{{Short description|British businessman}} {{Other people|George Walker}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}} {{Use British English|date=June 2015}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2012}} {{Infobox person | name = George Alfred Walker | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{birth date|1929|4|14|df=y}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2011|3|22|1929|4|14|df=y}} | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Businessman | years_active = | known_for = Founder of Brent Walker | notable_works = | spouse = {{marriage|Jean Maureen Hatton|1957}} | children = 3 }} '''George Alfred Walker''' (14 April 1929 &ndash; 22 March 2011) was a British businessman and founder of Brent Walker.

== Biography == Born in Stepney, London, Walker was the son of William James Walker, a brewery worker and drayman at Watneys brewery, and his wife Ellen Louisa Walker née Page.

Walker attended the Jubilee School in Bedford, leaving at 14 to work in an aircraft factory. He later worked as a salesman and a porter in Billingsgate Fish Market and did his National Service in the Royal Air Force.

A former prize-fighter, Walker was a keen amateur boxer, becoming British amateur heavyweight champion in 1951. He turned professional and fought 14 professional fights, winning 11 with eight knockouts. He was pitted unsuccessfully against Welsh champion Dennis Powell for the British light-heavyweight title relinquished by Randolph Turpin.<ref>{{cite newspaper|newspaper=The Times|title=Sports in Brief|date=7 January 1953}}</ref>

Walker then drifted into crime, working for East End gangster Billy Hill, and eventually being convicted for theft and serving two and a half years in Wormwood Scrubs.

On release, he became the owner of a motor garage and manager for his brother Billy Walker, a professional heavyweight boxer. The brothers launched London's first discotheque Dolly's, in Jermyn Street, and a set up a business called G and W Walker Catering and Leisure Group, which consisted of chain of cafes, and Billy's Baked Potato.<ref name=MEN>{{cite newspaper|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004985/19740104/018/0018|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|title=Ex-boxer knocks out the gloom|date=4 January 1974|via=British Newspaper Archive|access-date=2 February 2025|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In September 1973, George Walker completed a reverse takeover of Hackney & Hendon Greyhounds Ltd. This meant his private company bought a public company and the new merger resulted in a new company called Brent Walker,<ref name=MEN/> the property and leisure empire. The company developed the Brent Cross shopping centre (the UK's first stand-alone shopping centre) on the site of Hendon Greyhound Stadium<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing|first=Roy|last=Genders|publisher=Pelham Books|year=1981|isbn=978-0720711066}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The National Greyhound Racing Club Book of Greyhound Racing|publisher=Michael Joseph Ltd|year=1990|isbn=978-0720718041}}</ref> with Walker selling his equity in Brent Cross in 1979, netting £3.7 million in profit. Hackney Wick Stadium remained under the control of Brent Walker until 1991 when the bank took control of it.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File|editor-first=John|editor-last=Sellers|publisher=Interpret Publishing|year=1992|isbn=978-0948955228}}</ref>

Brent Walker had a turbulent career through the 1980s, being worth about 250 million pounds at its zenith, but eventually collapsing in 1990 after taking over William Hill Bookmakers in a leveraged buy out. Walker was accused of fraud after an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office, but was cleared of all charges after a lengthy trial in 1995. He was however made bankrupt and moved to Russia, where he ran a series of businesses selling cigarettes and perfume and later opening a chain of betting shops.

== Marriage and children == Walker was married in 1957 to Jean Maureen Hatton<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/george-walker-amateur-boxing-champion-who-went-into-business-and-made-millions-building-the-brent-cross-shopping-centre-2253406.html|work=The Independent|title=George Walker: Amateur boxing champion who went into business and made millions building the Brent Cross shopping centre|first=David|last=McKittrick|date=26 March 2011|access-date=25 August 2025}}</ref> (b. 1936), of West Ham, who he had known since he was 16 years old. She is the daughter of George (Georgie) James Hatton, a professional gambler and garage owner in Plaistow, and wife Lilian Elizabeth Hatton née Attreed.{{cn|date=August 2025}}

Walker had two daughters and a son.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/finance-obituaries/8407450/George-Walker.html|work=Daily Telegraph|title=Obituary {{!}} George Walker|date=25 March 2011|access-date=25 August 2025|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Their elder daughter, Sarah, was married from 1989 to 1996 to the Marquess of Milford Haven, and is now married to Baron Spencer of Alresford. Their younger daughter, Romla, is an actress who appeared in ''Eastenders'' as ''Claudia Fielding'' in 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/brent-faces-legal-threat-1444916.html|work=The Independent|title=Brent faces legal threat|first=Russell|last=Hotten|date=25 October 1994|access-date=25 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/EASTENDERS+STAR+SUES+HER+DAD+FOR+pounds+7m.-a060162173|work=Sunday People|title=Eastenders Star Sues Her Dad for pounds 7m.|date=14 March 1999|via=Free Online Library}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/obituaries/236795/Obituaries-George-Walker|work=Daily Express|title=Obituaries: George Walker. Boxing champion turned business tycoon. Died: March 24, 2011|date=26 March 2011|access-date=25 August 2025}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, George}} Category:People from Stepney Category:1929 births Category:English male boxers Category:England Boxing champions Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:2011 deaths Category:Boxers from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Category:People in greyhound racing Category:20th-century English businesspeople Category:20th-century English sportsmen