It’s a week since we said goodbye to James’ and the world seems a bit of a strange place without him, and that went double of Friday night in the TalkTV studio, James’ studio, a place I instantly realised I’d never been without the Whale calling the shots.

Last week there was lots of media coverage of the funeral, and what a great send-off, hundreds of those from the Whale Universe, all of them friends together regardless of how they originally met. Many were household names from the media and entertainment world, Matt Goss, Nigel Farage, Bobby Davro, James Cosmo, Eamonn Holmes, to name but a few.

James carefully crafted his public persona over many years, but behind his on-airimage he was a charming, knowledgeable man with a great sense of humour. He had the last laugh I think, as his casket was carried into the 14th century church to the 1988 Bros hit – When Will I Be Famous!?

It was an extremely emotional day, with tributes in words and song from family and friends. The image that will stay with me for life is Matt Goss delivering a beautiful medley of In The Wee Small Hours and Unforgettable, to a packed church, while comforting James’ wife Nadine.

It must be 15-20 years ago I first met James; he was the special guest at my firm’s Christmas Lights switch on and street party. We rigged the lights to a switch operated by the chain from an antique toilet. I ask you, what other celebrity would sit on the khazi, cameras clicking away, for a laugh and a good cause? And if I remember correctly James drove from Birmingham, where he was working at the time, down to London just to pull the chain for us. I sent my car and driver, ‘young Eric’, 83, to pick James up, but after a long day and a drive to the Midlands, Eric was exhausted. So, James drove my Bentley, with Eric asleep on the back seat, back to Lambeth for the party.

Over the years James was a fixture of my TV and radio commercials, and I became a regular guest on his radio show. Needless to say, we became very good friends, with me and my partner spending many happy times, quiet dinners to media bashes, with James and his wife Nadine.

As well as being a great friend and the most versatile media host of his era, James was a man of many talents and interests, one of which was archery. But not the modern high-tech variety, oh no! James was an expert with the traditional English longbow, as seen in Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and most famously, at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. James knew all the history of his ‘weapon’ of choice.

So much part of his life was the longbow that his brothers in arms made a special tribute to James’ life at his funeral. I’m sure everyone has seen military salutes with canons or rifles. Well at James’ send-off there was a volley of arrows sent skyward, a very fitting way to honour such a unique bloke.

There are so many good memories of James, I could go on forever, but it needs to be said that after surviving cancer several decades ago, he founded what has become the UK’s largest kidney cancer charity, Kidney Cancer UK.

Last year James was awarded an MBE for his contribution to broadcasting over half a century, and it was my great pleasure to host a party for him at Langans Restaurant, where the 100s of friends he collected over the years were able to honour his life’s achievements, as a radio and TV host, a charity fundraiser, and an all-around good person.

James, you are very missed by me, and so many others, friends and fans alike. I started by talking about your funeral, so I think it only fitting to finish with a word on your wake.

Your lovely wife, Nadine, told me what you said on this: “I don’t want a wake, I want an after-party!”

James, I can honestly say everyone there did you proud.