Remembering Julian “Jools” Stott

As Remembrance Day approaches, we remember those who served and the lives they touched both during and after their military careers. Julian “Jools” Stott gave much of his life to helping other people. His military service took him overseas, his construction skills helped people make their homes, and his teaching opened opportunities for young people. His family and friends remember the man they knew in everyday life: generous with his time, full of character and charm, and able to make others laugh even when facing difficulties of his own.

Julian joined the Grenadier Guards on 4 September 1984. He later transferred to the Cheshire Regiment in Hong Kong and trained in jungle warfare in Brunei, where he appeared in the British Army’s jungle training video. His military
eulogy recalled this with affectionate humour, suggesting it was an achievement he rarely missed an opportunity to mention.

After leaving the regular Army, he continued serving in the Territorial Army with 49 Field Squadron Royal Engineers, specialising in explosive ordnance disposal, and later with 21 SAS Regiment. He completed two tours in Afghanistan, the last following his
return to the Royal Engineers EOD squadron. Comrades remembered his loyalty, sense of responsibility and ability to lift spirits.

The Armed Forces remained an important part of Julian’s life. He took part in Remembrance events, regimental gatherings and military charity activities, often helping to organise them.

In civilian life, Julian worked in construction before becoming an assessor and lecturer. Around 2001, he and his friend David Alexis took part in a self-build project in Poplar, East London, building ten houses. They became immediate neighbours, beginning a friendship that lasted more than twenty years.

Julian continued helping long after the houses were finished. He repaired leaks, installed things and sorted out problems for neighbours, including residents who had lived there before the project and people who arrived afterwards. He gave his labour freely and, through those everyday acts of kindness, helped build a community.

“I often told him he ought to charge for the work he was doing,” David recalls. “He would simply nod, then carry on without charging a penny. He couldn’t help himself when it came to helping others.”

His home was welcoming too. In 2012, Fran arrived from Spain speaking no English. After a promised job and accommodation proved to be a scam, he and a friend were considering sleeping in a park when they met Julian in East London. “Come with me, you’ll be my guests,” Julian told them.

He gave them beds, meals and practical help. He took time off work to help them look for somewhere to live, drove them to viewings and helped them negotiate with a landlord. He provided bedding and household essentials and even took them shopping for food.

When Fran later found himself homeless again, he remembered Julian’s offer of help. His English was still limited, so when he called, Julian spoke slowly so he could understand: “Home. Go home. Understand?” Fran returned to Julian’s home and stayed for about a year, finding work and learning English with Julian and his son Aaron. Over time, he came to see Julian as a father and Aaron and Amelie as his siblings.

Through his own hard work, Fran has since earned an HND in Business Management and a Level 6 qualification in Health and Safety. He remembers the welcome that helped him find his feet: “Jools made me feel like one of his own. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

Julian was a father to Aaron, Hannah and Amelie, and grandfather to Ashton and Madison. The family’s eulogy recalled his pride at Aaron’s wedding in Portugal in 2024, his interest in his grandchildren’s lives and the presents he brought when he visited. With Amelie, he enjoyed trips to the beach and skate park and supported her sporting activities and school achievements. She became so familiar with London through their outings that she could take visiting relatives on tours herself.

Julian was also deeply loved by his partner, April, who describes him as her best friend as well as the person she had planned to spend her future with. “Jools was such a special part of my life,” she writes. “He was my love, my best friend and the person I wanted to spend my future with.” They planned for him to move to Seaford and for them to marry. April treasures their visit to a garden party at Buckingham Palace and their trip to Portugal for his son’s wedding, alongside the simple everyday moments they shared. “I miss Jools every day. He will always be in my heart, and I will love him forever.”

His commitment to helping people also shaped his work in further education. As an assessor and construction lecturer, he passed on practical skills, particularly to young people who had faced disadvantage. He supported students in finding employment and took an interest in where their learning could lead. Preparing lessons in his own time and bringing in resources were part of that commitment.

Julian died at Harrow College’s Brookshill Campus in January 2025. He had gone in to prepare lessons and bring resources for his students, although he was not scheduled to teach that day. For David, this was recognisably the same generosity he had seen for years in his neighbour and friend.

Julian’s influence can be seen in the life of his youngest daughter, Amelie. Now twelve, she has remembered her father through activities with Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Her mother, Cecile, described the 2025 Remembrance parade and the Royal Albert Hall remembrance concert as deeply emotional occasions for them both. “Amélie truly made her daddy proud,” she wrote. Cecile has also spoken of Amelie’s hope of joining the cadets.

Amelie has also continued to remember her father in her own way. At last year’s Army v Navy rugby match at Twickenham, she wore a special T-shirt in his memory, with a pin given to her by one of Julian’s Army friends at his funeral.

Julian’s friend David wanted to find a way of helping young people in Julian’s memory. Through his business,
XS Training, he has offered to support two candidates each year with electrical training. The proposal includes course costs and travel and accommodation for practical training, with subsequent NVQ and AM2 assessment costs covered when candidates are ready. Scotty’s Little Soldiers has welcomed the offer and referred it for consideration. It reflects Julian’s own belief in giving people opportunities through practical skills.

David remembers the kindness and laughter together: “Whether helping a neighbour or encouraging a student, he gave so much of himself.” That is the Jools his friends and family miss: a man who made time to help, brought humour into difficult days and left people with memories of being cared for.