An interesting early childhood
Date of news/blog: 17th February 2026James Vinen was born in 1931 and had an interesting early childhood including from the age of two living on Christmas Island, near Australia, where his father was manager of the Christmas Island Phosphate Company.
He had two younger brothers Andrew and Giles, and beloved English Bull terriers who were his companions in his early years. He also served in the Canal zone whilst undertaking National Service with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment.
James attended Ashdowne House prep school during the war years and then Stowe in 1945. He was a keen cricketer and talented hockey player at school.
He then went on to study History and Theology at Trinity College Cambridge. He became a teacher of RE and History and taught at a number of schools in Sussex and Surrey, including Brambletye, Northease Manor, Penthorpe and Parkside school. His love of historical literature inspired so many young people, and he enjoyed reading in his spare time.
It was during his time at Aldro School in Shackleford in the early 1960’s where he met and married a music teacher called Hazel. The couple, who have four children, were married for over 60 years before Hazel sadly passed away at Bramshott Grange in 2025.
James and Hazel both have a very strong Christian faith and were actively involved in their local church wherever they lived, including Lewes, Guildford and Yelverton in Devon, and more recently at Godalming Baptist.
They became supportive and much-loved grandparents to seven grandchildren, and James now has three great grandchildren.
With Hazel’s onset dementia the couple started finding daily life challenging, especially during the Covid years, so the family decided it was time to consider residential care for them both.
James’s daughter Verity and one of her brothers visited Bramshott Grange and they were impressed enough to suggest that James also visited, which he did, and he liked the home as he could see that both his and Hazel’s individual needs would be met.
James and Hazel were accommodated on different floors of the home initially due to Hazel’s dementia, but when a room became available next to James, she moved to be closer to him and Verity says this is when they felt settled at Bramshott Grange, enjoying their time together with everything that the home has to offer.
Verity says in Hazel’s final weeks and days the staff were “extraordinary’’. James continues to be supported by the whole team at Bramshott Grange from the friendly reception team, care and medical staff, activity team, cleaning, gardening and maintenance to the Home Director.
“I would thoroughly recommend Bramshott Grange. It’s such a joyous place and every member of staff has a unique quality, which they convey through their compassionate and dignified care of all the residents,” she says.