FURTHER WSM TRIBUTE TO BILL SHIPTON
I (Mike Ellison) first met Bill under his true name of Clive Harris in 1983.
He was the presenter of a custard pie caper held at a venue near Hammersmith, London.
I next remember meeting him a year or two later, this time hosting a mud wrestling event on the 1st floor of a pub also down London's West End.

As a freelance writer, he had many fingers in many pies, but was a dynamic, yet irreverent, innovator.

I next met Clive (now renamed as Bill Shipton ) 11th March 1989 at the 1st Aquantics Convention held at the Harbour Heights Hotel (now converted to flats!) in Tenby, South Wales.
Bill had decided to launch a wet and messy magazine under the name of 'Splosh'.
WSM girls Carol and Debbie provided the 'splosh' entertainment that time (see image set S058 which i last reviewed on 6th December 2019, but you can view 4 pics by going to www.wsmprod.com 'What's New', then paging back under 'Older posts' to 6th December 2019 (sorry no video of this shoot).
Bill formed a good working relationship with Shaun Kendall (the WSM film editor) and they went on to make the 'Buff' range of videos.

Bill's writing and comic skills were well apparent, so WSM signed him up as our script-writer and Bill produced the scripts for the WSM Vintage Films numbers 3 to 9.
In fact, it was better than that, as Bill was only too happy to show his versatility by taking a number of roles in the videos. So Bill had real 'hands-on' experience in the 90's.

Bill started his Splosh website as a haven for many WAM inclined people who had lived uncertain and lonely lives. He was the accepted reassuring face of WAM and a means of connecting like minded peoples. This was successful but sadly there was no inbuilt legacy as to who was to pick up the torch.

But this Tribute's purpose is to look at his work in creating the Splosh magazine.
Bill's 1st issue of Splosh magazine was shot in the basement of the Harbour Heights Hotel in Tenby.
WSM assisted Bill by supplying content for Splosh issues 2 through to 11.
But Bill realized at the end of the 90's that a new phenomena was changing the world.
So the internet made magazine production too costly and sales fell away.

But what a remarkable talent Bill had to put together a new magazine and manage to produce 40 issues.
Now, 8 years after Bill's passing let us take a nostalgic trip as I look at Splosh magazine issues 1 to 10.
Issue 1 had a black and white cover but a coloured middle section with Mirrel and Zeta in the basement of the Harbour Heights Hotel (which was run by Colin Twyford see article on Colin in Issue 2).
The cover pic was of model Karen 'coated in custard and ketchup'. Why that pic? No idea!


Issue 2 features Debbie on the cover in another b/w shot 'Debbie soaked, then coated in creamed rice and custard'

The coloured middle section of Issue 2 featured Carol and Debbie reprising their 'Just Desserts' shoot see the original in Vintage Film 4 Stream 4, shot in the actual restaurant of Harbour Heights.

Issue 3 features 'Carol after a roll in the river'.


Issue 4 surprised me with a colour middle section devoted to Debbie and Mary who are, as the title says, 'Wet and Sticky'.

Issue 5 has Debbie on the cover again this time 'after a mud wrestle' see Vintage Film 3 Stream 1.


Wendy of WSM features in the coloured centerfold of issue 6 with Susie.

Mirrel gets the first colour front page on issue 7 while WSM's Melanie is splendidly muddy on the inside back cover (in colour) after her shoot in Vintage Film 4 Stream 3.

Issue 8 has a colour pic of Carol on the cover in a shot taken from 'The Spy that Gunged me'.
We also show you two further pics from that shoot see it on Vintage Film 6 Stream 6.

The back cover shot on Issue 8 has 'Eve mudlarking in rubber' (also in colour).


Issue 9 features Carol in a full page muddy shot (clad only in a thong).
We see Carol's full mud shoot in colour in the middle section.

Issue10 has a coloured cover pic of a painted Debbie.
>>>>> SEE CLIP

But quite a remarkable shoot also featuring a Mum and her daughter titled 'Debbie painted plus Tracy and her Mum'.
We show you 4 further pics from that shoot.








We conclude Issue 10 with the rear inside colour pic of 'muddy Carol in the river'.


Okay, the images are not the best being hastily put together, but you should get some idea of what those initial Splosh magazines meant to the WAM community.
Issue 1 of Splosh was published probably 1990.
All these issues were pre-internet.

Okay, you may say I am biased as I feature the WSM models and pics I have taken.
But I have to.for copyright purposes.

But we are looking at historyhistory that cannot be re-written but if not seen is not history!

Next year, if I am still here and WSM is still here, I will take a look at Splosh magazine issues 11 to 40.

We end this tribute to Bill with a few Clips from the WSM Vintage Films range, which may all be accessed free of charge.

Film 6 'Mucky Kind of Magic' Clip 3 the disappearing yolk trick!


>>>>> SEE CLIP


Film 8 'The Ring' Clip 3 Carol has her boobs Sploshed!

>>>>> SEE CLIP


Film 4 'WSM'll Fix It' Stream 1 Clip 02 with introduction by Bill Shipton.

>>>>> SEE CLIP


Such a tragic early loss to the WAM community.
8 years but still very much missed!

To see the detail on our Vintage Films go to https://www.wsmprod.com then 'Downloads Online Store', then
Digital Download Vintage Films
where they are listed with Clips and write-ups.

It's interesting to note that before the internet this would be a distribution factor an finding out about wam fir the first time. I appreciate you sharing this

Still my favourite content ever produced. Still have some of the VHS tapes I bought back then, just classic and absolutely perfect slapstick & comedy with the mess.

I still vividly, and fondly, remember the first time I held my own copy of a Splosh! magazine. I used to love Bill's irreverence and somewhat warped sense of humour, both of which ran through the magazine like letters in a stick of rock. Production values were variable, and sometimes downright crude, but he put a lot of effort into each issue nonetheless.

And as Newt says above, there's a very distinct Splosh! essence that shines through in every scene.

Sposh was a magazine that became a must have, I started with issue 2. I never met Bill, but spoke to him over the phone on several occasions , what a nice bloke.

All that said, I do remember early scenes that were featured in Fiesta. One particular one was shot I think in the essex marshes and featured a young lady in a 'country' outfit which got muddier as the shot went on. One thing that stuck in my mind at the time was that the girl's parent asked for a set of photo's of her before she got all wet and muddy as they thought she looked lovely. Others obviously agreed.

"Wet Shots" was another producer I followed. I was in Stoke on Trent and found what I thought was the address. except the houses had names instead of numbers. It turns out there were two roads with similar names, one having numbers the other having names. In some trepidation I knocked on the door which was opened by a face that was familiar to me. I had seen the lady in question in photosets. Naturally I bought some more whilst there. Happy Days.

Mike, you will remember this scenario, no internet (imagine that!) so the material was sometimes very difficult to get hold of.

I think its fantastic that every year Mike you remember the great man Bill Shipton. It is vital that people do not forgot what an important role that Bill had in the early days (pre internet), in making WAM content accessible to so many via Splosh magazine. and his unique style of videos.

Great post. A lot of us have a lot to be thankful to Bill for. I still remember seeing my first Splosh magazine on the top shelf at a petrol station and giving it a try then being glad to know that it wasn't just me that loved getting wet and messy.

Oh yes the Splosh magazines. I used to have a great selection of those. Debbie in the black river mud was an absolute classic WOW.
Bill certainly was a fantastic pioneer. My wife Mel finding my Splosh magazines is what lead to her becoming my gunge devastation victim she is today
The giggles spy victim video where giggles suffers a huge gunging was also a great pioneering moment for me. It was at that point I decided to step up my game to excessive gunge sessions. After showing that clip to Mel I asked her if she could handle that amount of gunge and her reply "I'll try" was the turning point.
RIP Bill and a very special "Thank you very much!"

Loveliest messy fun ever. I first saw Splosh on a late night TV programme in the late 90s. I think it was called "British Sex". Does anyone have any information on this?

Me, too! Being in the States, Splosh was hard to come by. An adult bookstore in Indianapolis had several copies of #25 the 1st time I stopped in there, in the mid-to-late '90's.

I almost did a double-take! My eyes were so wide I thought they were going to pop out! I couldn't believe that they had Splosh magazine! I had read about it for several years, but never figured I'd ever get my hands on one. I couldn't even wait to get back to my hotal room, I opened it in the car in the parking lot of the bookstore.

That's the issue with Rachel on the cover, covered in all kinds of dinner mess and looking amazing! There were also additional pics inside. These were from "Gunge Hill", from "Messy Missies".

And inside, the main feature was the adorable, sexy WAM legend Samantha Jane, who was looking amazing in a tight blouse and leather mini-skirt! She was messing up April, who was a tax agent checking on the tax records at Splosh. After April was totally destroyed, she got her revenge on Sammy! An awesome issue!

Unfortunately, I went back every month for several months, hoping to catch a new issue. The same number of issues of #25 were still there. I had the feeling that I was the only one that ever bought one there. They never had any other issues of Splosh.

I emailed Bill one time and we had a few back-and-forth messages, as I told him about my experience with finding the lone Splosh issue at the bookstore. He was fun to talk to!

One night, I was watching the "Tonight Show". I believe Jay Leno was the host at that point. John Waters was a guest, and he actually brought a few issues with him and was talking as if WAM really amazed him. I seem to remember him kind of degrading people into WAM ("Can you believe ....."). And yet about 5 or so years later, he did a movie involving WAM, "A Dirty Shame", and the WAM scenes were over-seen by Bill! At the end of the DVD, there was conversation with Bill & Haley, where she gets thoroughly trashed, as well as a couple of other short WAM scenes, IIRC.

Norman

Great tribute, Mike. Thanks for sharing.

As others have intimated, before the Internet WSM and Splosh! had an incredible challenge to find their audiences and customers, just as we - the customers - were often late in finding them! I was late to the Internet myself and relied on the 'late night TV' appearances by Bill and Co. Bill once said that the growth of the Internet was the reason he no longer agreed to further TV exposure into this century (aside from usually being cruelly and personally insulted!) was that Splosh! had no need to search for its audiences (and vice-versa) anymore.

I met Bill once, at that legendary splunch in Birmingham, lovely and interesting chap to talk to.

And Splosh! produced some images that are still iconic now, like the cover of this copy - everything about this shot is perfect, gorgeous model, very well drenched in syrup, and wearing an absolutely stunning outfit. And the details. The trousers are high-waist to show her figure off perfectly. Her outfit is drenched in goo but her head and face are clean so she's smiling and happy and enjoying her sticky fate, without being distracted or made uncomfortable with stuff in her eyes. Absolute stone cold classic image. And Bill produced hundreds of them, in an age when only a very select few knew WAM was a thing.

While there's far more choice and range to WAM nowadays, it was a privilege to know the pioneers who led the way for all the rest of us.

Salute!

While we're here, I'll give a quick nod to the Gilly Silly House site he ran - up there with Messygirl and Slapstick Stuff in the frequency of my visits back in the old days.

Don't think this was the first one I bought but was definitely one of my favourites

One of the best features of "Sposh!" was the "readers letters". I suspect Bill authored many of them himself. I think it was 'Richard of Brighton" who was the most prolific contributor. Certainly he appeared to hold a very active wamming life, including one escapade involving his apparently unknowing, sister-in-law whilst she was still in (a specially prepared) bed!

Bill was an icon. Loved Splosh Magazine and had the privilege of having two cross dressing sploshing sessions with him at his St. Leonard's shortly before his death. RIP

I loved this one. So nice to see the girl go from a clean white dress to trashed in the mud.