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OBITUARY: James (Jim) Brand 10/03/1950-14/11/2020
Vaccination champions needed · Tuesday, January 19, 5.30–8 pm · Monday, January 25, 5.30–8pm
) James (Jim) Brand passed away at home on November 14, 2020, following a brief spell in Royal Sussex County Hospital, aged 70. James was born and brought up in the small town of Dufftown in the heart of Speyside in north east Scotland, famous for its single malt whisky. James was educated at Mortlach School and Keith Grammar School. In 1972 he moved to London to work at Drummonds Bank in Whitehall, almost next door to Scotland Yard where, on March 9, 1973, an IRA bomb exploded while he was at work, blowing in the windows. But James’s real interests lay in travel, so he joined Gulf Air as a flight attendant, flying mostly to the Middle East. In 1980 he moved to Brighton and, after a short spell at Dan Air, joined British Airways, where he worked on long haul flights for more than 28 years as a cabin steward and latterly a purser. His love of travel started at an early age when, as a four-year-old, he got on a bus taking him to the railway station, from where he planned to travel to the seaside. His subsequent career took him all over the world, but his ‘go to’ places were always Sitges, Gran Canaria and Berlin, which he visited countless times. There he was able to relax and be himself after “working in a metal tube in the sky” and he made many lasting friendships. Having a lifelong passion for music and theatre, James would often travel to London to concerts or theatre productions. His first love was musicals - he saw Everyone’s Talking About Jamie seven times. It was his passion for theatre that led to him becoming a dresser for several of the Brighton Alternative Panto productions, where his quiet and reassuring presence was appreciated by both cast and crew. James would often be found sitting quietly at the end of the bar in Legends, Bar Broadway or The Queen’s Arms, with a large cigar, watching one of his favourite drag acts on the Sunday circuit and chatting amiably to friends old and new. James was a man of contrasts: being very private but sociable; ‘careful’ but generous; gentle but passionate. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his brother Gary and sisters Pam and Norrie. James’s favourite quote was: “No man is a failure who has friends”. Chris Cage
Legends Brighton donates £500 to Sussex Beacon campaign ) Legends Brighton, one of our city’s premier LGBTQ+ venues, donated £500 to The Sussex Beacon’s Give a Gift to the Beacon campaign last month to help the charity maintain enhanced services during the coronavirus pandemic. These enhanced services have ensured that The Sussex Beacon could support as many people as possible and address the varying issues of isolation from friends and family, difficulty accessing medical services, increased levels of anxiety and poor mental health that people have faced during both lockdowns. D To donate, visit: https://justgiving.com/campaign/giveagifttothebeacon
Applications should be submitted by Monday, January 4. ) Sussex NHS Commissioners is seeking volunteers to become Vaccination Champions to help the NHS in Sussex raise awareness of the Covid-19 vaccination and dispel myths on the vaccine. Vaccination Champions will be asked to attend one 2.5-hour session on either the following dates: · Wednesday, January 13, 11am– 1.30pm
Write to: NHS West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group, Wicker House, High Street, Worthing BN11 1DJ Telephone: 0792 024 4988 or 07881 501 356 Email: sxccg.involvement@nhs.net D For more info, visit: www. sussexhealthandcare.uk/getinvolved/covid-19-vaccinationchampions/
Queer History Buddies scheme ) Queer in Brighton has announced 30 volunteers have signed up to offer four phone calls (and a letter and photo) during January to people in our community who could use a friendly queer chinwag.
Queer in Brighton will be archiving the letters volunteers send out about their queer experiences in Brighton on their digital web archive. They can even post you out a pre-paid envelope, if you fancy sending a letter back.
It’s not a counselling service, it’s about sharing local queer Brighton stories.
To sign up, email info@ queerinbrighton.co.uk
