R.I.P Bill Shipton

[driversoft]

Just wanted to add something personal - it's an image of Bill, constructed entirely from the text of various blog / web tributes, and intended to be printed at A2 resolution. As it's a 26 Mbyte image I'm trying to post a scaled down version in the hopes that the forum won't reject it.

Farewell Bill.

Bill Shipton - Tribute - Portrait - 75 DPI.jpg (2.15 MiB) Viewed 9636 times

[muckypup]

That's pretty cool! Is it available full size anywhere?

[Getmessy]

Just logged in for the first time in months and I'm deeply saddened about the news.
I have been getting wet and messy since I was 16 (now nearly 29).
I thought I was weird until I found this site after randomly searching online and have never looked back.
I only had short messages with Bill whilst purchasing almost the complete back catalogue of Splosh magazine. He was just such a nice kind person.

RIP Bill, the WAM world will surely miss you.

[Hayabusa]

I haven't logged in some time, nor have I posted often but I just wanted to say Bill's openness to CD WAM here and truly accepting ALL interests was unparalleled in other WAM communities and one of my favorite aspect about him. Such a sad loss.

[SimonW]

I haven't logged in some time, nor have I posted often but I just wanted to say Bill's openness to CD WAM here and truly accepting ALL interests was unparalleled in other WAM communities and one of my favorite aspect about him. Such a sad loss.

That's very true, Hayabusa. I only knew Bill through the site, sadly never met him, but I never remember him uttering a bad word or criticism of anyone (except, perhaps a few politicians!). I had a brief correspondence with him when one of his biker friends died, and, from what he said then, I realised that Bill was also a very gentle and feeling man....I was quite touched by how much he seemed to appreciate the few words of condolence which I sent to him then.

[boxster]

Bill was a very kind man.

[messycrossdresser]

As a newbie and late starter, I would like to say how sorry I am to hear of the departure of the founder of this wonderful community, such a relief to know you are not on your own. From the tributes I have read he sounds like a wonderful warm fellow who loved people from all walks of life. I'm only sorry not to of met him or communicated with him. Such a tremendous shock and loss to you all. Thanks for giving us somewhere to meet and chat. Bless you Bill

[SimonW]

Perhaps at this festive time of the year, we should all spare a quiet moment and raise a glass to remember Bill.
A wonderful kind man who brought a lot of simple fun, delight and pleasure to many people, and set an example of how we should try to accept everyone equally regardless of their preferences, eccentricities or sexuality.

[driversoft]

Indeed, let's all raise a glass:

"To Bill!" - without whom we'd not have the wonderful gatherings we have today.

A grateful community salutes you.

I've attached a reworking of my earlier tribute image as a PhotoMosaic - there's at least one image from every model portfolio on the UMD (there was no such image collection collatible across the Splosh site).

[jmd]

I've just logged in for the first time in a very long time to read the sad news.

I know it's a cliche but it was Splosh that made me realise that I wasn't a total freak in my late teens after I bought my first copy in Tower Records. Bill was then fantastically welcoming to Kate and I when we went down to film her messy session with Sammy Jane (even though we were about an hour and a half late!).

My thoughts are with Hayley and the rest of Bill's family and friends.

[osbaldeston]

I've just logged in for the first time in a very long time to read the sad news.

I know it's a cliche but it was Splosh that made me realise that I wasn't a total freak in my late teens after I bought my first copy in Tower Records. Bill was then fantastically welcoming to Kate and I when we went down to film her messy session with Sammy Jane (even though we were about an hour and a half late!).

My thoughts are with Hayley and the rest of Bill's family and friends.

Without dragging this too far off topic, can I just add that I'm so glad you and Kate met up with Bill as that is one of my favourite clips of all time.

[clarerosewamprincess]

Like so many of the comments above I too am ashamed to say that I haven't visited or logged on here for a long time, I realised the otherday that I hadn't even logged into my UMD account for about two years. I've created a new account here just to write this post in fact because I'm damned if I can remember my old passwords,but this isn't about me so enough of that.

I just logged on here today to see what old names were up to and am very saddened to see this news. I only met Bill a few times (all of which ended being sozzled in the pub across the road from his studio!) and although we spoke a lot by email and on line I never really got to know him very well because our relationship was professional. But what I can and do want to say is that Bill was a kind, funny and welcoming man who always had time for me and my ramblings about intended world domination through either my or his website, normally gently trying to tell me that I was better off just enjoying myself and treating whatever money I got as a nice little bonus. Re reading that sentence you might say that was the mantra Bill ran Splosh by himself and as it goes its not a bad philosophy for life in general.

It was Bill who first welcomed me into the world of wet and messy (with a volley of pies in my face and boobs and custard down my sating trousers as I remember). I was very nervous going down to St Leonards that day and if Bill hadn't been so kind to me theres no doubt I would never have gone back, which I did on a few occasions or carried on with my messy "career" (I can't think of a better word, sorry). As some of you may know I eventually I branched out on my own but I still stayed in contact with Bill loosely over the years and when I wound up my website due to a growing family and career changes it was Bill who agreed to take on some of my old material and host it here. He didn't even get angry with me when I realised I'd lost a load of my master tapes of the messy films I'd made, a discovery which came after Bill had done the leg work of getting the webpages built.

So goodbye Bill, I will always remember you as a kind, funny gentleman who was a big figure in a very unique time of my life.

Love Clare xxx

[davidsplosh]

Have just (25th April 2014) logged on for the first time in ages and seen the news of the death of Bill Shipton.

I'm really sorry to hear this - I first started buying his magazines way back (1970? 80's?) and had Splosh! magazine from issue #1 right through to the last one, before it went on-line.

If Hayley still reads this forum please accept my sincere sympathies. He was a great guy and I'm sure he's making heaven a much messier place than the owner ever intended it to be......

David