Many people scoffed when marketing man Owen Williams was appointed Bradord's new 'Gloombuster'. But he is determined to make a real difference within the Council itself, and to how the outside world views our city. Ten days before he officially starts he talked to T&A City Hall reporter Olwen Vasey.

OWEN WILLIAMS has a story which he believes epitomises everything that is going wrong with Bradford's image.

He says a friend in Baildon, asked where she lives, tells people it's near Ilkley, if they've never heard of it.

If they still can't place it, she says it's a village near Leeds, but will never admit that she comes from Bradford.

But the man who has been brought in to sell Bradford says: "She is frightened of using the B word. The challenge is to make her proud of using the B word, as well as anyone else who is doing the same."

Owen Williams will move into his City Hall desk on February 7 with a lot of enthusiasm and a daunting task.

His appointment brought a blaze of publicity - and with it sarcasm and criticism.

His £63,000 salary as the Council's Director of Marketing and Communications was branded by some a waste of money.

National newspaper journalists said he was a spin doctor with a job that wouldn't work.

They suggested the task of selling grimy old Bradford was like selling fish and chips to the Queen.

So how does the former Buttershaw Upper school boy feel as he prepares to start work with a Council which is feeling the strong winds of change under its new Chief Executive and former professional footballer, Ian Stewart?

He will join Bradford Council at the age of 31 from the private marketing sector as one of Britain's youngest top local government officers.

And he is likely to be joined soon by Bradford's first Director of Culture, an appointment also expected to spark controversy.

Both officers will play a leading part in the city's bid to become European Capital of Culture in the year 2008. They will be heavily involved in the preparation of the ambitious bid this year.

Owen Williams takes the reins in eleven days time, promised a free hand by his boss at the start of his vital role.

The first important job will be the task of reorganising the Council's media department to meet the challenges of the future.

But even before he starts his job he is using any spare time he can find sifting through the first responses from the public about the City's 20\20 vision.

The strategy is being drawn up by Mr Stewart after a massive consultation exercise across the district.

Mr Stewart says he wants to take Bradford into the new century as the place where people want to be. But he accepts there are problems to be put right.

Owen Williams says he will go into his job with both an open mind and a listening ear.

He says: "Wherever you work, you should know who the customer is. It is all about listening. You can't meet people's needs unless you know what they are. It's as simple as that.

"But it's not all a question of looking at what's wrong with Bradford, it's a question of building on what's right."

He cites Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond as a prime example of achievement by focusing on the positive.

Owen points out that the City boss took over a second division team, recognised what was good and led it into the Premier League, bringing great recognition for Bradford.

Owen's parents, Laurel and Veronica, came to Bradford from Jamaica in the 1950s and he says they have never looked back.

"They did a lot of hard work and built a good life here. They have never thought of living anywhere else in the UK, so Bradford must be doing something right.

"A lot of people take what happens in Bradford for granted.

"There aren't many no go areas in the district for example. You can be walking late at night and somebody approaches you in the opposite direction, and says hello to you. There aren't that many places in the UK where that would happen.

"I can go into the local chip shop and the proprietor knows my name.

"The words good nature, trust, honesty and friendliness sit well with the people of Bradford. Hopefully we can start to look at ourselves and realise that things are not that bad.

"I am excited about Bradford's City of Culture bid. I don't know much about it yet but I hope we have a really good chance."

But Owen's job isn't just about making the world aware of Bradford, it's about improving communications between members of the Council's 23,000-strong workforce.

In this respect, he will carry on the work his new boss started when he joined the Council last May.

Ian Stewart immediately proved he was a different breed of Chief Executive in Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan authority by leaving his imposing office to visit his front line staff.

And the new top officer will be expected to mirror the strategy of his boss, that his employees should work as one - not fight their own corners.

And, perhaps more importantly, better communications in City Hall should lead to better services for the public.

Of his own controversial appointment he says: "I can understand people being both positive and negative about it. But this is a serious commitment for me. All I can say is that time will tell.

"But think people can rest assured that Ian Stewart is the type of chief executive who will look for best value within any individual he is recruiting."

Owen won his job in competition with 30 high flyers from all over Britain. He faced heavy scrutiny in searching interviews with both councillors and officers.

The interviewing panels went for the local man, who lives in Great Horton with his partner Heather and two young children.

Owen went to Buttershaw Upper school an hour early in the morning and stayed an hour later at night - but he wasn't the school swat, it was all for the love of basketball.

In fact, he failed his A-levels - but went on after leaving school into marketing to gain top qualifications at Huddersfield business school. (details in separate Cv piece).

He joins the Council from his job at Leeds-based advertising and marketing agency CWG.

But he says he applied for the job because of his roots - growing up with his family at the Boulevard and then Saxton Avenue, Buttershaw. Later the family moved to Moore Avenue, Wibsey.

Since his appointment he has received good-natured ribbing from his friends and colleagues calling him "gloom buster" and "supremo."

But there has been a more negative side to his piles of mail.

He says he has received letters suggesting: "It's OK for you to extol the virtues of Bradford, but you should see where I live."

The answer from Owen Williams is: "I understand what they are talking about when their personal circumstances aren't that great. It's difficult to talk positively, but there are still benefits to living in Bradford."

Owen Williams factfile

Educated at Reevey First School, Buttershaw Middle and Buttershaw Upper

Spent four years in market research with the Yorkshire Building Society before joining Yorkshire Cable as its promotional and research manager

Studied while he worked, gaining a Higher National Certificate in Business Studies, Diploma in Management and MBA in Business Studies at Huddersfield Business School

In 1994 he joined CACI of London as senior marketing analyst and returned to West Yorkshire in 1996 to join Advertising Principles as its head of planning before joining CWG as strategic planning director.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.