Life Talk

Barry spoke to the club about his life prior to coming to join the Rotary Club of Senlac. But before he began he presented Robin Poll with a bottle of 8.5 ABV “Old Tom” beer produced by Lancashire brewers, Robinsons, as a thank you for his help in getting him settled into the club.  Born in the suburbs of Manchester in 1947, Barry weighed in at 10lb and he is still a big lad (his words). He failed his 11+ and went to a secondary school where he was in top sets, something he believes was to his advantage. While at school he was something of a swimmer and represented both city and county in breast stroke events and, as part of a relay team, set an English Schools record time. This passion for swimming led to the development of another passion which has lasted for many years, he met a girl, Pauline, also a swimmer who later became his wife. Pauline had just returned from the Tokyo Olympics where she had been representing England. Pauline gained a world record in the medley relay in 1966, a record that still stands and is unlikely ever to be beaten as the distance as in yards not the now used metres. Barry and Pauline married in 1970 and have two children; a son in New Zealand and a daughter who has returned from Vancouver and now lives in Hadlow, Kent.

Barry has spent his career in Insurance and worked for several companies before setting up his own business as a broker. After four years he went into partnership for sixteen years before the partnership dissolved. Business then blossomed and he stayed on his own until he sold out in 2008. His daughter persuaded Barry and Pauline to move closer to her and her family and Barry and Pauline found a property in Normans Bay where they now live.

Barry became a Round Tabler while in Stockport and eventually became a Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Stockport Lamplighters before transferring his membership to Senlac Rotary.