jmc

The number of all seating arrangements is $8!$. The number of seating arrangements in which John, Wilma and Paul sit next to each other is $6!\times 3!$. We can arrive at $6!\times 3!$ by considering John, Wilma and Paul as one person, arranging the ``six'' people (the JWP super-person plus the 5 other people) first, then arranging John, Wilma and Paul. Thus the number of acceptable arrangements is $$8!-6!\times 3!=8\times 7\times 6!-6!\times 3!=(8\times 7-3!)6!=(50)(720)=\boxed{36000}.$$