Tributes paid to city author James... ‘a beautiful soul’

TRIBUTES have been paid to one of Plymouth’s best loved and respected characters after his sudden and unexpected death at the age of just 53. James Bridgwater was a well known figure around Stonehouse, where he lived, and in the city’s artistic and literary circles.

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

The award-winning author of two novels and a memoir, James was a member of several writing groups, a trustee at the Plymouth Proprietary Library, a member of the Society of Authors, and a contributor to the Script in Hand theatre group.

He was a worshipper at the Parish Church of Stoke Damerel, where prayers will be said for him on Sunday, October 19. Friends also met at Stonehouse’s Cafe Momus, shortly after his death, to celebrate James’ life and share stories with the instruction to “wear your brightest outfits” in his honour.

James was seen by many as an inspiration. He openly documented a childhood tragedy that shaped him, his mental health challenges, and a time spent in a Young Offender Institution. But he also showed how he rebuilt his life through education, creativity and his writing, much of it drawing on his own experiences.

James’ death has come as a shock to many and he is warmly remembered as an “endearingly eccentric” character, often seen in flamboyant and brightly-coloured clothing. Family member Rosie Fletcher, whose father was James’ cousin, affectionately recalled a man she described as a “ball of energy and life force”.

She told The Herald: “It (James’ death) was a huge shock, completely unexpected. I feel quite sad, this was someone I had phenomenal memories of.”