Christopher Ingram Bostock (1923 - 2014)

Family Trees: Duffield - Part 8
Son of: Geoffrey Rowley Bostock (1880) and Vera Lough (1884) EB
Born: 13/8/1923 in Hampstead, London EB
Died: 14/10/2014 in Chipping Norton, Oxon E.DebK
Will: Will proved 2/4/2015 in Brighton, Sussex SH
Married: Josephine Mary (1922) EB
Children: Deborah Jacqueline (1949) , Piers Ingram (1951) EB

At Bodeites, Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, 1939.
1939

The following is taken from Christopher's autobiography which he published privately in 2009. See the front cover below.

Christopher was educated at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey 1937 - 1941.
He then spent 1 year at Christ Church, Oxford obtaining a degree in Classics.
In January 1943 he joined the Army and did officer training at Sandhurst, Surrey, where he obtained the Belt of Honour for being the best officer candidate within the troop.
In early 1944 he joined an armoured vehicle unit in the 1st King's Dragoon Guards (KDG), and was posted to serve in Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy, later transferring to Athens, and with brief assignments in Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, and in Palestine, finally returning to the UK in September 1946.
Christopher then returned to Christ Church, Oxford for a further two years study.
Next Christopher qualified as a Chartered Account, as an articled clerk with Annan Dexter & Co, and continued with the firm as a partner.
In 1956 he won a grant to study any aspect of choice in management accounting, and this led Christopher to a career based on his management accounting skills.

His management consultancy career started as a partner in Annan Impey Morrish (AIM) a management consultancy wing initially resourced from the accountancy firms Annan Dexter & Co, Impey Cudworth & Co, and Morrish Waters & Co, and Christopher remained with AIM from 1957 to 1968, when AIM ran foul of the strict rules in accountancy firms forbidding advertising, and Christopher was named for his part in setting up a computer service bureau which was at the centre of the controversy.

Christopher then joined a shoe manufacturing firm, GB Britton, as joint managing director, and worked for them from 1968 - 1973. This was a difficult period. GB Britton were having problems marketing their cut price shoes (TUF) to the supermarkets, and were frequently exposed to being taken over. In 1973 the firm was taken over and Christopher was again out of a job.

Christopher next joined the management team of Thomas Tilling, where he was able to work with many of the companies in the group, but he fell out with senior management, and finally left the Tilling group in 1978.

Christopher then found a more lasting appointment working for the National Enterprise Board (NEB) where he was able to use his management skills to good effect, and he stayed with the NEB until he retired from full-time work in 1999. While with the NEB he was able to take on several additional non-executive directorships with companies who had used the services of the NEB.

Christopher was much interested in the work of the Livery Companies in the City of London, and he became a liveryman of both the Haberdashers and the Armourers livery companies. However, it was with the Haberdashers that he was most committed, and he became much involved in their charitable works, particularly in their support of the boys and girls Haberdasher Aske's schools in West Hampstead and Elstree respectively. Christopher became Master of the Haberdashers Company in 1983, and continues to be active in the company to 2010. which title he still retains in 2010.

Christopher was also an active Mason, joining the Old Union Lodge in the 1940's, and becoming a Grand Steward in the 1950's, and later a Master. He was also a member of the Christ Church, Oxford and Charterhouse Lodges, and remains active in masonry in 2010.

Christopher and Jo started their married life in Hampstead, moving to Bristol while Christopher worked for GB Britton, and then lived in Charterhouse in Southwark, London from 1980.

CIB

Obtained BA at Christ Church, Oxford in 1951
OXFU

of Pensioners Court, Charterhouse, London EC1. OBE, MA, FRCA, FIMC, Manager of companies in capacities as chairman, managing director, or non-executive director.
EB

Author of "Management Accounting & Profitability" in 1960.
BLBC

Business Appointments - Following the successful bid for G.B. Britton & Sons (Holdings) by the Ward White Group, Mr. Christopher Bostock is giving up his position as managing director of Britton.
Times 24/7/1973

Business Appointments - Mr. Christopher Bostock has joined Thomas Tilling as a senior executive. He will represent the parent on one or more of the principal operating subsidiaries.
Times 9/11/1973

Elected Master of the Haberdashers Company
Times 24/11/1983
Wedding photograph.


Family photo of Geoffrey, Vera, with their children and spouses.


The front cover of Christopher's autobiography, in the robe of Master of the Haberdashers Livery Company .


Family group, 1998.


At the Bostock/Bostwick Reunion in Northwich, Cheshire, 2004.