I hope he’s peacefully resting

I ‘met’ Jay, I think around 2007ish at a Soho film screening of my friend George Amponsah’s.

It was a boxing film, and a good one. Jay and I found ourselves sitting next to each other in for the screening. It wasn’t really a first meeting though. I’d spotted Jay out and about in London over the years – memories of him wearing a straw hat in Camden years before and having a quick friendly chat spring to mind. Anyway, at the film, we’d gravitated towards the front of the auditorium, and watched the film together, therefore starting a ‘meet up for coffees’ and chit chatty friendship where we’d talk about work, childhood, Africanness, Britishness, music, and whatever came up.

It’s just a short memory really but I’ll miss the enthusiastic chats with Jay about his work, books, thoughts and his hopes for the future, the last of which involved his engagement and marriage and life in Clapham.

He disappeared way too soon. I hope he’s peacefully resting.

Nana Ocran