Michael Grade

Why I’ll miss Tim Bell

A memorial service was held for Lord Tim Bell on Thursday at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge. Lord Grade delivered the eulogy, which he has kindly allowed us to reproduce below:

I’m not sure if Tim were with us today he would see this as a memorial service so much as a golden networking opportunity!

Timothy John Leigh Bell, Baron Bell, was born in Southgate, in North London, on 18th October 1941. The postcode, N14, will tell you that he certainly wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was blessed, however, with a silver tongue.

He made full use of this gift, as we all know. ‘The only talent I have,’ he once explained ‘is charm.’ With this quote, he certainly undersold himself for possibly the only time in his spectacular career. No one could tell me where the label ‘spin doctor’ originated, but my research certainly confirmed that he was the very first.

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