James Atkinson
In the same boarding house, Rob and James were best of friends. James was the 'dark horse' of all the adventuring endeavours, using his humble charm, good humour and a lot of hard work behind the scenes, to bring in sponsorship, organise logistics, and help people believe in the Everest and Pole to Pole trips.
Although he would be the last to say so himself, James was a young man of considerable talent. He was a popular and passionate choir leader at school - up in the hills or in the pub, he was always ready to entertain his friends with improbable vocals. After school, he moved out to Nepal for several months to help teach in a school in Kathmandu, and to spend time in the mountains that he loved so much. Upon his return, he took up a place at Durham University, where his humour and reliability were much enjoyed at the centre of St. Aidan's College boat club, where undergraduates now race a boat donated in his memory.
Be it on many climbing trips to the Alps and Scotland, cycling expeditions in Europe and the UK, out on the water or in the office grinding away for his friend's projects, James was the finest example of loyalty and dependability. On the bikes in a headwind, it would only be a matter of minutes before James would come steaming to the front of the group to shield the group, often with a typically dry comment on the way past.
James had a great love of the outdoors, and of Christ's Hospital where these opportunities had been opened for him - and would be the first to support the prospect of future pupils finding the same fun in adventure.
