I worked alongside James at St Thomas Hospital Med School, Community Medicine, under Walter Holland, and knew him as a very caring and inclusive colleague who was always courteous and helpful. I was delighted, when many years later, I was working At De Montfort University to conduct research and organise a conference on ‘disfigurement’ and minority ethnic groups, with colleagues from Bristol UWE and came across him in that field! He was as ever interested and supportive. He was a real game changer and embodied (and demonstrated the value of) the slogan “not about us without us”. We shall miss him but his legacy will endure. Mark R D Johnson.