The Livery Newsletter and Gazette Issue 28 Winter 2017 | Page 7

His squadron fought across the Low Countries into
Germany, their tanks finally going “flat out down an
autobahn” to a position north of Bremen. Garrett
was
in despatches
at the
of the
war
The mentioned
lunch was deliciously
catered
by end
Mark
Grove
alongside
his at
brother
and
friend,
the actor Ian
and his team
Cook officer
& Butler
and
we cracked
Carmichael.
along at a goodly pace. Our guests were admirably
introduced to by Wills,
Liveryman
Morrison
and our
Returning
Garrett Fran
became
a product
Principal Guest,
Tim Wonnacott
a generous
and
development
manager
and played gave
a part
in the highly
very
humorous
reply
to
which
I
responded
initially
successful 1962 launch of Embassy Filter, which
by drenching
poor Tim
in a glass for
of gifts.
water He
- he
was
came
with coupons
redeemable
was
very kind
about it for
(sorry
Tim!). based
I was
pleased
general
manager
Scotland,
at very
Gartocharn,
to
show
off
the
newly
found
Livery
Grant
of
before moving to Wills’ sister company John Arms
Player &
and
Letters
Patent
which
have
been
missing
for
Sons in Nottingham. There he launched another many
new
years - Players
our Clerk
sought
them cigarette,
out, and at
brand,
No tenaciously
10 – Britain’s
cheapest
the 10d
new for
Immediate
Past Master, Chris Allen, and his
3s
20.
IPM, Mark Gower-Smith have funded a beautiful re-
He
returned to
Bristol
as deputy
chairman of
presentation
and
they are
now resplendent
in frames
Imperial
in
1972.
After
retiring
from
the
group,
carved with tobacco leaves (or close to); Sandra he
also
was
chairman
the diary
publisher
located
a huge of
banner
not seen
since Dataday
1985 and and
Angus
– and encountered some hostility from those who felt vice
chairman
the independent
television
Menzies,
Clerk of to HTV,
the Master
Mariners and
never shy
the arts should by rights depend on taxpayer subsidy franchise
for
Wales
and
the
west
of
England.
of a challenge saw to it that it was displayed on the
rather than the whims of businessmen’s tastes.
He
was a trustee of the Royal Opera House and
Quarterdeck.
Glyndebourne,
where Imperial sponsored a series of
But public funding was becoming permanently
Whilst
all
this
was
on, apparently
in the going
early 1980s,
with the biblical-
“JPS” livery
squeezed, while Goodman was able to point out after productions
style
downpours
were
being
had
all over
London
adorning
the
lorries
that
transported
the
London
a decade as ABSA chairman (with Garrett as his
- Philharmonic
oblivious to all
that
drama
we
ended
our
to and from the Sussex opera lunch
house.
deputy) that he had never seen an example of artistic and trooped back
to the quarterdeck where Coffee,
interference by a corporate sponsor: fears that Gilbert Garrett
was Cognac
also chairman
the
Festival, that
Cigars, and
awaited of us
(I Bath
did mention
and Sullivan would be substituted for Wagner, or
and
from
1980
to
1987
chairman
of
the
National
our Livery enjoyed dining on the High C’s..)
and
Hamlet given a happy ending, “have turned out to
Association
of to
Boys
for – which
he led Jemma
a £1
which seemed
hit Clubs,
the mark
Liveryman
be wholly baseless”. The amount of corporate cash
million
He was
appointed
CBE in
Freeman fundraising
had kindly drive.
provided
the torpedo
cigars
directed to the arts, estimated in 1973 to be as little
1987.
and had had them placed in souvenir tubes with our
as £250,000, rose by the mid-1980s, with ABSA as a
Crest emblazoned on it. Several of us also sported
As a young man, Garrett was a powerful second-row
catalyst, to more than £20 million – and multiplied
a limited edition Livery Smoking hat - originally
forward for Clifton rugby club (where he was later
thereafter.
conceived as a sort of shooting hat, it serves its
president) and played four times for Gloucestershire,
purpose so well as a “team” hat, that of the twenty
The youngest of three brothers, Richard Anthony
including in the 1949 county championship final, lost
ordered, but one remained by the close of the day!
Garrett was born near Cardiff on July 4 1918 and
to Lancashire. In later years he was also president of
Thank you to the Master Mariners for allowing us the
educated at King’s School, Worcester. In 1936 he
Bristol & Clifton golf club, where he played until he
use of the venue, to Tim for being a perfect Principal
started work at WD & HO Wills of Bristol, one of 13 was
91.
Guest, and for everyone attending and giving my
companies that had come together in 1901 to create
year such
a special
start.
Tony
Garrett
married,
first in 1946, Marie Dalglish;
Imperial Tobacco.
she died in 1999 and he married secondly, in 2000,
Already a territorial soldier, Garrett was called up
Nancy Wise, who survives him with a son and two
at the beginning of the war and commissioned
daughters of the first marriage, a third daughter
The Master
into the 2nd Royal Gloucester Hussars in January
having predeceased him.
1941. He later served as a captain with the 22nd
Dragoons, landing in Normandy on D Day plus two
Daily Telegraph 17th November 2017
after 36 uncomfortable hours at anchor offshore.
3 7