Paul’s musical taste owed much to the American bands and singers, in particular Spike Jones and his City Slickers thus his nickname for many years of ‘Spike’ Barron.
National Service in the Middlesex Regiment followed, from which he was discharged on medical grounds - his back - before returning to play for Carlisle RUFC!
The advertising and PR world provided the sort of highly competitive workplace in which Paul prospered. He worked hard and played hard, marrying Joanne in 1963, who bore him three sons, Guy, Simon and Tim. His early background in soccer came in useful in the USA, where to have an English coach with a boys’ team carried some kudos, particularly one who rubbed shoulders with Sepp Blatter and FIFA.
His CV is spattered with leading companies, including McCann-Erikson and other famous names, reaching the zenith of his career with Coca Cola and sponsorship of the World Cup in 1975 promoting the world famous name to all corners of its empire. Paul and his family lived and worked in South Africa, Japan, the USA, and Atlanta, the company’s headquarters, a term of fourteen years in all.
In 1986 Paul left the USA to work independently in London. Joanne returned to Georgia within a reasonable distance of the boys, who were now producing grandchildren. Paul and Suzy married and lived in London for two years before buying a house in Buckinghamshire, returning to Cumbia regularly.
He was eighty-one when he died and had led a full and colourful life in which St Bees was a happy chapter.”
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