Tributes have been pouring in for my close friend Weymouth man Peter Bascombe, who died in the early hours of Monday, 24 August, at Dorset County Hospital following a long illness. He was 70.
Known affectionately to friends, family and former colleagues simply as Pete, he will be remembered as a true gentleman, an old-fashioned man in the very best sense of the word, with impeccable manners, a generous nature, a ready wit, and a determination to do things his own way.
His death has prompted an outpouring of affection from the many people whose lives he touched over the years, particularly former colleagues from his twenty years in the prison service.
Pete was born in Coronation Road, Radipole, Weymouth, and remained in the town for all of his life. He lived in Radipole until 2022, when he moved to Chickerell, meaning that for all of his seven decades, Dorset was very much home.
He attended Broadwey School before going on to Weymouth College, where he studied for A-levels in English and Sociology. His education reflected two interests that would remain with him throughout his life, an enthusiasm for words, history and the world around him, and an ability to absorb and retain an extraordinary amount of information.
Pete’s working life took him to some very different environments. He worked at the Winfrith Atomic Energy Establishment before eventually moving into the prison service.
He worked at Dorchester Prison, and when that establishment closed, he moved to the prisons on Portland. He worked at the Weare and the Verne, building friendships and professional relationships with colleagues across the prison service.
He retired from the prison service last October. After a lifetime of work, retirement was supposed to mark the beginning of a new and more leisurely chapter.
Pete had plans.
He was looking forward to finally having the time to do some of the things that working life had prevented him from doing. Among his ambitions was a trip to the Norwegian Fjords, while closer to home he was looking forward to sitting in the sunshine on his new patio and chilling with his books and his cats.
Sadly, retirement coincided with a serious deterioration in his health. The opportunity to enjoy the fruits of many years of work was taken from him, and those who knew him have been left particularly saddened that he did not get the retirement he deserved.
A gentleman at work
Pete’s former prison-service colleagues have been among those paying heartfelt tribute to him.
One former colleague, on hearing of his death, described him as “always a gentleman, a professional” who got the job done in his own way.
The tribute continued: “He danced to his own tune but benefitted the collective. Always up for a giggle, always prepared to support his colleagues.”
That ability to combine independence with loyalty was very much part of Pete’s character.
He was someone who did things his own way, but that did not stop him from being a valued member of a team. He was prepared to support colleagues, enjoy a laugh and stand alongside those he worked with.
There was also a lighter side to his working life. His former colleagues remembered that Pete had little love for doing what is colloquially known in the prison service as “Comms” (listening in on detainees’ telephone conversations), “which he hated with a passion!”, a detail that brought a smile even in the sadness of remembering him.
A lifelong Manchester United fan
Away from work, Pete had a wide range of interests, but football, and particularly Manchester United, was a lifelong passion.
He had supported United since the late 1950s, following the club through generations of players and managers.
He had a particular affection for the great United players of his youth, including George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. Later, he enjoyed the extraordinary success of the club under Sir Alex Ferguson.
For Pete, football was more than simply watching a match. It was part of a lifetime of memories, stretching back to a halcyon era when football was a working-class passion and had not been taken over by rich people merely expanding their portfolios.
It was one of the subjects on which Pete could talk with enthusiasm and knowledge and he was never short of an opinion.
Tennis, Wimbledon and a love of sport
Tennis was another of Pete’s great sporting interests.
He visited Wimbledon on numerous occasions and loved the experience of attending one of the world’s most famous sporting events. He appreciated not only the tennis itself but also the history, tradition and atmosphere surrounding Wimbledon. He would repeatedly recount the day he met and spoke to Bjorn Borg.
Sport provided Pete with many of the things he enjoyed most: competition, personalities, history and the opportunity to share an experience with other people.
A remarkable knowledge of books and films
Pete was also an enthusiastic reader, with a particular fascination for history.
He especially enjoyed learning about the war years and the Roman period and was a great admirer of the novels of Philip Kerr.
His knowledge of films was equally remarkable.
Pete loved old black-and-white movies, including westerns, and possessed what friends described as an almost encyclopedic knowledge of cinema. He could recall films, actors, characters, and details with impressive accuracy and was always able to bring this passion into a conversation.
It was one of the qualities that made talking to Pete so enjoyable. Whatever the subject, there was a good chance he knew something about it and quite possibly knew considerably more than the person he was talking to.
Music
Pete’s particular loves were the Eagles, Don Henley, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Isley Brothers. He loved harmonies. He told me the story of when he went to see Simon and Garfunkel in Hyde Park, and from the outset something was not right. Paul Simon and Art Garfunel spent the concert at opposite ends of the stage, and it transpired later that they had argued before it began. It did very little for the magic of harmony in more ways than one.
Generous to the end
Those who knew Pete well also remember his extraordinary generosity.
He was particularly generous with close friends and would often insist on paying when they went out for a meal. It was not something he made a fuss about; it was simply his way.
He enjoyed the company of friends, good conversation, a laugh and a night out. Several of the tributes to him have recalled the “great banter” that was such a feature of evenings spent in his company.
One friend wrote of having had “some great sets of nights with Pete” and added: “Always some great banter.”
Another remembered his catchphrase: “Another day, another dollar.”
There were also memories of Pete’s appearance at Christmas parties, particularly his fondness for wearing a white suit and bow tie.
It was a suitably distinctive Pete touch: smart, slightly flamboyant and entirely his own.
Remembered with affection
The news of Pete’s passing has prompted an outpouring of affection from those who knew and worked with him. Again and again, people have remembered him as a genuinely kind, friendly and generous man who made a lasting impression on those around him.
“Such sad news. I thought a lot of Pete and loved our chats. He will be missed.”
“He was such a nice chap, and will be missed by many. RIP Pete.”
“A genuinely nice guy.”
“Such sad news. What a lovely chap Pete was.”
“RIP Pete. It was a pleasure knowing you and working with you.”
For those who worked alongside Pete, the memories go much deeper than simply being colleagues. One former workmate recalled spending 20 years working with him, describing Pete as not only a work colleague but also a friend.
“We could spend ages discussing music, film, football and life in general. Pete was a kind and genuine guy who would give you his last ten bob if he could. I am going to miss you, mate. Keep on rocking.”
Others remembered his generosity and the way he was always willing to help:
“Helped me out in my hour of need without hesitation. RIP, my friend.”
His warmth and encouragement were also fondly remembered:
“RIP Pete. I’ll miss our breakfasts and your words of encouragement and wisdom. Good night, my friend, until we meet again.”
Pete clearly made an impression during his time at Verne, with one tribute recalling:
“Lovely guy. Such fond memories from my Verne days.”
Another said:
“He was missed when he left us at work. RIP Pete.”
His sense of humour and ability to enjoy the moment also feature strongly in people’s memories. One person recalled:
“‘Another day, another dollar’ was Pete’s catchphrase. I’ll always remember him in his white suit and bow tie at Christmas parties. RIP Pete. Lovely chap.”
Others remembered the great banter and nights spent together:
“Had some great sets of nights with Pete. Always some great banter. RIP.”
And, with a touch of affection and humour, one tribute summed up Pete’s character perfectly:
“Comms might have been his nemesis, but he won hearts! RIP Peter Bascombe.”
Across all the messages, the same themes shine through: Pete was kind, genuine, generous and good company. He was someone who made friends as well as colleagues and whose absence will be felt by many.
And for those who knew him socially, he will perhaps simply be remembered as Pete, the generous friend who would insist on picking up the bill, who enjoyed a good laugh and who had a phrase or story ready for almost every occasion.
A retirement that never came
There is an especially poignant element to Pete’s death.
After decades of working, he had finally reached retirement. He had earned the chance to take things easier, travel, spend time with friends and enjoy the things that mattered to him.
Instead, his health deteriorated rapidly.
But his life should not be defined by those final months.
He had many happy years with his many family members, friends, and cats, including his big love, Lucy. He leaves behind Hoppy and Toby.
Pete was a character.
Independent, knowledgeable, generous, sometimes stubborn, often funny and always unmistakably himself.
He was also, repeatedly, described as a gentleman.
And in an age when that word can sometimes seem old-fashioned, perhaps it is fitting that it is the word so many people have chosen to describe him.
Peter Bascombe leaves behind friends and former colleagues who will miss him deeply.
The tributes will continue, the stories will be told and the memories will remain.
For a man who spent much of his life giving his time to work and to other people, there is something fitting in the fact that he will now be remembered for the way he made people feel: welcome, amused, supported and valued.
Pete may not have had the long and happy retirement he deserved, but he leaves behind a lifetime of memories.
A gentleman, a character, a loyal friend — and, above all, someone who will be remembered with affection and a smile.
One last anecdote
In 1997, I lived up the road from Pete in Coronation Road. I went along one winter’s night to watch a Champions League match between Man Utd and Juventus. Utd lost 1-0. However, the story is not of the match. When I arrived, his central heating had packed up. We had, according to Pete, nothing to warm us up but a bottle of whiskey. I remember nothing of the match, but I do remember being woken up by my eldest daughter at five am while sitting on my toilet at home, asking me what I was doing. “I went to Pete’s,” I said. That was the only explanation she needed and went back to bed.
At this time no funeral arrangements or an event to celebrate Pete’s life have been made, but watch this space.
