Photo: Rosie Barnes, April 2020
Everyone needs a little luck. Perhaps my greatest – and happiest – piece of luck ever was to be paired with Martin Galton by John Hegarty.
We were an arranged professional marriage. Plonked with each other (he: art director, me: copywriter) at Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1986, we shared an office for nearly nine years and then again, later, at Leagas Delaney. We continue to laugh together to this day.
If I start trying to describe Martin’s strengths, inventiveness, humanity and energy, we’d be here forever. He is one of the greatest forces of good in my life. Instead, during our years as a pair, a picture gallery appeared at our office door. It became a sort of fixture.
There were in-jokes and specific references that will be lost to many. That said, a quick skim might provide a sense of Martin Galton, the man, and the lives we led. With apologies for picture quality, spelling, immature childishness and typewriter-era mistakes, here is a reproduction of our office wall from 1986 onwards, more or less in full. Martin evidently had many relations…
willawdry 
Will,
Thank you: this was an absolute delight, and what a tribute to an amazing friend. I am so very glad for you. Martin is an extraordinary man – like you – and that the two of you should enter into an arranged marriage is fortuitous for all of us. I still remember the immense pleasure of having dinner with him at The Veritable Quandry here in Portland, as well as meeting him with his family at the Hope & Anchor in Hope Cove one evening. I suppose it might encroach on your relationship with him, but one day it would be one of my highlights to meet with him and Rosie over dinner, just to get to know him a little better – and Rosie as well. The book she wrote about her son was extraordinary!
Love you Will,
Always, Jules XXX
Sent from my iPad
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Will, this is amazing. The time invested….! Miss B x
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Like iron filings and a magnet these two wonderfully warm and completely genuine chaps were drawn to each other. Always a pleasure to be in their company and these pictures call up some treasured memories for me although some events are quite hazy to be honest !!
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