The obituary for James Brett in ATG No 2716.
James, David Love and I travelled to Buenos Aires in 2005.
Our hotel was close to a square, notorious for the fast traffic which seemed to come from every direction all at once.
In a hurry we decided to make a run, more like a scuttle, across four lanes.
James lost his glasses halfway. As they were the only pair he had, we had to return to get them.
They were embedded in the tarmac, one lens totally missing the other cracked. Glasses squashed.
After three attempts at rescue, we prised them from the road and carried on our trip, James wearing them much to the locals’ amusement.
On our return I had to call James at his shop in Norwich, where I was told he was at the opticians making a complaint as the glasses were titanium and supposed to be unbreakable.
A legend. He will be very sadly missed.
James Millard
Anthony James & Son, London
Instantly recognisable
I was saddened to hear of the death of James Brett of the long-established firm of Arthur Brett and Sons of Norwich.
My uncle worked for them as a restorer in the 1930s before branching out on his own.
I often met James in Bonhams Edinburgh where we agreed that he left the clocks alone if we left the furniture to him. Whereas we would battle up the 400 miles odd from Norfolk in our old van, James would take the gentleman’s route by train (probably first class) and leave his purchases to be collected by his carrier.
He was instantly recognisable from across the room by his flamboyant scarf wrapped carefully round his neck whatever the weather – sadly another character has left us.
Ray Norman
J and R Norman Antiques, Hemingston, Suffolk
ATG note: unrelated to the above, Ray Norman also wrote to us with an update on his dispute with HMRC (see previous letters, ATG Nos 2696 & 2701):
You may recall my spat a few months ago with HMRC regarding the waiver of VAT on antiques originating in the UK and obtained outside the UK.
As they ignored my complaint for many months I got my MP to jolly them along – and of course a reply was quickly forthcoming accompanied by an offer of the princely sum of £25 for the delay. They then put a phone number on the letter to me which was unobtainable but, fortunately, the one they put on the letter to my MP worked after about 20 tries.
