Brian Carbury, of BC Associates, has died

Brian Carbury passed away on Thursday 24^th August following recent illness.

Brian started his retail career in the rag trade. Having spent several years as Retail Director of Dorothy Perkins, Brian saw a gap in the garden centre market and, in 1991, started BC Associates from his home office in Newbury.

BC Associates specialised in the supply and merchandising of handmade Turkish Terracotta Pots.

It started supplying a few Country Gardens sites but the familiar lorries with sequential “BCA” number plates quickly became a common site in all its garden centres and more recently the Garden Centre Group and Wyevale as well as several large independent garden centres.

Brian lost his wife Patricia when their two sons Giles and Tim were twelve and eleven years old. As well as running a busy company he brought up the boys single-handed. Upon leaving school both they worked full time in the family business.   

Away from work Brian’s great hobbies and pastimes in life were rugby and sailing. Brian was an excellent yachtsman and over the years owned several yachts including his favourite “Autumn Wasp” which he moored in Hamble and more recently “Aorangi” which he moored in Turkey and in the Mediterranean.

Brian was a huge character; he was very sociable, very popular and had many friends. He was a true wine connoisseur and was always the life and sole of the party.

Nicholas Marshall, then CEO of Country Gardens, recalls how BCA hit difficult times after the garden centre group was taken over by Wyevale.  So, Brian took a stand at Glee and posted signs with the letters ‘FOW’ around the display.

He leaves behind his partner Lucy, his two sons Giles and Tim. The Funeral will take place on Friday 1^st September at 2.30pm at Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Berkshire RG7 5TQ. All are very welcome.