Brixham mourns harbour stalwart
BRIXHAM is mourning the death of one of its best-known characters following the death of harbour master Captain Paul Labistour after a battle with cancer, writes Colleen Smith.
The 57-year-old was a key figure in the port’s recent boom and, after taking up the post, he successfully helped deliver projects for the benefit of the town. These included the Fish Market project and its associated works. He helped support Fishstock Brixham, Pride in Brixham and Brixham Heritage Festival Rally along with other local events, including the visit of Princess Anne in 2011.
Born in East Yorkshire in 1963 to a maritime family, Paul grew up in Nigeria and then Hong Kong, where his father worked as a harbour master. As a child, he would learn maths in the morning and would be allowed to go out on the boats in the afternoon as a reward.
At 16, Paul – who was passionate about the sea – joined the Merchant Navy as a cadet. He attained his master’s ticket and worked all around the world, with his work including laying underwater communication cables (these being pre-satellite days) and with Trinity House on the buoy tender vessels.
Paul married Viv in 1995 in Leamington Spa. Their daughter, Sidonie, was born the following year. Paul at this time worked as harbour master in Boston, Lincolnshire, moving to Brixham in 1998. Sadly, Viv passed away in 2009.
He always loved passing on his extensive maritime knowledge and worked with various councils, charities and Government organisations to help and train students in the UK and from as far afield as Argentina, Bangladesh, Romania, Bulgaria, Venezuela, New Zealand, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
In 2015, Paul met Moira McCarthy-Thomas through mutual friends. She eventually moved to Brixham so that they could be together and support each other, along with their grown-up children.
A service to celebrate Paul’s life will take place at Churston Parish Church at 12 noon on Friday, November 5.