Born on October 30 1927 in London's east end, Bernie was a shy child who wasn't interested in sport but who enjoyed writing stories, anything to do with sailors and the sea and something his father taught him at an early age - how to play cards! Coincidentally, Bernie's dad lived and worked in the USA in the early 1900s and was one of the first Yellow cab drivers.
During the war when the air raids began, Bernie was evacuated to the Cambridgeshire countryside where he spent two happy years helping out on farms and delivering freshly baked bread. As befitted his childhood interests, Bernie joined the Merchant Navy in 1944 and spent four years travelling the world. He returned home in 1948 to help his brother who had started his own construction business.
He had intended returning to sea after six months or so, but he then met the love of his life - Mildred - and that was the end of Bernie's sea-going career! Bernie and Mildred married in 1950 and Bernie tried various jobs before finally deciding to do the one thing he really fancied - driving a London taxi. He loved the driving and also meeting people. The job suited him down to the ground.
In over 35 years of taxi driving, he naturally carried many famous passengers in his cab including the Duchess of Kent (from Harrods).
On that occasion he became wedged in a traffic hold-up, so the Duchess decided to make an early exit fearing she would be late for her appointment.
As she got out, four burley Dutchmen got in and Bernie told them who the lady was that had just got out. Bernie then wondered why they kept swapping seats before one of them finally asked which seat the Duchess had sat in. They all wanted a go at sitting in it...!
and asked for his autograph. At the end of the trip, Larry handed over a $100 bill and Bernie was about to say that he had no change when he noticed that the picture on the bill was actually of Larry Hagman and not George Washington and that he had duly signed it!
Bernie was involved for over 20 years with many fund raising charity organisations including the Jewish Blind Association and also gave many talks on the derivation of words and phrases plus his own offbeat history of London. Bernie always gave of his time freely - especially if it was for a good cause.
In the 1970s and 80s, Bernie formed an amateur show group.
He wrote six musicals of which he had great fun performing, but his love of story writing continued throughout his life and that also included 30 years of writing for Call Sign and its predecessors.
He also still enjoyed a game of cards and regularly met the same
Another of his loves was quizzes and he appeared on four TV quiz shows.
Also, together with Mildred, the pair enjoyed square dancing and travelling, including several cruises, and made many friends along the way.
They celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in October 2000 - an event that was reported on in Call Sign. I was privileged to be at the celebration and will always remember Bernie's very moving speech. He was a devoted father and grandfather and his words that day showed just how much he loved his wife, his family and his friends.
I only knew Bernie for five years while he was my journeyman, but to me he was simply a lovely man and I shall miss him.
Our thoughts go out to Mildred, his son Lee, daughters Annette and Karen and grandchildren Jack, Hannah, Lia, Raef, Ryan and Connor.
God Bless...
John Able (M31)
