Today, 22 February 2019, was the occasion of Bernie’s funeral, after he sadly lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.
I guess around 250 people attended the funeral in Silsden. There was music, poetry, eulogies, and - even in church – a slideshow. A celebration of the life of a memorable character.
There were many past and present TGO Challengers there. I would have liked to have spent more time with numerous old Challenge friends, but I had to leave early for a long-standing commitment. Bernie completed 22 Challenges, starting in the mid 1980s. He and Pauline were the second and third Challengers I encountered after leaving Strathcarron on my first Challenge in 2007.
Sue and I had the privilege of working with Bernie and Pauline for a week at Challenge Control in the Park Hotel in Montrose last year. It was a most enjoyable time, whilst adhering to the serious business of keeping tabs on all those wending their ways across Scotland. Bernie manned the phone for much of the time, and you didn’t have to listen for long to realise his depth of his knowledge and his empathy with those who needed to be ‘nursed’ to their destinations.
Today’s picture was taken on 25 May last year, shortly after Nik Lawcock, pictured grinning at the back of the room, had stumbled into Montrose – just beating the 4pm deadline. A cause for celebration of the success of another TGO Challenge, thanks to the hard work of the organisers, also pictured, and the team at Challenge Control of which Bernie was a key member.
The big man will be greatly missed, and remembered – perhaps especially by those who had to bear the weight of his coffin!
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