I cannot claim a close friendship with Jeffery but I did enjoy a particular connection to him as a colleague on the Wildlife Filmmakers Symposium. As Survival’s point of contact, I was drawn in by Jeffery’s enthusiasm to what became the essence of that particular community over several years. The symposium was just what we needed as we progressed from a cottage industry into something more profound.
It was all Jeffery’s idea and I remember his countless and somewhat esoteric notes and utterances about such things as the meaning of ‘symposium’ and of ‘moral pivots’. I remember many pleasant gatherings at Bristol, Bath and London in the cause of the Symposium. I suppose that I never fathomed his character. I think it may have been partly hidden in an essentially thoughtful and reserved man, restrained by innate modesty.
His own canon of films brought a particular standard of clarity and insight to the screen. They were meticulous as only the product of a skilled and focused mind can obtain and they were entirely consistent with his thrust for the unadorned pursuit of honesty in telling a story.
It fell to me to disappoint Jeffery over a particular issue. This arose with the formation of the Wildscreen Festival and my part as Survival’s representative. I did two things that meant the ultimate demise of the beloved Symposium. I backed the thrust for more international and commercial awareness of British environmental television production and I ventured the involvement of the World Wildlife Fund as a kite mark. It is the measure of the man, that Jeffrey simply required me to explain these things over a painful meeting, before accepting, if not forgiving, my position.
It was a signal honour to have Jeffery and the WildFilmHistory team at our home to record an interview for that collection and fired up many memories of our association. However, the best moment for me followed my piece at Colin Willock’s memorial service. As I headed outside, Jeffery stepped in my path and whispered: ‘Not bad.’ Perhaps the best compliment I have ever had.

Mike Hay – 18th August, 2012

I first met Jeffery in 1977 while researching for a PhD at Bristol Uni Zoology Dept. I had been asked by Richard Brock to help and advise on Life on Earth. I built special sets to film various frogs breeding in captivity and I was introduced to Jeffery Boswall (who to me was on a par with David Attenborough) in the BBC bar. "Ah dear boy (I was 27) you're a frog man. Good. "And he proceeded to tell me about the CD he was making on the calls of European Amphibians. He said he was short of one species, Alytes cisternasii, the Iberian Midwife Toad. He paid for me to fly to Portugal and lent me a tape recorder. I discovered there was a Dr Eduardo Crespo in Lisbon who had written his thesis on this species. So I phoned international directory enquiries and was given his number. I telephoned him and we had a conversation in broken English/Potuguese during which he said he knew the species and where to find it and I arranged to meet him at Lisbon Airport. When I arrived there were two Dr Eduardo Crespos waiting for me. The one I had talked to ( a Medic) and the real one a herpetologist from the museum who the former had tracked down for me. I had a very pleasant week chasing frogs.

I decided that TV was where my future lay and Jeffery freely gave me his time offering advice, lending me copies of scripts and books etc He was a great help when I applied for a job with ITVs Survival, explaining how they worked and who was who. I got the job and was Producer there for 22 years until it closed in 2001. He organised the first Bath Symposium later to merge into Wildscreen and I went to every one of them. He was excellent at leading debates and spearheaded the creation of ethics in wildlife film making. Another of his hot topics was conservation on tv. I remember he used to carry a dictaphone and would whip it out and say "Mike Linley says this or that".

He always watched my films when they were broadcast and within a day or two I'd get a JB postcard with brief but usually complementary comments.
He also would ask me to go over to Derby to address his students on the Biological Imaging course which of course I was very happy to do. Of course I was - it was for Jeffery - and he would always big me up !! I can honestly say we got on even though he was an eminent ornithologist and I was a herpetologist who wasn't that keen on birds. His passing is a great loss and I shall miss him. But I'm really glad I knew him.

MIKE LINLEY
HAIRY FROG PRODUCTIONS LTD

Lovely man. When I was 22 he met me at the ICBP World Conference in Cambridge. I was the youngest there by far. Jeffery asked me if I'd ever met Roger Tory Peterson - who was one of my heroes as he illustrated the bird book I'd used since I was 14. Roger was surrounded by lots of the birding doyens, and Jeffery just pushed them out of the way and just said to Roger "I want you to meet Keith, the youngest conference attendee". Roger then blanked everyone else for the next 15 minutes and talked to me about my interests. It was a defining moment for me in many ways, and I never let Jeffery forget it. RIP Jeffrery - you showed me a great kindness that I have tried to repeat with others in the same way.

Keith Betton