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Paul Gore-Booth was an Irishman and the nephew of the distinguished poetess Eva Gore-Booth. He loved all the Canon and the crowded canvas of characters who appear in its pages. An Old Etonian himself, he had known the equivalents of the good and bad products described, from Colonel Sebastian Moran to the nobleman who was in truth noble. But he also loved all the good-hearted ordinary people, and he was fully appreciative of the virtues of Dr Watson, the best study in literature of the ordinary man.
His qualities were ideally suited to the diplomatic world, eventually becoming Head of HM Diplomatic Service, retiring in 1969, after which was created a life peer. Nobody could ignore his presence in a room; but he was always approachable to every member of the Society. On one occasion he gave us a paper on ‘Sherlock Holmes and Diplomacy’ and disclosed that when he was quite a senior secretary to a legation, his salary was £450 per annum. To those of us to whom Diplomats were almost equivalent to Unknown Gods, revelations like this were a real glimpse into another world.
Paul came out on both our expeditions to Switzerland, in the character of Sherlock Holmes on the first and as Lord Holdhurst on the second. He did us credit by making a speech of appreciation in German at the unveiling of the Sherlock Holmes plaque in Arosa. He liked to recount how, when seeking the approval of the Foreign Secretary (then Michael Stewart) to his absence for the purpose of portraying Holmes on the first Swiss Trip, he was told, ‘All right, but don’t take three years to come back and do it via Tibet!’
Paul Gore-Booth always came to meetings and Annual Dinners of the Society if he was in England at the time, and took an active part in the proceedings. He was an accomplished pianist and delighted us all in a Victorian Music Hall evening by accompanying ‘The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery’ and ‘The Miner’s Dream of Home’.
When in recent years he was so acutely troubled by failing eyesight, Paul continued to come and join us; and we all owe an inestimable debt to Lady Gore-Booth for her unfailing support during a very difficult and prolonged period for her.
This summary is based on the obituary written by Charles Scholefield which appeared in the SHJ 17/1 Winter 1984
