Today we have been celebrating Berni. Doing a few of his favourite things - fried brekkie, coffee and cake overlooking the sea, cooking a 5 bean chilli and having a drop of good whiskey🍳☕🍪🥘 🥃 One of the ways Berni showed his love and caring was to cook He loved to cook for people whether it was a fry up, summer BBQ, chicken risotto, 5 bean chilli or Christmas Dinner with veggies (I think the record was 10 different veggies 😳) You were and are much loved Berni, rest in peace 🙏❤️

I remember the day I met Berni. I’d gone to their home to ‘interview’ Michelle for a volunteering role. At that point Shell was still using a wheelchair. When I left, I was exhausted; it was I who had been interviewed (you can read that as ‘interrogated’) by Berni!! He wanted to make sure that she would be looked after and not expected to ‘too much’. Since that first meeting I have had the pleasure of having Berni and Shell as firm friends. Several years later, and after Shell’s health improved, I had a ‘secret’ phone call from Berni. He said, “Shell’s got it in her head to do the Race for Life…I don’t want her to do it on her own, will you run with her”. And so Shell and I did the run together (but that’s another story!). Berni was so proud of her achievement. You see, Berni was always looking out for Shell, a very protective and loving man through and through. Today is a very poignant day. Time to reflect and remember with love and happiness the big man with the even bigger heart; and of course, his contagious giggle that was irresistible. This morning I was looking at Facebook and a ‘memory’ came up on my feed. It was a little video I made of the portrait painting of Berni’s dog Charlie – coincidence?? Well Berni, you are now free of pain, you can walk, run, and Charlie and the other pets that have been waiting for you will be wagging their tails with delight. You can now rest in peace and with the assurance that Shell has family and friends who will look out for her for you. Love from little Ratbag (not sure how or why I got that nickname from you, but I accept it with honour). xxx

My favourite and most enduring memory of Berni will be always be on the Sunday of my wedding. I can close my eyes right now and clear as day, as if I’m still there and he’s still here, I can see Berni, Rob and my dad sitting in lawn chairs around the fire pit, drunk as anything from whisky, beer, happiness, love, and who knows what else, laughing until tears fell down their faces and Rob tipped his bloody lawn chair and fell over backwards… all because one of them had farted!! And once one did, they all followed. I am very, very glad to have this memory.