R.I.P Peter Botwright

Indiego Jones · Post by **Indiego Jones** » Sat Oct 28, 2017 4:34 pm

I just can't find the words.
I feel so sad. And never had the chance to meet him in person.

We talk once on the phone. December 2003.
I was in Italy back then (studying and working) and I bought my first Wested.
Western Union messed up with the money transfer:
1) my payment got short, because of the exchage rate, EURO to British Pound, and
2) I forgot to inform my middle name. So, Peter couldn't collect.

So I called to the barn, to apologise for this inconvenient. Peter answered. I just couldn't talk clearly, I was in shock that he was talking to me.
I start to mumble in my poor english, how sorry I was...and he stopped me, by saying: There's nothing to sorry about, Western Union is a very bureaucratic company, and they will do anything to keep the money as long as possible.

Long story short, he finally got all the payment, and I got my first Wested, in only a week.

He was a great guy. A good person. I already miss him.-

Doctor_Jones · Post by **Doctor_Jones** » Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:38 pm

I was shocked when I read about his passing. Peter was a great guy and we go way back to the late nineties. Almost two decades! In 2010 I finally found the time to head to England, to Swanley, go to the Barn and visit him. He picked out a great jacket for me ( not an Indy this time) and seven years later I'm still wearing that same jacket. He also measured me for a new LC jacket. I bought a total of three LC jackets over the years and last summer a pair of Indy style boots which I wore at my best mate's wedding. I thought about having one of his Indy satchels aswell later this year or next year, as my old MBA one sadly got lost somewhere.
Thank you for all you did Peter. You will be missed. Rest in peace buddy.

IndyNZ · Post by **IndyNZ** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 3:10 am

Thats so sad

I was actually at the store in December last year and when i was leaving i saw him walk in but didn't get a chance talk to him. I regret having not done so. How sad that hes passed away. I have just been getting back into Indiana Jones last week and was going on to the website to look at the jackets and the store was not accessible. I went to Facebook and was shocked with the news.

R.I.P Peter

Marv · Post by **Marv** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:16 am

Very sad news indeed, I was only speaking with him over the phone back in June when I was discussing the in's & out's of the Hero jacket before I bought one.

Very helpful and a really nice chap, R.I.P. Pete

CRB · Post by **CRB** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:22 am

Surprising and sad news indeed. I wonder what the future holds for Wested now ?

Indiana Croft · Post by **Indiana Croft** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 10:31 am

This is indeed sad news, a loss to the hobby. I only spoke with him once on my first jacket, but he was a very understanding man and had a great passion for what he did, rest in peace Peter.
My condolences to the family.
Croft

Photoss · Post by **Photoss** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 11:49 am

I corresponded with him through email a number of times. Was always knowledgeable and understood exactly what I was asking for. I'm sorry I never went through with an order with him I started 6 months ago.

IndianaBravo · Post by **IndianaBravo** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 3:39 pm

Rest in peace, Peter. Your legacy lives on through your work. Thank you.

belloq · Post by **belloq** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:28 pm

I was very sad to hear this. Peter's name was one of the first I found when I started exploring the Indy universe nearly 20 years ago on Indyfan. I also think of other key contacts lost since then- Noel Howard, Lee Keppler and David Morgan come to mind. I still have my Raiders jacket on which Peter took the order in 1998. My thoughts are with his family.

Canada Jones · Post by **Canada Jones** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:26 am

I too am left stunned by his passing. I met him years ago when I was teaching in England. I was originally put on to Wested Leather by Michaelson who told me about Peter's connection to the original jacket. It was not an easy place to get there because the subway did not go out that far - I had to take a train to get there and then walk from the station to his store. I went back a few years later and shot a video piece on his store for the CBC. Great guy. So passionate about his work. So helpful.

Today is my birthday and as I get older I think how truly short life really is and Peter's passing really drives that home.
My condolences to his family and to all who loved him.
Gary

Dangerfreak · Post by **Dangerfreak** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:39 pm

I just saw this news on Facebook and came straight to the forum to see if it was true. Sadly it is. I never met him, but it's still sad to read of his passing. My condolences to his family. I shall always treasure my Raiders jacket which carries his signature on it. He was a great talent for all of us involved in Indy gear collecting.

CM · Post by CM » Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:12 pm

Very sad news. My condolences to the Botwright family. Peter was a pleasure to deal with, a gentleman and a friend to many of us. He was a great treasure to this hobby.

whipcracker · Post by **whipcracker** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 4:52 pm

How very sad! I just saw this. My condolences to his family and they will be in my prayers as well for all of us; for it is for those of us that are left behind that weep and not those who have gone on.

Jens_Hoppe · Post by **Jens_Hoppe** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:13 pm

I am sorry to hear it. RIP, Peter.

BobbyM · Post by **BobbyM** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:32 pm

Really sad to learn of Peter's passing.

It's been a life-long ambition of mine since I first saw Raiders when I was a little boy in the '80s to have a full, screen-accurate Indy outfit and this year I've finally gone ahead and done it. Although I pieced together my gear collection from various sellers all over the world, including Steele & Jones in Argentina and Magnoli Clothiers in New Zealand, the bulk of my ensemble came from Wested - including a beautiful Raiders Hero jacket in shrunken lambskin which I absolutely adore and will always treasure, along with the signed certificate of authenticity that Peter sent with my order.

Unfortunately, I never had any contact with Peter himself when placing orders at Wested, but he seems by all accounts to have been a wonderful man and a delight to have known. I shall keep him in my thoughts when I'm out this Halloween night in my full Indy regalia for the first time.

Rest well, Peter, and thanks for helping make one kid's dream come true.

tedquinton · Post by **tedquinton** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:03 am

First time on this forum for sometime and this.....spoke to Peter many times. We were in the process of him making a repro M422a for me. He was giving me a discount to his usual bespoke prices as I think he was looking forward to making it. Great chap.

RIP

EJW · Post by **EJW** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:36 pm

A very sad day. I have met him several times and bought many of his products which have helped to shape my life.

This man made things that I have worn at the best of times, I have worn at the worst of times. Many of my fondest memories are wearing something he made for me. RIP Sir.

lankywookiee · Post by **lankywookiee** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:55 pm

This is very sad news.

I only own wested Indy jackets and remember being full of excitement when I drove down to get measured up by Peter for my first one. He took a lot of time going through the various hides and options etc. with me. Providing the kind of service and taking pride in his work that is a rare thing these days.

A great loss.

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:08 pm

So sad...

sliuman · Post by **sliuman** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:36 pm

Sad news. I got to meet Peter a couple of times at his workshop. The second time I was there Peter went out of his way to drive me to the nearest rail station because it was so hard getting transport in the area. It was a great gesture that was really appreciated. He was a big bear of a man but always approachable and friendly. At least I have one jacket made by the master, because his Raiders was what got me started buying film replica jackets. Thanks for being here for us, Peter. RIP

Indydawg · Post by **Indydawg** » Wed Nov 01, 2017 4:26 am

Rest In Peace, sir! The world is emptier.

Obersalzberg · Post by **Obersalzberg** » Wed Nov 01, 2017 2:34 pm

I've owned five wested's over the years and had the pleasure of speaking to peter a handful of times. He was a very kind man. A great loss.

mityawelsh · Post by **mityawelsh** » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:00 am

I joined COW and came here after hearing of his passing. Many years ago I bought a lambskin Indy jacket from him. I loved it and wore it everywhere, and then took up body building and outgrew it. It was a sad day when I donated it to charity after months of it being ridiculously too small. Just a few months ago I decided to get a new jacket and bought a Captain America First Avenger in lambskin that I am currently breaking in. Last week I thought to myself that I should replace the Indy jacket with one that fit since who knows how long I would be able to get one. I sent an inquiry to Wested last week and then went on holiday to Disneyland with my 3 year old. I was surprised when I didn't hear back immediately and the website went offline suddenly. Oddly I was checking email in Disneyland standing in the Indy store in Adventure Land when I got the email saying he'd passed away and they were closed for the following week out of respect. It was shocking and more than a little weird, but I've had the family in my thoughts ever since. He was a sweet, kind guy and it seems like he embrace the community he helped create, and hopefully knew how much he was loved.

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Sat Nov 04, 2017 11:04 pm

So... considering the loss of Peter, what is going to happen with Wested? Are they still going to continue to produce leather jackets, etc.? I tried to look into the site and they now require a log in ....but, there is no information as to how to set up a log in address and I also sent an email to Rebecca, which was returned to me. ??? Thoughts, feedback.... what is the status there? Thanks. W>

Mulceber · Post by **Mulceber** » Sat Nov 04, 2017 11:25 pm

They posted on their facebook page that they're halting production for a few weeks and refunding all the orders they currently have going. After that, we'll see...

zaynecarrick · Post by **zaynecarrick** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:58 am

Sad news. I was finally gonna pull the trigger on a Raiders jacket till I heard the news. I hope they eventually carry on his legacy as a great way to memorialize him.

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 11:34 am

My condolences to his family, and it is a strange world without Peter and Wested around.

Last year, my girlfriend and I made the trek out to the Wested barn to interview Peter for her documentary on film jackets, and he was very kind to her. Echoing many of the comments here, he was generous enough to give her a couple hours, and even insisted on driving us to the train station after laughing off the mere suggestion of finding a cab.

If anyone's interested, her festival-award-winning documentary can be viewed here https://youtu.be/y6zS-8LWMU4 and sheds a bit of light on Peter's life, and that was just a small bit of what he described. He was very complimentary to Indy fans, and had quite a bit to say during the interview.

Since I've never seen an interview about Peter before, I'm glad to have heard all that from the man himself, and just to meet the man that inadvertently set me, and many of us on a leather jacket obsession!

whipwarrior · Post by **whipwarrior** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:48 pm

Castor, thank you very much for sharing that wonderful documentary! It was very enlightening to see Peter, in the company of many other talented craftsmen, discuss his personal career and contributions to cinema history. His warm and pleasant demeanor really shines thru in this video, and I could enjoyably spend all day listening to him discuss all the aspects of his craft. The same goes for any vendor of Indy gear, actually! It's truly a gift to the fans when the original movie suppliers take an active interest in the fandom aspect of the business, and are generous with the people who admire the franchise as much as we do. So thank you again for bringing some of the magic home to those of us who never got the opportunity to visit Wested Leather and meet the man who dressed our favorite hero.

Mulceber · Post by **Mulceber** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 6:15 pm

FYI, the website is back up. As to whether they're taking orders, I have no idea.

zaynecarrick · Post by **zaynecarrick** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:26 pm

Mulceber wrote:FYI, the website is back up. As to whether they're taking orders, I have no idea.

I just ordered one. We'll see.

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 10:04 pm

whipwarrior wrote:Castor, thank you very much for sharing that wonderful documentary! It was very enlightening to see Peter, in the company of many other talented craftsmen, discuss his personal career and contributions to cinema history. His warm and pleasant demeanor really shines thru in this video, and I could enjoyably spend all day listening to him discuss all the aspects of his craft. The same goes for any vendor of Indy gear, actually! It's truly a gift to the fans when the original movie suppliers take an active interest in the fandom aspect of the business, and are generous with the people who admire the franchise as much as we do. So thank you again for bringing some of the magic home to those of us who never got the opportunity to visit Wested Leather and meet the man who dressed our favorite hero.

Thank you whip, I will be sure to pass on the kind words! I share the sentiments that at the very least, we have a virtual experience for those of us that were unable to make the Wested pilgrimage. Meeting Peter was quite a memorable experience, and it is sad to know that not everyone could have shared that memory. He really seemed to be passionate about his fans, as was everyone else in the documentary. It surprises me, because although they do view the films as just another job, all of them, especially Peter, seemed to be very appreciative of the fan base built around their artistry.

IndyFan89 · Post by **IndyFan89** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 11:35 pm

It seems the website is operational again. Wonder if they’re taking orders?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Raiders March · Post by **Raiders March** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 7:32 am

Glad to say i have a Wested jacket from Peter. It will always remind me of a man who keep our dreams alive.
Rest well!

zaynecarrick · Post by **zaynecarrick** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 3:07 pm

IndyFan89 wrote:It seems the website is operational again. Wonder if they’re taking orders?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are. My 44 is shipping.

Dee-k3 · Post by **Dee-k3** » Mon Nov 06, 2017 4:31 pm

A great contribution to movie history. Rest peacefully.

Kladdagh · Post by **Kladdagh** » Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:27 am

When I learned that ... I was shocked ...
I met Peter in 2009 at Wested for an Indy Jacket ...
He found the perfect jacket for me ...
Thanks Again Peter ... You'll be missed ... RIP

MACHONE · Post by **MACHONE** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:39 pm

Not here very often, but just got to seeing this today and I was so sorry to read. Deepest condolences to Peter's family and friends. I only spoke with Peter over the phone having had the priveledge of having 3 custom jackets made by Peter over the years. I had always hoped to travel abroad and stop in the shop for another jacket, even if only OTR. Peter was so good to talk with that I regret not being able to take the trip to thank him in person for all he brought to the hobby. Rest in peace. You will be missed.

junior · Post by **junior** » Fri Nov 24, 2017 10:59 pm

Wow. I have not posted here in ages.
Just happened to think about Indygear and saw this on the front page.
My first Indy jacket was a Wested...back in 1997.
He answered my every email.
I remember thinking, "Wow, this is pretty cool."

RIP, Peter...

FLATHEAD · Post by **FLATHEAD** » Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:49 pm

As Junior said, I am also not around as much as I would like to be, and I was shocked today when I came
here and saw the news about Peter.

My first Indy Jacket was made by Peter back in 2002 when I ordered one of the dark brown lambskin Raiders
jackets he was making. Back then you could get all kinds of alterations done to a jacket, like having just
the front made longer, or having the zipper pull put on the "American side", and just about anything else
you could dream up.

And when I received the jacket, there was a note from Peter that simply said: "Cheers, and enjoy the jacket!"

I will always remember that, and I will forever think of this great man every time I hear someone say Cheers!

Jim

The_Edge · Post by **The_Edge** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:31 am

After a long absence and having just learned of Mr. Botwright's passing I had to sign in and pay my respects. Like so many others, I once owned a famed Wested jacket. I corresponded with Mr. Botwright over 16 years ago as I ordered my custom lambskin Raiders jacket from him. I even sent him lining material from Gibson & Barnes and he had no problem adding it. He was always friendly and accommodating during the process. Rest in peace, sir.

-Kyle

bigrex · Post by **bigrex** » Sat Dec 30, 2017 1:00 am

Haven't logged in here in years, first time I do, first thread I open is this.

RIP.

Texan Scott · Post by **Texan Scott** » Mon Jan 01, 2018 5:42 pm

ditto, was many months for me. The thing that I will remember about Peter is that he seemed to have plenty of tv and movie business, but he seemed to have a heart for the people who loved these jackets. Very sorry to hear of this news.

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 10:02 pm

So sad to hear of Peter's passing. He helped me with my first jacket in the indyfan.com days, 96-97 or so. Blessed to have known him. Miss him a lot.

Prodigal Son · Post by **Prodigal Son** » Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:38 pm

For the Wested people/employees who may see this thread, know that your work has a little bit of magic to it. You give us a little piece of the magic, that sense of adventure, fortune and glory, that we can take with us out into our day-to-day lives. I took my first Wested Indy jacket on all sorts of adventures, some of them pretty awesome and exotic, most of them pretty plain. But having that little piece of the past, that part of my childhood that was so adventurous, made those mundane moments a lot easier to swallow. It made the awesome adventures even more awesome, as well. I have an adventurous spirit. When I wear the jacket, it has a way of reminding me of that little piece of adventure that is still burning inside of me. It's like putting on a pair of sunglasses that makes all the colors seem more vivid and brighter. This is what your work means to a lot of people.

indy1936 · Post by **indy1936** » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:34 pm

Just had a chance to watch the documentary Castor. Thank you. Great to see him again!

Castor Dioscuri · Post by **Castor Dioscuri** » Tue Jan 23, 2018 2:33 am

indy1936 wrote:Just had a chance to watch the documentary Castor. Thank you. Great to see him again!

Weston · Post by **Weston** » Tue Feb 06, 2018 11:44 pm

bigrex wrote:Haven't logged in here in years, first time I do, first thread I open is this. RIP.

Same here. Been a while since I've been on the site, and I'm finding this out for the first time. Very sad news to me. I only talked to him over the phone a couple of times, but he was delightful in conversation and had a charming sense of humor. I'll miss him.

Tibor · Post by **Tibor** » Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:40 pm

Prodigal Son wrote:For the Wested people/employees who may see this thread, know that your work has a little bit of magic to it. You give us a little piece of the magic, that sense of adventure, fortune and glory, that we can take with us out into our day-to-day lives. I took my first Wested Indy jacket on all sorts of adventures, some of them pretty awesome and exotic, most of them pretty plain. But having that little piece of the past, that part of my childhood that was so adventurous, made those mundane moments a lot easier to swallow. It made the awesome adventures even more awesome, as well. I have an adventurous spirit. When I wear the jacket, it has a way of reminding me of that little piece of adventure that is still burning inside of me. It's like putting on a pair of sunglasses that makes all the colors seem more vivid and brighter. This is what your work means to a lot of people.

Beautifully said. Thank you

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Mon Sep 03, 2018 9:38 am

I'm realise that I'm very late with this post, but have only just heard of Peter's passing since buying a new Wested this very week.

Back in the day (I think it was '06?) Peter and his wife, plus all at Wested, made us Indy fans feel very welcome, even opening up their home to us and putting on a buffet etc. That's a rare approach to modern business and shows the kind-hearted generosity of the man. They didnt HAVE to entertain us, we would have kept buying stuff anyway y'know?

I remeber Peter telling us tales over dinner about his time with Winston Churchill, movie memories and a myriad of anecdotes. Colorful stories not easily forgotten!

Anyway, just wanted to tip my hat and say that I'm really very sorry to hear the news.

Al

Canyon · Post by **Canyon** » Mon Sep 03, 2018 11:56 am

ob1al, long time no see!

I'll always fondly remember the summit that we went to some years ago.