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IN MEMORY OF PETER POWELL A TRIBUTE BY MARK OSBORNE
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Peter Powell, whose contribution to the shooting trade has been felt for decades. In recognition of his life and career, we share this tribute from William Powell owner, Mark Osborne.
Peter Powell spent his life working at William Powell Limited. Whilst his brother David oversaw the retail side of the business, Peter devoted himself to the Gun Room and workshops and became incredibly knowledgeable about every aspect of the English sidelock and boxlock shotgun.
He had an encyclopaedia knowledge of William Powell guns throughout the ages (the firm having started in 1802) and was incredibly proud of the quality of the guns that the firm had produced and indeed continued to produce under Peter’s watchful eye. William Powell has often been described as “the Purdeys of Birmingham” and Peter was immensely proud that his family’s firm was capable of building guns of the very highest quality and often using their own patents. It is interesting that even William Powell lower grade boxlocks were far superior to most boxlock guns produced in Birmingham. Their number 1 sidelock guns were splendid examples of British gun making at its best.
Peter was very well respected in the English gun trade and was a board member of the Birmingham Proof House, continuing his family’s commitment to that organisation since it was founded. When the time came for David and Peter to sell their business, they were desperate for it to continue to flourish. Peter in particular, was committed to ensuring that Mark and Christine Osborne’s purchase of William Powell was a success, to include the move from their Carrs Lane premises in the centre of Birmingham to Banbury. It was initially agreed that Peter would work part-time for the first year after the sale in 2008, but he ended up staying for several years! His wisdom on top of a phenomenal knowledge of guns of all sorts, proved invaluable to the new owners and their customers.
Peter was incredibly kind and thoughtful and best described as “an English Gentleman”
On behalf of everyone at Gun Trade Insider, we extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.