Bryan Bates remembered at AMSR I first worked with Bryan when he joined the Archive of Market and Social Research in October 2017 as a Trustee and member of its Executive Committee. This was long after he had retired. I knew Bryan by reputation because he had held a series of major jobs leading the research sector, both in the UK and internationally.. Bryan had been an effective senior manager when he was younger. It seemed obvious that he should be put in charge of expanding and organising the team who were collecting, preserving, digitising and cataloguing our collections. Many individuals with Bryan’s experience in running large organisations find it difficult to transition to working in a small startup with a total staff of 20 volunteers. He had no problem at all. He set about taking over the team with his usual calm good humour and efficiency, and soon we had a humming production operation that was bigger than when he started and still entirely run by volunteers. Sadly Bryan’s stroke brought an unexpected end to his work for us and he was forced to retire exactly two years after he joined. He left behind a unit that has continued to operate smoothly without him. I visited Bryan occasionally in his care homes in London and Newbury. This became very difficult for a time because of Covid restrictions. He was always pleased to see me and was eager to hear what was happening in the world of market and social research. I will miss him. Adam Phillips Chief Executive Archive of Market and Social Research 28 January 2024

In the late 1970s, Bryan joined me in founding what became the Worldwide Readership Symposia. At the time he was Managing Director of BMRB, I of Research Services Ltd, As competitors our companies were pre-eminent in Audience Research. Bryan understood immediately that sharing our knowledge and experiences with practitioners around the world and learning from them would lead to enhanced quality and innovation. Initially the industry was somewhat astonished by our co.operation, but with the invaluable support of Ted Whitley, Readers Digest and Ross Harvey, Admap, we prevailed. Brian's legacy is the enduring fellowship of media researchers who continue to benefit from such co-operation. My personal good fortune was to enjoy a friendship with Bryan, beyond research, shared interests in travel, opera....

Bryan was a valued colleague and dear friend. We first met in 1970 at BMRB and we will remember him for his professional expertise and support throughout our careers in market research. We became great friends with Bryan and Sheila and, as fellow opera lovers, enjoyed many wonderful visits to Glyndebourne together.

I will always remember my dear uncle Bryan my dad’s brother. My memory goes back when I was 6yrs old being bridesmaid at his wedding to him and his lovely wife Shelia. Over the years visiting him for meals, visiting his club in London, talking about our family tree in the later. In the later years before he became unwell he introduced my husband and I to the opera. Bryan was a lovely kind person and will be dearly missed by all his family. Sending our condolences to Paul, Crispin and family xxxx

Bryan Bates was ESOMAR President from 1986 to 1988 and ESOMAR Director General from 1992 to 1996 with a deep commitment to the international research industry. He will be remembered with thanks and affection by ESOMAR staff and members. For more details of his achievements and contribution go to https://esomar.org/newsroom/in-memoriam-brian-bates

Dear Uncle Bryan, a delightful and generous man, I will remember him through his travels, which he would write me about in letters and emails over the years. Bryan and Sheila were wonderful hosts to our family when we would travel from New Zealand. On behalf of the Moody family, condolences to Paul and Crispin and your families.

I first encountered Bryan when I was a very green statistician at NatWest bank. The bank's ad agency was encouraging it to undertake market research - a kind of related discipline to statistics - so I was sent on a course at BMRB, where I met Bryan. Despite being much more senior than me he was very welcoming. The bank commissioned quite a bit of research, often using BMRB, and a newish company called MORI, which Bob Worcester asked me to join (as its 6th employee!) in 1972. Bryan's and my paths crossed from time to time in terms of projects and conferences, and Bryan became a leading light in ESOMAR during this time. Many years later Bryan joined MORI and we worked together a lot, and we always got along well. Pam and I became friendly with Bryan and Sheila, who introduced us to opera and classical music. He was one of the genuinely nicest people I ever met, and a joy to be with, both professionally and personally

Thank you for setting up this memorial to Bryan. We hope that you find it a positive experience developing the site and that it becomes a place of comfort and inspiration for you to visit whenever you want or need to.

I am I and you are you, whatever we were to each other that we still are. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? Life means all that it ever meant, it is the same as it ever was.