JIM MEADS
THE hunting photographer extraordinaire has died, at 93.
For anyone to be called “a legend in their own lifetime” is seldom appropriate, but in Jim’s case, it is genuinely deserved. His reputation was earned on both sides of the Atlantic and his remarkable fitness and deep knowledge of hunting enabled him to take action shots that would have been impossible for most. He hunted with 520 packs in the UK, Ireland and the US.
Jim learned the skills of hunting photography from his father, Frank H Meads, and it was his action shots that were so unique. His classic monochrome photographs demonstrate the atmosphere of the field so well.
Jim’s most famous photo, published worldwide in 1962, was of a jet fighter about to crash, the pilot having ejected. Jim knew the pilot, who had told him where they would test the jet. Jim took his two sons to watch, and his camera.
Jim left school at 16 to be a trainee photographer with the De Havilland Aircraft Company. At weekends he accompanied his father hunting.
After RAF national service he worked for his father as a sporting photographer. When he travelled with former H&H editor Michael Clayton he was introduced to US hunting where he enjoyed enormous popularity.
Point-to-pointing was his speciality, and at the 1996 Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show he was presented with a painting of him taking photographs at the show to mark his 50th consecutive year as Peterborough photographer. In 1979 Jim published his first book, They Still Meet at Eleven. For his second of five books, the foreword was written by the now King Charles.
Jim always had the support of his loyal wife Pauline.
His funeral is at the Emstry Crematorium, Shrewsbury, on Wednesday, 10 July at 12.30pm and all are welcome.
DAVID ALFRED VYSE
THE respected figure in the Hackney world has died, at 66.
Born in 1957, David was the sixth child of Fred and Nell Vyse of the Sunbeam Hackney Stud. As a child, he was given a Noddy outfit and car, which were his pride and joy hence his nickname Noddy, which everyone called him.
Noddy hated school, only enjoying sports – and fancy dress day. He once went as Sandie Shaw and won; that love of coming first stayed with him for the rest of his life.
As a teenager, Noddy’s passion for horses and ponies blossomed, and when his father died, Noddy took over the stud, as well as the family’s fruit and vegetable stalls.
Years later it became the Noddyvyse Hackney Stud and conti
