Film / Jamie Clapp
My Friend Who Died: Remembering Jamie Clapp
In 2007, 13-year-old Jamie Clapp’s life was tragically cut short in a light aircraft crash.
The death of the much-loved and popular boy shook the core of Mangotsfield, who rallied around his friends and family in the immediate aftermath and for many years to comes.
In the Spring of 2011, with Jamie’s father Gordon Clapp at the helm of numerous fundraising activities, they raised £100,000 and immortalised his life at the place he loved most – Emerson Green Skate Park.
is needed now More than ever
Now in 2025, his friend and filmmaker James Harris has furthered his legacy in a documentary, exploring Jamie’s impact on his community in life and in death.
The film pays tribute to Jamie, as well as Gordon who passed in 2024.
The Emerson Green Skate Park opening day – still from My Friend Who Died by James Harris
Jamie is described as being: “Happy, passionate and caring.”
James adds, “I guarantee you’d be his friend too. I don’t remember a moment where he wasn’t smiling and enjoying himself and encouraging us all to do the same.”
During his funeral, the skaters held their boards in the air to form an archway for his coffin. So many people attended, that speakers were erected outside of the church to accommodate the numbers of mourners.
In the fall out from his death, the boys could have easily have become lost, but from accounts in the film Gordon effectively became the boys’ father figure, guiding them and creating a safe space.
James says: “I’ve lost count of the amount of hours we must have spent in Gordon’s living room. Figuring out how to put our plans into action.”
In one clip from an archival interview with BBC Points West, Gordon says “He’d be over the moon. Can’t believe it. I hope he’s watching now. But it always brings a tear to my eyes.”
During his funeral, the turn out was so large that speakers had to be put up outside of the church so mourners could here the ceremony – still from My Friend Who Died by James Harris
The Emerson Green Skate Park is a constant in the documentary, as is skateboarding, but what is significant is how it became the epicentre for the young boys’ friendship to flourish.
“It was me, Jamie and Ollie every weekend. Skateboarding gave us freedom, a shared bond which allowed for their friendship to flourish.”
James says following his death: “We were all in it together. We created a community.”
But the reminder of their lost friend became too much for some, as they slowly drifted and stopped returning to the park – James included.
Until one day a chance run-in with a former friend forced them to face something that they all struggled to do and that was grieve.
One friend who features in the film, Leon, speaks on the difficulty to understand it at the time, describing feelings of denial.
He adds: “A lot of people in the group seemed confused and didn’t know what to do. Something is missing, but I don’t know how to address that.”
Another friend, Harry, describes how the feeling never leaves you: “It pops up in your happiest moments, pops up in your most sad moments. Almost to support you either way.”
The film flits between archival shots from around Mangotfields and new footage of those same places, where these memories were created and captured through James’ camera.
The annual gathering in July, started around a year on from Jamie’s death – still from My Friend Who Died by James Harris
My Friend Who Died celebrates Jamie and Gordon and the communities resilience and hope.
While it centres around the topic of grief too, particularly that of young boys, it is in a way that is non-judgemental.
James chose to not include details of the circumstances that enabled his death. The flight that was an early 14th birthday present to Jamie, was piloted by Robert Gunter who also died.
A post-mortem revealed he had taken ecstasy earlier in the day of the flight. Many questions around Gunter’s flying history and previous pilot licences have remained unanswered.
When asked on the circumstances, a tinge of anger can be heard in James’ voice. He says: “To drop MDMA before you fly and until you get up is unthinkable.”
James Harris revisiting the place where the plane went down – still from My Friend Who Died by James Harris
Through the years the community have looked over the skate park with a watchful eye.
Its protection and development led by Gordon up until his death in 2024. He fiercely lobbied South Gloucestershire Council to further invest in maintaining the park.
He called for instalment of lights to improve safety outside of daylight hours, extra seating, a picnic area for families and a BMX ramps. None of these were implemented.
Now after Gordon’s passing the future of the park lay in the hands of his friends and the wider community to act as shepherds for the park and its future visitors.
The film premiered at Homegrown Shorts 2025 on Saturday. James also took to the film to a school in Mangotfield.
On the recent trip he reflected on the surprising response. He explained that none of them were alive when when Jamie passed away.
Although they knew of the skate park, some having even visited it themselves, but never really knew the backstory of the memorial. As the community had kept his memory alive, he had became this sort of “old legend” but “none of them had seen his face”.
Adding, “To give a face to a name, to shine a light on that story again has been a real privilege for me.
“What I hope is that when people watch the film they look into Jamie’s story more or maybe just talk to people more about it.”
Main photo: Clapp family
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