Most who knew Bill will have been aware that he has not been well for the last few weeks. Sadly I have just been told by an impeccable source that Bill passed away on Monday. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him, not least for his patronage of both the CV museum in Leyland and Chipping Steam Fair. RIP
i only new him as MR Bowker ,all ways a had few words to say whenever you passed him in the office or yard, a true GENTLEMAN ,if all bosses acted the way he did within transport , the industry would benefit. DBP.
Bill was the most influential mentor, by far, in my career in the industry.
I worked for him (and yes, for him, rather than the company, it felt) for almost 20 years.
I liked him a great deal and, more importantly, I respected him immensely.
I have countless memories of this pillar of the industry, who inherited control of the business at the age of 19 upon the untimely death of his father in 1955, and led its development from the early years of denationalisation, into a substantial transport and motor trade business over the next 40-odd years at the helm.
As well as leading the business, he was also the Chairman of the Magistrates in Blackburn for many years, and also Chairman of the Ribble Valley Conservative Association.
He was awarded an MBE a few years ago for his service to the Bench, but he could have had one each for his services to the transport industry and to politics too
I also knew him as MR Bowker.
I knew him from my days as a volunteer at the British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland.
Most people at the museum had known him for a lot longer than myself through the transport/trucking industry, and knew him as Bill.
He was a real gentleman.
He would always say hello and enquire how I was; what I was doing; and the times when my (young) children were with me, he would engage them in conversation on a person to person level. My son would have been 9 to 14 years when Mr Bowker knew him. He was always very encouraging about looking forward to life after school. At about 14 years of age, my son decided that he wanted to be an engineer. Mr Bowker and Andrew Buchan (the then Manager of the BCVM) gave him a lot of encouragement, Andrew arranged for him to do a work experience placement at the Leyland Assembly Plant during his school holidays. He thoroughly enjoyed it. He went on to leave school and go to College - then to University. Greenwich (Chatham Complex) - studied engineering for 4 years. Qualified. He became an Engineer.
A railway engineer.
He’s 37 years old now - Married - 2 children. Still a railway engineer - now working for Porterbrook in Derby - enjoying his job.
There were many people who encouraged/guided him in his earlier years. Mr Bowker was one of them. Andrew Buchan and Gordon Baron were others.
RIP Mr Bowker. Condolences to family.
A lot of what i want to say has been said,a true gent,and out of respect i called him Mr Bowker,RIP sir
This month’s Classic & Vintage Commercials has a fantastic spread of Peter Davies’ own photos of Bowker motors over the years, as a tribute to Bill.
Coincidentally, it would have been his 82nd birthday today