Jim worked for the company for 43 years, starting off as a reporter and rising to be chief reporter at the Shropshire Star’s head office, and an assistant news editor. He became business and travel editor before transferring to Wolverhampton to take the same role for the Express & Star in the 1990s, finally taking voluntary redundancy and retiring at the age of 62.
Online comments include “A great journalist, a true professional, and an even nicer man,” (Colin Spicer); “One of the good guys who always told it to you straight,” (Carl Jones); “A gent, a no-nonsense guy, straightforward with a lifelong love of his passions – scooters, music, the Wolves, and you two (i.e wife Ros and son Jack),” (Alison Jackson); and, in an affectionate nod to his somewhat gruff manner, “A lovely, grumpy soul,” (Paul Naylor).
“There have been 170 wonderful tributes to him on Facebook,” said Ros.
“He always used to say ‘I don’t think many people like me, Ros, as I’m a bit too straight-talking.’ I just wish he could have seen those tributes.”
Jim, who lived in Telford, was diagnosed with a brain tumour seven weeks ago, news he took in a typically matter-of-fact way, and died at home on November 6.
He is survived by Ros, son Jack, and daughter-in-law Emma. A celebration of his life – it isn’t being called a funeral – is being held at Telford crematorium on November 22 at 10.30am.
Born at the long-disappeared Wombridge Farm which stood opposite Wombridge Church, Jim went to Wombridge School and then Wellington Grammar School.
Embracing the mod lifestyle, he had a Saturday job in Sankey’s wheel shop which paid for his mod clothes, and was 17 when he bought his first scooter. It was a lifelong passion. He was a member of the Awfully Pleasant Scooter Association, and the last of his many scooters was a Lambretta TV200 which he asked to be taken away in his final weeks.
