Paul Bower died in August, aged 55, after a 20-year career with the magazine.
MBY’s production editor Paul Bower died in August, aged 55, after a 20-year career with the magazine.
Paul, pictured here at MBY’s 100th birthday party in 2004, was an inimitable character and an integral member of the MBY team. He will be dearly missed personally and professionally.
Here is the address given by MBY’s advertisement manager Mike Wills at Paul’s funeral:
“Paul was a trusted, respected, kind and generous member of my team. However, there were many occasions throughout the week, where he was highly amusing either intentionally or unintentionally because Paul being Paul had his own way of doing things! He was the Basil Fawlty of ad production.
His battle with his computer and dealing with late copy from foreign brokers is legendary. But I’ll tell you more about that in a moment.
Firstly a bit about his background at IPC.
For twenty years or so, Paul’s responsibility was to compile the brokerage section of Motorboat & Yachting and more latterly, Motor Boats Monthly as well. In his time he must have produced about 13,000 pages of Used Boat advertisements which meant that he was very busy constantly on the phone, constantly chasing copy and constantly meeting deadlines.
About 19 years ago, one of his life long colleagues and friend, Denis Bushell joined him to form a unique partnership which for practically two decades, the marine industry came to know, trust and cherish dearly. They were Yin and Yang, Laurel and Hardy, Morecombe and Wise all wrapped into one.
In fact if ever we launched another motor boating magazine which required a production department, you couldn’t employ one without the other. They had their own distinct identity with the top players in the business and were regularly entertained at boat shows as a result. The sad loss of Paul in this respect is immense. He will be sorely missed and hard to replace.
He’ll also be remembered for his incredible thoughtfulness and kindness to members of the team and their spouses. In the office Carole has been practically enshrined with canine memorabilia because of her love of dogs. She, along with the other women in the team were regularly treated to flowers and chocolates at Christmas, Easter, Birthdays and even Valentine’s day. Over the past 11 years or so, my wife would be taken out to enjoy the odd cigarette or two with him, when she had reason to call by the office.
His attention wasn’t just aimed at the women; he was also a man’s man too and often went out for a bevvie or two with Stuart, Scott and other colleagues. Frequently referred to as ‘Pauline’ he, like the rest of us, had to get used to nick names that ensued from the office banter which my team thrive on. No one escapes!
That said his quick wit and dry humour got him into interesting and amusing situations both inside and outside of the office.
I think a lot of yacht brokers cowered after an ear bashing from him because they wanted to change the ad at the last minute but funnily, will miss the regular teasing and charm that went with it. His reputation for being abrasive but gentle was well known around Europe, with several clients regretting that they never met him in the flesh.
Mike and Beryl Miller from Imperial Motor Yachts reflected the consensus from many of the marine trade that have since contacted us and I quote,
“We have always found Paul to be a friendly and cheerful chap, always willing to help and do his utmost for us all.
His visits at Boat Shows with Denis were always much enjoyed and we shared a few drinks together over the years.
He will be sorely missed by all who knew him in the business”.
And finally to the trials and tribulations of his poor PC. There are about 2000 computers at Kings Reach Tower all maintained and fixed by an army of technicians manning a help desk. I think all of them knew him personally which I think is a first and none of them will ever forget his frequent early morning cries of “My computer’s broken again, I want a proper one not this one built by Noddy in Toy Town!”
His mouse was regularly exhausted from his frantic double clicks and his screen positively burnt out from all his applications being opened at once!
Whilst both sides were constantly exasperated with one another, a mutual respect developed between them. Paul got an exclusive personal service whilst the Help Desk got away without too much of an ear bashing!
In memory of him, the company is making a donation to the RNLI whilst close colleagues are donating to Adopt a Guide Dog which is a charity that funds the training of suitable dogs.
This way a lot of good will come out of Paul’s passing.”
To donate to the charity contact Carole Chandler. Tel: 44 (0)207 261 5113.
