Jim revelled in his opera critic's free tickets

Jim loved all things German. In his later years, when his mobility became greatly restricted, he spent much of his time at home between visits from friends watching German satellite TV. He was also very friendly with a family of wine growers on the Mosel river near Koblenz and his impressive wine cellar at home was packed with bottles sent over by them or brought home by Jim and Bertha on their trips to Germany. At Christmas time, stollen was always served to visitors.

Jim also loved opera. Right into his mid-80s he wrote reviews of local performances for the Edinburgh Review website, which was run by his late friend John Ritchie. Jim revelled in the fact that his official status as a critic allowed him to get free tickets for all performances in Edinburgh! ■