When I moved to Basingstoke 33 years ago I needed to find a good hairdresser. I asked a lot of people who cut their hair and the same name kept coming up – “I go to Jim at Edward James”. So a friendship was born as we shared our love of theatre and all things art, and the odd lunch and/or drink together. We always had a lot to share with the ups and downs of life and time spent in his company ‘putting the world to rights’ was accompanied by laughter, calm and therapy. I watched as he nurtured many ‘raw recruits’ into the profession and supported his staff, always with good humour. The local artistic community have lost a ‘real trooper’, mentor and friend. We are the poorer for it. Go forth Jim to the next life and take centre stage. Bridget