Bernard was a well-liked artist for more than 70 years, and he had also been a big fan of our work for a long time. As a former member of the military, he always made it clear that the work of the Legion was very important to him.
He came to several of our events, like Christmas and St. George’s Day parties, and his presence never failed to cheer, energise, and excite everyone there. He was always glad to be there, take part, and help in any way he could.
For Armistice Day in 2015, as part of Silence in the Square, he “gave a moving reading of Rudyard Kipling’s poem” “Tommy.” On another occasion, when technology problems delayed the start of an event, he quickly got a number of celebrities and a member of the Royal family to play a game where they had to put rubber bands on the head of a stag. The game calmed and cheered everyone up.
He also checked in with us often to see how things were going. This will always make us think of him in a special way.
We’re thankful for his help and interest in our work, and we’re very sorry for his family’s loss.