BUSINESS Adventures - Tony Bowler owner of Business Culture Hull. - a podcast by Leon McQuade | Paul Longley

Born off Beverley Road and raised on Hull's Orchard Park estate. It had a fantastic sense of community and belonging. He considered himself lucky. His Dad was a builder's labourer, stay-at-home Mum of 4 children, of whom he was the eldest. 

He made the big decision at 16 and left the family home to live with a friend's family. At 17,  getting a bedsit of his own and, ironically, a job as a labourer following in his father's footsteps. Orchard Park was also the home to the UK's biggest and best baseball diamond. The local club was called 'The Danes' and were regular Hull champions, Humberside champions and even UK champions. Baseball played a big part in Tony's life. 

Often in trouble, if it was not for baseball, he may have taken a completely different path! He decided that joining the British Army was far more exciting and rewarding than anything around here could offer. His mates didn't think he would last two minutes; "they knew I  would struggle taking orders and loved to rebel," Tony says. He picked on and pushed to his limits, almost giving up a couple of times. 

Tony was posted in 1984 to West Berlin. His duties included guarding the Berlin Wall itself and protecting the trains travelling across the then East/West German corridor. "Visiting Checkpoint Charlie and going through into East Berlin was certainly an eye-opener!" As part of his duties, he was assigned to join the guard of Spandau prison, guarding the notorious Rudolf Hess, Deputy Fuhrer to Adolf Hitler.  

He came face to face with Rudolf Hess on one occasion, and even as an older man, he still portrayed a powerful and menacing presence. His mantra is to work, share, support one another and collaborate. The 'Business Culture Hull' with its 121s, group meetings, presentations and introductions, brings people together to help and be helped along their business journey. 

The final destination is helping to realise all that Hull can be. "We don't have to look over our shoulders at other cities, we are Hull, and we have everything we need right here." 

Take a listen to this great Podcast.

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