not forgotten.

2023

An amazing colleague and doctor, I am so honoured to have had the pleasure to work with James in Wellington ICU. James made a conscious effort to check in on the nurses when we lost one of our colleagues and is very highly regarded amongst us all. Always smiling, laughing and dropping some sort of funny line - we always knew it would be a good shift when he was on - no matter the chaos of the unit.

Sending love and thoughts to your family and friends,
There will forever be a hole in our team without you James.
Rest in Peace

James, Thank you for all the laughs, giggles and jokes.
You always loved an adventure, trip away and of course an outdoor activity. Your patience on the ski slopes and looking after George and I, the responsible one on the trip (who would have thought!)
From climbing in the trees, mountains, many a pub trips and dinner, each adventure with a million laughs.
Thank you for the memories

I had the good fortune of meeting James at the very start of medical school in 2012. Our year was one big group of friends, and because of this my memories of James are innumerable. From chatting over pints, to laughing at house parties, to sitting in lectures, to simply saying “hi” while passing each other in the hallway. My absolute favourite memory of him, however, was our trip to Alton Towers.

It was the first year of university, and John Snow College had organised a trip to Alton Towers for Durham’s Stockton Campus students. I was keen to go but was unable to find anyone to go with me. One day, I mentioned my struggles to James and he immediately agreed to join me. He, like me, was excited to go on all the thrill rides but informed me that we had to save the fastest, scariest, most adrenaline-pumping ride for last, a ride called Squirrel Nutty. As I had never been before, he instructed me not to look it up as he wanted this massive, thrilling ride to be a surprise.

The day came for the Alton Towers trip and throughout the day James and I rode every big roller coaster, all while James continued to hype me up for Squirrel Nutty. Oblivion, Nemesis, Thirteen, Rita, I thought they were scary? Just wait for Squirrel Nutty! I was so excited, we were going to go on the best ride in the park!

Finally, the day was coming to an end and it was time for Squirrel Nutty. I eagerly followed a grinning James as he lead me...to the kid’s area. It turns out Squirrel Nutty is a children’s train ride where you sit in a giant acorn as it slowly takes you around one lap of a flat, circular track. I couldn’t believe it. I tried to scowl at him but it was hard not to laugh as James threw his hands in the air and screamed as our acorn inched along at a snail’s pace. He got me, and he was thrilled!

That Alton Towers trip with James is one of my favourite memories from university, and this is how I will remember him. He will be greatly missed by all those who were fortunate enough to have known him.

I have so many good memory’s with James.

One of my fondest was visiting in Orkney, he had planned every detail of my trip including sightseeing, camping and most importantly a brewery and distillery tour! Despite the torrential rain, it was one of most enjoyable weekends I’ve ever had.

James also made the mistake of agreeing to come skiing with me to help try and improve my technique. He had the utmost patience as this was an impossible task! Thankfully, he didn’t take things too seriously and we were able to enjoy both the slopes and the apres.

James was an incredibly selfless person; I remember him coming to my rescue the night before our finals when a pipe had burst in my flat. We spent the evening moving wet furniture and mopping up instead of revising, although maybe this was also procrastination!

I will miss our evenings that we would spend together discussing absolute rubbish over some delicious (overpriced) whiskey. Thank you for all the great memories.

I will always remember the time we spent living and adventuring together, and I will be eternally grateful that I knew James for as long as I did. He looked after me in the wilds of Scotland, Sweden, Finland, France and Tyneside, and they’ve been some of the best times of my life.
I will think of him often.

James was highly intelligent, funny, witty, and a pleasure to be around.

Forever modest, James and I would joke about how he was secretly a ‘fake doctor’ and was really making it all up to win over the ladies.

This of course, was so far from the truth and James was a talented and respected professional. I have no doubt those who came into his care benefitted greatly from his empathy and skill.

Still - medicine was only part of what defined James as a person, and I am so sad that our time getting to know each other was cut short.

I’ll miss our kitchen banter and Winnie will forever miss the fuss you made over him.

Rest easy James - much aroha to you and your family. Ka kite anō - until we meet again x

2023

I wish I could have got to know you better James. All I saw of you was at work, where I'll spend a lot of time trying to be more like you. Thanks for the many little things you did for me, and the example you set.

James was such a calm but bright presence. A brilliant teacher. Excellent worker. Great doctor. Great guy. You’ll be very missed.

Thanks James for coming out to Aotearoa. I was sad when I found out that being a med reg was only a temporary thing until you got an ICU job - but then it was always such a lovely thing going to MET calls and having you turn up and tell me what to do!
Thank you for being such a bright spark. You’ll be sorely missed. Thank you for the opportunity to have met you.

Crap football, struggle biking, windy hiking, work rants, adventure, laughter and the odd beer here and there. Always a pleasure in your company James.

2023

I remember going for a beer after a long and difficult night on call and talking. Talking about medicine, talking about the Army, talking about New Zealand, talking about hikes, talking about after hour bars, talking about skiing. I remember thinking how tired and grateful I was. James made a hard night better. Better because he was good doctor, a hard worker, funny, but better simply because he was a good guy. I will miss him.

Brothers

James always loved the great outdoors