tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238627342007-03-04T16:44:37.989ZDavid VineyBlogger461tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1155072815867922332006-08-08T22:31:00.000+01:002006-10-30T10:17:35.373Z

Cricket match this Friday at 5.30 - 6.00 start - Harborne Cricket Club (http://www.harborne-cc.co.uk/) Was a great match - the laywers won (too many ringers!) but not by too much. There is always next year!

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1154137242499555712006-07-29T02:39:00.000+01:002006-07-29T02:40:42.510+01:00

Jim's inquest finalised today. Verdict: natural causes with precise cause indeterminable. Pathologist has only had 6 of these in 4,500 PMs. Suppose we will never really know now. Hard to take.

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1145393012714244302006-04-18T21:28:00.000+01:002006-04-27T20:32:31.313+01:00

Macdonald Burlington Hotel Burlington Arcade 126 New Street Birmingham B2 4LJ Charity Ball in memory of James Viney (held in conjunction with the BTSS) Saturday, 6 May 2006 - 7.30pm Black tie - Dinner Dance with Drinks reception Carriages at 1.30am To reserve your ticket(s), please contact either: Richard Viney: richviney@hotmail.com or Emma Hopkinson (BTSS): Emma.Hopkinson@dlapiper.com

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1145955418893891002006-04-17T09:55:00.000+01:002006-04-25T09:56:58.930+01:00

I had the pleasure of playing opposite Jim as Annie Oakley in Solihull School's production of Annie Get Your Gun. Obviously we got to know each other fairly well as we spent most lunch times and evenings after school, plus a few unscheduled outings to random subtle smoking venues to rehearse our demanding roles. Rehearsals were always an absolute pleasure and a total riot and at times we

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1145736485552061022006-04-16T21:00:00.000+01:002006-04-22T21:08:05.553+01:00

I have been trying to write this for over a month now and still can't find the words. Here is my best attempt to describe my friend Jim and how much I will miss him... We met at university in Exeter where we struck up an instant friendship. Jim was possibly the most intelligent man I knew. I don't know anybody else who was capable of achieving a 2:1 in a politics course having never attended a

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1145736294045203572006-04-16T21:03:00.000+01:002006-04-22T21:04:54.060+01:00

Where do I start? I remember Jim bowling at me at speed (probably after watching one the Ashes) as a 7 year old in the back garden of Hintlesham Ave. Facing the pace and speed of a six foot odd (and more) 14 year old, to put it bluntly... I suddenly 'soiled my underwear!' But my endearing memory of my cousin and that which summed him up was a chat we had on the No22 bus just before his

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143466567833484912006-03-27T14:33:00.000+01:002006-03-27T14:43:37.026+01:00

I have been trying to write this in my head for 3 weeks now and I still can't seem to find the words or story that will do Jim justice. To be honest, I don't think I ever will. He was and still is one of my best mates, nothing will change that. We met at the N.Y.T when we were 18, along with Paul. Straight away we struck up a friendship and bond that will never be broken. In 12 years we never

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143452899475047122006-03-27T10:45:00.000+01:002006-03-27T12:29:14.756+01:00

Dear David - As a good friend of his elder brother Rich, I was lucky enough to have spent several long evenings with Jim over the past few years. Whilst my head, kidneys and wallet always seemed to regret it the morning after, there were very few moments when he wasn't telling us all some outrageous story of what he'd recently been up to, giving first-hand advice (and demonstrations) on how best

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143447313306878122006-03-27T09:10:00.000+01:002006-03-27T10:53:36.213+01:00

David I was so shocked to hear the sad news about James passing away, may I offer my sincere condolences. I was fortunate enough to meet James through his work on the BTSS committee and over the past year our paths crossed on a number of occasions and he was always very welcoming and friendly. I have a couple pictures of James from the BCASS summer ball which I thought you might appreciate.

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143311050466264802006-03-25T18:20:00.000Z2006-03-25T18:24:10.483Z

REFLECTIONS A speech at Jim’s Thanksgiving Service 24 March 2006 When Jim gave his best man’s address at my wedding, he started by saying that a good speech should be like a woman’s dress; long enough to cover the subject but short enough to remain interesting. I will endeavor to follow his lead. Today is our chance to say thank you for a very special person in all our lives, whom God granted

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143280303470135632006-03-25T09:50:00.000Z2006-03-25T09:51:44.086Z

I went to school with Jim for 9 years and can confirm that he was always really really tall. If fact, I am fairly sure that he was at his tallest at age 13, almost seven foot or so it seemed to me. Although there are hundreds of school memories, a high proportion involving a bald music teacher called Mr Geddes; I have chosen to remind the Old Silhillians of Jim’s performance as Petruchio in

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143038655660525542006-03-22T14:42:00.000Z2006-03-22T14:44:15.720Z

Dear David, I hope you don't mind me emailing you - we've never met,and I only ever met Jim on two occasions but boy, did he leave an impression on me! I first encountered Jim at our nephew, Rob Delaney's wedding last March. In a vain attempt to catch the barman's eye, I found myself standing next to your brother at the bar, and passed a comment that perhaps if I stood on a chair to be the same

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1143036044727635042006-03-22T13:58:00.000Z2006-03-22T14:00:44.736Z

I got to know James as we were the only male trainees in our year when we trained together at Gateley Wareing. I had a good few nights out with James and they were always some of the best. We had some great pool battles and I loved to chew the fat with James about pretty much any sport and come to think of it, pretty much anything - he always had something interesting to say. The last time we

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142975014399434792006-03-21T21:02:00.000Z2006-03-21T21:03:34.400Z

I was a complete moron when it came to IT, and my new job as a PSL for Wragge & Co was a daunting challenge. James willingly gave up large chunks of his time to help me work out how to use a computer, without him I would have crashed. He was generous, great fun to work with, and such a laugh. What a great guy, I shall really miss him. My heartfelt regards and condolences to his family. Posted on

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142974702123250632006-03-21T20:55:00.000Z2006-03-21T20:58:22.156Z

James and I grew up together and until about the age of 11 were exactly the same height and build. My eternal thanks to the man who allowed his mother, my godmother, to use him as a model when buying dresses for my birthday! What an excellent figure you had as a young boy! So many of my best childhood memories feature James, too many to mention, but a girl couldn't have asked for a better comrade

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142769852970043262006-03-19T12:02:00.000Z2006-03-19T17:20:59.713Z

It was that genuine ‘Hello mate, how are you?’ said with a real feeling of warmth that will stay with me. The words were always offered with an outstretched arm leading to a welcoming handshake. Jim was always generous in his welcomes, making you feel that he was genuinely very pleased to see you. There are a number of things that I will miss but in particular I shall miss our in depth ‘political

Aidantag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142717245613235442006-03-16T20:31:00.000Z2006-03-18T21:28:57.276Z

Jim's first foray into womens clothing on the stage was way back in 1990, when he took on the role of the librarian in Alan Ayckbourn's "Ernie's Incredible Illucinations".

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142716301741104772006-03-16T20:34:00.000Z2006-03-18T21:19:30.273Z

Jim was always a talented public speaker and won through in the finals of the Severn Trent sponsored Schools Public Speaking Competition of 1993. His speech was an absolutely outrageous piece of misogyny on the subject of "It's a woman's world".

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142714788066232552006-03-16T20:35:00.000Z2006-03-18T20:50:02.683Z

[extract from the 1994 Shenstonian] America in the 1880s. Atime of sheriffs and bad guys, cattle rsutling and card games, guns and gunslingers. Picture the scene: tumbleweed drifting down the Big School corridor, a stagecoach full of parents drawing up outise, the batwing saloon doors swinging open to reveal a stage sat for this year's production: Annie get Your Gun. Months of frustration and

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142636364041223882006-03-17T22:38:00.000Z2006-03-18T08:43:05.133Z

Jim has a way with his nephews and nieces. In the first few months of her life, Imogen (Jims youngest niece) could sometimes be a handful. This was not a problem to uncle Jim. Firstly, with hands the size of his, she was only half a handful. Secondly, he had the ability to calm her down by offering her his finger to suck on. We have now found that this was probably due to the nicotine content .

Rich and Meltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142590944312910552006-03-17T10:12:00.000Z2006-03-17T22:51:49.636Z

For those of you who follow viney.com, you will remember an old microsite that I did for Jim, covering his tour of New Zealand in 2003. He would send me fabulous photos interspersed with a rambling travelogue. I would do my best to convert this into a set of web pages. Like all last great works of fiction, the story is unfinished; Jim ran out of bandwidth, both figuratively and literally.

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142635567383019752006-03-17T22:40:00.000Z2006-03-17T22:47:15.040Z

One of my earliest memories is of holding my brother in my arms when he was born. It was the long, hot summer of '76 and he was quite possibly the cutest baby in human history. This is a picture of the three of us together (that summer) at my grandad's house in Farquhar Road, Edgbaston. To the left (just outside of shot) was my grandad's tourtoise (which Jim used to pursue endlessly just a couple

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142634969092410482006-03-17T22:34:00.000Z2006-03-17T22:36:09.103Z

Jim, I remember your weekly PSL postings and always looked forward to them - they were so witty! We also played in the same softball team. The other side used to quake in their boots when they saw you! A giant, gentleman & a scholar. You will be sorely missed. RIP Posted on behalf of Juliet Hendon of Wragge & Co

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142591892735569012006-03-17T10:27:00.000Z2006-03-17T11:08:04.873Z

The two Jims at Twickers for England's 39-7 defeat of Italy - 12 March 2005 Jim with Lauren at the Middlesex A Mini-Rugby Festival - 13 March 2005 Jim loved his rugby and he loved his family. These two great shots were taken more or less exactly a year ago, when Jim came down for the weekend to watch England play Italy and James Junior play in the county festival. It was my son's first trip to

David Vineytag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23862734.post-1142540462285129762006-03-16T20:18:00.000Z2006-03-17T09:49:10.296Z

W: Right, you f##ker, I'm going to do the washing up. I: No no you can't. It's impossible I swear it. I've looked into it. Listen to me listen to me. There are things in there, there's a tea-bag growing. You haven't slept in sixty hours you're in no state to tackle it. Wait till the morning we'll go in together. W: It is the morning, stand aside I: But you don't understand. I think there is

Rich and Mel