Just like everyone else that we know, when we heard the news of James Pope's tragic death on Thursday 12th November, we were completely in shock. When you first receive news of that sort, your first reaction is one of disbelief. "It can't be true, it must be a mistake". Followed by a feeling of helplessness, wanting to do something constructive to change a situation that can not be changed. Like so many others, hundreds of others, we were not his family, nor even his closest of friends, but a friend nonetheless. We were due to meet with James and Mel on Monday 16th in the hope that we could develop a much closer working relationship. This is something we will now talk to Mel about over the coming months.

James was a gentle giant of a man. He was confident, happy and very giving. He was incredibly supportive not just of his friends and family, but also to other business people. Especially if he believed in what they were doing. A few words of encouragement from James if times were becoming tough would be all that was required for someone to pick themselves up and keep on going. The sheer tidal wave of condolences that have poured in through the social media sites is testament to the affect he has had on the lives of all those he touched.

James, we are proud to have known you, you will be sorely missed.

The team at YBE. Mark, Craig and Emma.

This work by Your Business eZine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at content licensing.