Please write your comments and and stories about Jay in the comment section.
Veuillez écrire vos commentaires et vos histoires sur Jay dans la section des commentaires.
Please write your comments and and stories about Jay in the comment section.
Veuillez écrire vos commentaires et vos histoires sur Jay dans la section des commentaires.
My first memory of Jay is of him chasing me around our circle of rooms while I giggled, occasionally surprising me with a change of direction and meeting me face on, to which I’d erupt a new with excited screems of laughther.
Since I can remember, whenever we arranged to visit or vice versa, the excitement was like nothing else, greater than Christmas, birthdays or summer holiday camping. Jay always seemed to know so much and have answers and explanations for much of the goings on in life which really made me feel at ease, safe and secure. I feel that through his experience of the world, conversing candidly with the many different people of various cultures, and his open minded laissez faire approach that he was one of, if not the, wisest person I’ve ever known.
Taking time to think about him now, I feel the loss. Absolutely everyone who has ever known him will feel it.
Jay’s most astounding quality, was undoubtedly his ability to take a subject, a situation, a small interaction, come out with a comment and have you in hysterics. Such a brilliant way of weaving a tale too. Something in his tone, the timber of his delivery and subtle choice of words. He could have been in a sitcom, or definitely had a massively popular podcast:
“Non vigorous exercise and just a few ice”
He was an amazing man! I’m proud to have called him uncle and so happy to have had him in my life.
Let’s all smile and laugh when we remember him.
Lots of Love to all
My introduction to Jay was through Lysele, his deceased wife, who I met in 1992 while working in Algeria. I visited their house in Winchmore Hill, London in 1998 and stayed with Michele, their daughter, who was alone in the house at the time. Michele told me that her dad was coming back from India so I immediately thought I ought to move out before he arrived. I was a bit anxious being there on his arrival when I hadn’t even met him yet. However, Michele talked me out of it and said her mum was coming back soon too.
The first time I met Jay I remember it as if it was yesterday. He was in the kitchen wearing his white bathrobe, singing to himself with a loud voice while preparing his breakfast. I couldn’t make sense of the song or any of the words. I introduced myself and said hello. He replied “Ah, hello!” and asked me what I wanted to drink. He offered me a cup of tea. From that very moment he put me at ease and I somehow felt that this was somebody I had known for a long time. During the few minutes of that first meeting, he had an aura about him that made me feel calm, relaxed and at home. All my worries about whether I should leave disappeared immediately. Since then, he became a father figure to me, a friend, a family member and somebody I could talk to, share worries with and have a joke. He was a very generous man and very knowledgeable. I have so many happy memories which I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am very fortunate to have met him. Once met never forgotten.
I had an opportunity to meet and travel for few days with Jay Uncle, Amanda and Michele when they visited India along with my sisters and our common family freinds. What I remember the most is his ever smiling face and positive energy emanating from him. May his soul rest in peace. Om Shanti!
Story of Lathia’s life can be divided into two parts. The first part began immediately after his birth. The first part was not normal and natural. It is not less than a Film story. The first part ended when he got service in the Post office in London and became married. The second part of his life is quite normal and natural. After his birth the natural parents did not accept him and immediately after his birth he was sent to an Institution which gave shelter to such orphans. The name of this Institution is “Kathiawar Nirashreet Balashram”, Rajkot and this Institution still runs today in Rajkot.
It is not known as to how much time he lived in this institution, where his life took a turn. This Institution gives the custody of such orphans to those who are issueless. By the time one couple approached the institution and requested to have custody of one of the orphans, as the couple was issueless, the orphan child Lathia was selected and the couple adopted the baby child Lathia. It is not known as to what was the age of Lathia when he was selected and adopted by the couple. So in this way Lathia’s life took a turn and the couple became his legal guardians and parents.
Lathia demanded a gramophone from his legal parents and they fulfilled the demand by purchasing a gramophone and gave it to him. When Lathia left India for U.S. he entrusted to me this gramophone as a trust which I preserved till today. Really an interesting antique piece.
After a lapse of some time Lathia lost his legal parents as they passed away and Lathia became all alone. It is not known what was his age at this time [from Amanda: he was 9 when his mother died and 11 when his father died]. Lathia’s father’s sister’s husband arranged for his food in a lodge where he took his food till the time he left India for U.S.
Lathia’s life was just like a boat in the sea without having a control system. Lathia became a B.A graduate here in India. Lathia’s legal father had made a will in favour of Lathia and gave him the house they were residing in. After the death of his parents he obtained from the court a Letter of administration. Lathia was using only one small room, bathroom and a small terrace which was vacant, the rest of the house was occupied by various tenants. He lived here till he left India for the U.S. in or about 1960-61. He mortgaged the house to create some funds to go to U.S. Thus he left India. He decided to go to the U.S. to study for an M.B.A. but he did not finish. He passed about two years in America and ultimately he decided to go to London, when he had no sufficient funds left. But some how or other he managed and landed in London on the last day for immigrants arriving from the commonwealth before visas were required. After landing in London the struggle started and continued till he got service in the Post Office and became married.
After about 18 years of his leaving India, he came back for the first time to India. When he came back to India, he narrated his life in America and London. Thereafter, he often visited India. His last years as I know were spent in London and Mauritius.
As such the second part of his life was not amazing as the first one but it was a normal and natural life.
This is in short as I know about his life. My address is given hereunder.
R. M. Tanna,
A-3 Rajhans Apartment,
11, Karan Para, Near Jain Wadi, RAJKOT (Gujarat) India
Hello everyone. Such sad news about Jay. And my deepest sympathies go to all those people he was close to, but especially to his daughters Amanda and Michelle, and his grandchildren, and Chantal.
My first meeting with Jay – or Jai as many of us called him – was in 1984. I was starting work as a counter clerk for the post office and the powers-that-be decided that North Finchley Branch Office was where I was to learn my trade. And that was the office where Jay was branch manager. Or Guv’nor as managers were called back then.
Jay was a great guv’nor: friendly, fair, but firm. He was insistent about ensuring new entrants treated cash handling in a meticulous manner. And he was also insistent that customers were treated fairly, and with compassion too.
North Finchley B.O. was a happy ship, and as anyone who has worked in an post office will tell you, guv’nors played a key role in office morale. Everyone liked working at North Finchley because everyone like Jay and really enjoyed working for him.
Jay would often go across the road to the Tally Ho! pub for lunch. (This was long before the days of Pret a Manger, Costa Coffee and the like – if we wanted to go out for lunch, it was the pub.) This showed why Jay was such an excellent manager, because even if he’d had to take someone to task over a misdemeanour during the morning, well that was business. He’d never let post office business get in the way of personal relationships and he’d always end a reprimand with a “Come on Officer, let me buy you a drink!” (Jay called everyone Officer when at the office.).
I paid a visit to North Finchley last week, as a way of remembering working with Jay. Unfortunately, the old office is an empty shell. Boarded up, with For Sale and Keep Out signs all around. Maybe a few ghosts of friends and colleagues past could be heard above the roar of the traffic up North Finchley High Road. People who would have known and loved Jay. People like Gill and Dave Barnes and Brenda and Julie and Steve and Mandy…I can’t remember all the names after, what? 35+ years, but everyone who worked with Jay would have fond memories.
But the Tally Ho! pub was still there, right opposite. So I took a photo of that, instead of the post office…
everyone moves on and eventually Jay moved on to Muswell Hill Branch Office. And I moved on too and ended up working in Muswell Hill with him. This was Jay’s last office as it was here he decided to take retirement. That was back in 1990. Upon his retirement Jay treated himself (If my memory serves me well) to a full set of The Encyclopaedia Brittanica.
Muswell Hill B.O. was a great place to work and Jay was very well liked by the staff there – Barbara, Mick P, Steve F, Howard… That post office is still there. However, sadly it’s no longer a Crown Office, but is just a mere shadow of what post offices used to be back when Jay was a guv’nor. I took a photo of Muswell Hill post office as well. But as it seems only one photo per comment is allowed, that’s the one I’ve chosen to upload..
I well remember Jay telling me stories ofe Rajkot in his youth. He even touched upon the horrors of partition once or twice. He’d witnessed terrible things back then, it was clear. But Jay could never be serious for long and he made me laugh when he told me how he and some friends left India and took a ship to London. As it passed through the Suez Canal a few of them got off to have a look around. And when they returned the ship had moved on. So they had a mad adventure taking cabs and hitching lifts in an effort to catch up with the ship before it reached the Mediterranean and sailed off without them.
But they caught it, and Jay made it to London where he had a flight booked to Cincinnati. He’d been accepted to study at the university there. He told me how he earned money by doing the rich kids’ homework for them as well as his own – Jay was much cleverer than the rest of his fellow students and I think he found the course quite easy.
And there Jay may well have stayed. But he saw a small article in a local newspaper which stated that Britain was about to change its citizenship laws. Jay realised that if he didn’t quit university and fly to London within the week his chances of settling permanently in Britain could be over. So fly over he did and quite quickly ended up working at a post office in Victoria Street. Sadly that’s long gone too.
Anyway, many fond memories of Jay. Not just work-related, but also when talking politics in pubs – he’d always have Glenfiddich, a single, with ice – or playing golf with my son Matthew when he was a young teenager, over at Oakwood Park. And latterly at The Adelaide in Teddington when Jay paid his annual visit to London. Such a shame the lockdown stopped him coming over last year.
Jay was a lovely man.
Some people leave such an impression in our hearts, and Jay was one of those people.
We shared with him some unforgettable memories and will always remember his wide and infectious smile and sense of humour. We are lucky our lives were touched by this very special person and the memory of him will remain a treasure for us.
Thank you Gilberte and Bernard. Hope to meet you in Australia one day!
Amanda
My quote of the day for Jay:
” My good friends bring happiness into my life.
My Best friends bring Whisky.”
To gargle and not to gargle was always the question for Jay, while
apologizing to William Shakespeare.
I could almost see him drink his Single Malt Whisky with a Big smile that
lasted long after his last gargle.
My cheers to Jay.
Christian
The Sultan of Single Malt Whisky
Jay will always remain in our heart the ” Sultan of Single Malt Whisky “.
His regular gargles symbolized a well-being of his spirit, a dream that was nearest to his heart.
During the Whisky moment, all of Jay’s dream would be realized in relished gargles.
It was a privilege for family and friends to have shared the magic of the Whisky moments with Jay.
Christian
Jay will always be in my heart. His smile and the joy he shared all around him will always be remembered. We will miss you so much. Rest in peace <3
Please, allow me to share these thoughts with you:
To jay and myself, our only sin is simply Single Malt Whisky limitation.
Once we do that, it is all over for both of us.
Jay would certainly agree with me while gargling his Single Malt Whisky shot:
” When the Whisky dies, we see FINIS across our heart”
Christian
THE LIFE BEYOND:
The other evening during my usual Single Malt Whisky gargle, I could almost hear Jay utter these enlightened words for me to take notice:
I will return to nature where I came from.
I will be part of the sea, the fish, the birds and the sky.
I will be part of the land, the trees and the mountains.
I have had a rich and full life and have no regrets.
I will continue to live in your memories of me through
my two daughters, my three grandchildren, all family members and all my dear friends.
I have always enjoyed sharing a smooth, dry and slightly sherry GLENFIDDICH with Jay, and we would always drink in moderation until our next gargle.
As Jay would often say to me: ” No man is a failure who always enjoy his whisky gargle “.
I would reply ” When all else fails, in Whisky there is Kingdom and in drinking it there is Wisdom ”
This is my fondest memories of Jay.
Christian
All the family on the Gold Coast share with you our fondest memories of Jay in sincere appreciation of his unique character.
Jay was the most jolly and easy going guy we were privileged to have known, who had a captivating smile that radiated around
those who were with him. He felt most contented and at peace in delicious Mauritius to catch the everyday bliss of this unique paradise island in the sun with his late wife Lysele and the Belcourt family.
Jay was the most accommodating and friendly person who always went his unique way to make all of us most welcome. He was as warm and spirited as the morning sunrise, always seeking the simple pleasures of the to-day life while swinging his Whisky glass in lots of tasty gargles to celebrate the good life going his way.
We were very impressed by his keen desire to try to win at the petanque and dominoes games, his passionate love of music and his impressive talent on the electronic piano. We will never forget his 5 star very delicious omlettes he loved to cook for us to kick start the day with him.
Jay will be most sadly missed by his very dear family and friends, and will be most remembered for his very generous nature that made all of us feel most lucky and at home to be around him.
The memory of Jay will always be precious in our heart.
He will be sadly missed.
From: Christine, Christian, Jacqueline, Louise, and Arianne, with special thoughts from the Belcourt cousins in Melbourne
I can faintly remember the first day Jay walked into 110 Victoria Street Post Office. I had little idea that day, that the gentleman walking through those doors would become one of my best friends in life. Soon after he began working with me, we began our little camping excursions. Jay loved camping and I loved camping. We would venture into the wilderness and sit down beside each other, discussing all the worldly things that came to mind. That time we spent with each other was cherished, but I did not realize then how much I would miss my friend. The best time I have ever spent in my life were spent in the company of my friend Jay. He loved music. I can still mildly hear the sound of his piano playing. Jay taught himself to play that piano. He was a caring man, never taking anything to his heart and always bringing joy to those around him. I will always miss Jay. He was a friend of friends. He was my best friend.
💛💙💕💛💙💕😍💙
I only was introduced to Jay around 15 years ago. It was only January 2020 when I felt I got a sense of what he was about. It’s not often you meet people who sow a seed, leave a moment etched in your memory. I had the honour and pleasure to see Jay in his natural setting in his home in Mauritius. He welcomed me in his home as if it was my own. Sometimes we don’t need a life time to know what we already know. Sometimes it can be a profound conversation or a persona about someone that speaks on their behalf. This is how I felt with Jay with the 10 days I spent in his home. He spoke to me about life and he showed me a way of life. We all gain wisdom as we travel through the journey of life. The lasting impact Jay had was to show me to love life, to enjoy it, to take it easy. Nothing should be a stress. Jay was so kind, witty, funny, sharp and smart. It is hard to think about someone no longer being physically present in this world but I take comfort from knowing that Jay left a lasting imprint on how I should live my life. Thank you Jay. May there always be light with you. Sending you much love and warmth.
When I was at uni, Jay and I were sharing a flat in Clapham. Lysele used to come and visit. Her visits turned out to be the start of a beautiful love affair. They subsequently got married and became the proud parents of two beautiful daughters Amanda and Michele.
They bought a beautiful house in North London and my wife and I used to visit them often. After some years they moved to Lysels motherland Mauritius. We still kept in touch and visited them everytime we were down there. We enjoyed their hospitality at their beautiful bungalow in Grand Gaube. Jay always making his special omelette for us and the bar was always open. We played dominoes, petanque, rummy and Jay was always the cheerful winner.
Jay har a wonderful sense of humour. He was always joking and making people around him comfortable and happy. Jay was a true “bon viveur”.
We shall remember him as a wonderful guy who added a special flavour to the food of life.
💖💕💛🧡💕❤
My dad leaves behind his two daughters, me and Michele; 3 grandsons, Kiran, Rohan and Mathis, partner, Chantal and many, many friends and family. I can’t put into words the pain of not having seen my dad since September 2019 but I have been comforted by the messages I’ve received via email and social media describing how my dad influenced their approach to life. I will really miss his voice and laughter and can’t believe I won’t hear him again.
I will always remember the hilarity, embarrassment and sheer fun of being out in public with my dad! He simply couldn’t do anything quietly is what I remember growing up. One of my most memorable holidays was having finished my year of study in Toulouse, I hadn’t worked out a plan to bring all my stuff back home to England. I phoned my dad for ideas. He said “stay put, I’ll come and pick you up!” How spoilt I was! I had the best road trip experience, travelling up France with my dad, Steve and Christiane. What laughter we had. We stayed in traditional B&Bs; one hostess I remember was at first rather aloof and conservative but by the end of our 2-night stay was laughing with Jay over a glass of brandy.
Once the grief has subsided I will remember times like those and look forward to hearing your stories.
Me and my dad.
You are right Amanda. It was a very nice trip and a good laugh. A very nice memory among plenty of others that Jay has left with us over the years. We will miss him loads