Tributes to Bridgnorth’s ‘booming voice’ and community stalwart John Gordon James who has died aged 90
Tributes have been paid to a Bridgnorth man whose “booming voice” left an indelible mark on the local community, from its schoolrooms and cricket pitches to its stage lights and church pews.
John Gordon James has died aged 90.
To many, John was the face, and voice, of local theatre. A 56-year member of the Bridgnorth Operatic Society, he served as everything from leading man to director and president. His talent even took him to the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton with the South Staffs Operatic Society.
Born in 1935 at the Lion Inn, Waters Upton, John’s life was rooted in the Shropshire soil. A talented sportsman and scholar, he overcame a childhood bout of tuberculosis to become head boy of Wellington Grammar School, where he captained the soccer, cricket, and rugby teams.
As a teacher at Bridgnorth Grammar School (later the Endowed School), John was more than just a mathematician; he was a mentor who spent his Saturdays refereeing football and his evenings coaching the next generation of cricketers.
