Bend it like Bowley

Rupert Taylor on Funeral Services in Hassocks:

Former footballer Paul Bowley is such a lively character that it seems hard to believe that his chosen specialised subject is, to put it bluntly, death.

He was a centre-forward in the old-fashioned mould who was not afraid to put himself about a bit and delighted in upsetting opposition defences. Now he does the opposite. As a funeral director, he instils calm, comfort and compassion for the bereaved at a time that can be both traumatic and heart-breaking. Most importantly, he ensures that those who have died are treated with dignity and respect.

My preconception of a funeral director was somebody grim and dressed in black. Think Private Fraser from television’s Dad’s Army, a cousin of the Grim Reaper, then forget it.

“Arranging a funeral can be grim, but a smile can break the ice – compassion with a bit of humour,” said Paul.

He showed me up to his lair above his business in the heart of Hassocks wearing a black suit all right, but enlivened by braces of pink and blue hearts and a snazzy silk tie – just one of 150 colourful examples at his disposal. The lair itself is a celebration of life – memorabilia from Paul’s chequered football career and his adoration of the rock band Queen, and lead singer Freddie Mercury in particular, adorn the walls. It’s a glorious mixture of framed club shirts, old footballs and Freddie in his pomp.

Woodingdean-born Paul’s early prowess as a player captured Brighton’s eye and he signed schoolboy forms with the club at the age of 12 in the early 1970s, with every confidence that he would progress to Albion’s professional ranks.

So how does a funeral director become a funeral director after being almost famous as a footballer?

Brian Clough. The appointment in 1974 of the Derby County boss and TV pundit as manager of Brighton was seen as an extraordinary coup at the Goldstone Ground, a fillip for a club languishing in the old Third Division of the Football League.

But Clough promptly scrapped the club’s youth policy on his arrival – which left Paul out in the cold. Ironically, he signed as an apprentice for Clough’s old side Derby after scoring a hat-trick in a trial match.

His career at the Baseball Ground was restricted by the fact that Derby were one of the finest teams in England and first team opportunities were limited, but he took comfort from the fact that he cleaned the boots of such luminaries as Francis Lee, Charlie George and Archie Gemmell – and amongst reserve team games he played at mighty Manchester United’s Old Trafford.

A brief and miserable spell followed with Athlone in the Irish League and his promising football aspirations slowly unravelled: Eastbourne United, Hurstpierpoint and finally Preston Dynamos in the Sussex Sunday League.

Paul was disillusioned and unhappy. He felt his future would have progressed at Brighton if it had not been for Clough swinging the axe – and he was of the generation that went on to enjoy top-flight and FA Cup success. Suddenly he was too old for the game, married and with a job on a building site.

He owes his rebirth, he says, to his former father-in-law Bob Forsyth who launched him as a coffin maker for the family undertaking business in 1980 and taught him all there was to know.

Paul, now 51, worked his way up through the ranks and decided to go solo in Hassocks 12 years ago. He has never looked back, and bubbles with down-to-earth enthusiasm about his job. His policy is simple: “I’m open at any time of day. I’ve been wearing flip-slops and shorts when I’ve been washing the car on a Sunday and someone’s got in touch, but what’s most important is the family we’re serving.” Bowley Funeral Service won the Golden Charter Funeral Planner of the Year award in 2001.

Clients can make their final journey in style, from horse-drawn hearse to motorcycle sidecar, from wicker basket to camper van! Paul added: “We look after those loved ones who have died, but essentially look after those who are left behind. They are the ones who need our help the most.”

Bowley Funeral Service
30 Keymer Road, Hassocks, West Sussex BN6 8AN
Tel. 01273 841711
www.bowleyfuneralservice.co.uk