Athletics became Jimmy’s passion, lasting well into his adult years. He ran competitively with Shettleston Harriers of Glasgow against International champions, and became part of a ‘Road and Cross Country’ team which won every Scottish competition. It was often said by his contemporaries that had war not broken out, Jimmy would have enjoyed a very distinguished career in athletics. He could run a mile in 4minutes and 8 seconds. Jimmy’s gifts lay not only in sport, however. He was an outstanding scholar also. He remembered his days at Larkhall Academy and Lesmahagow Higher Grade with great fondness, and loved recounting tales of his subject masters, including Sodie Baxter the Latin teacher who guffawed at his own jokes behind his muffled hands- Jimmy loved impersonating that! Jimmy had a particular aptitude for mathematics, Scottish history, languages including Scots, French and Latin; and literature- even in the very final weeks of his life, he could recite the opening lines of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, speeches from Shakespeare’s Plays, and Burns’ Poetry.