James Wolf - The Drummer

Mrs Peters, James' Craft and Design teacher summed up James' schooling in his 1992 school report - ' James does not integrate with the class as one would expect and continues to isolate his self from the group. Remedial tasks are completed with a distict lack of effort or fortitude. Craftwork appears only to stimulate James when it is based on the textile and needlework compositions that we have produced for this years Harvest Festival. Although not disruptive, James tends to daydream and 'mist over' when spoken to. I believe that this factor along with the other somewhat negative reports from other subject teachers, will make it very difficult for James to adapt to the adult world'. Clearly this particular teacher had some foresight and highlighted the future problems that James encountered in later life. James left school at 16 and immediately gained employment at 'Claytons Ltd' - the local bubble wrapping company to which his two cousins already worked. His future was mapped out but little did many of his work colleagues realise that James was secretly making a name for himself in the somewhat shameful world of Male Belly-Dancing. This whole episode of James' life was kept hidden for years until Rusty Bachelor - his co-dancer and choreographer - decided to formulate a private prosecution towards James for allegations of 'lewd and inappropriate conduct from James towards other members of the 'Rusty Buttons Male Belly-Dancing Troop'. The case was soon dropped as an 'out of court settlement' was reached. Rusty is now retired and is said to be living in Monte Carlo. Bubble wrap stock control and administration was not the answer to James's low self esteem. Following James's redundency from Claytons in 1997, he soon picked himself up and started to meet other people with similar interests to him at the Job Centre. (To be continued........................)

James once said that he'd 'rather be a limpet than a guitarist' - but little did he realise at the time, that 6 years after he'd be playing lead guitar in a Country and Wetern covers band. 'Stolen Stetson' were a tribute band to Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Having to travel up and down the country to various barn dances gaining few followers and even less friends, James decided to drop the guitar and concentrate on the drums. However, as Stolen Stetson already had a drummer, they had no choice but to offer James a miming drumming role in the band. 1998 was a bad year for many, but for Stolen Stetson, it proved to be the final year as a band. But not however, without a crash, quite literally. Skipton Temperance Club were looking forward to celebrating there bi-annual Senior Citizen Line Dance Competition. That was until Clint Westwood (real name Barry Turnpike) the Stetsons lead singer and accordian player reversed the bands Luton Van straight over one of the judges wheelchairs! Call it lack of commitment, lack of enthusiasm or simply lack of insurance, but the band were finished. (Except for the reunion gig in 2003 which James missed as he apparently never received the invite that the band sent out.)