Hempnall FC

Last week we received the sad news that our Club President of many years, BERNARD TALBOT, passed away after a long illness. Ray Youngman, friend for many years of Bernard, has kindly written an Obituary.

'Bernard became the main benefactor of the club when he decided to purchase a piece of land situated on Alburgh Road. This land was fully prepared by him and Michael, his, nephew in preparation of Hempnall Football Club leasing the ground for their proposed football home aptly named Talbot Park.

Bernard's generosity was not only in Talbot Park but for many years in numerous other forms of trophies and monetary prizes for various events.

Bernard and his wife Pearl, for many years attended our Annual Dinners and presented the awards.

His generosity extended beyond Hempnall Football Club as he supported many other village activities mainly the darts league which I believe still operates in the area of local Public Houses.

Those of us who went to school and grew up through our teenage years with Bernard will always remember him as an outgoing character but also very kind and generous towards other people and most of all his very wry sense of humour and ability to wind people up when they got a little too aggressive.

Bernard was a Coldstream Guardsman who, during his army service, was for a time guarding our present Queen. He once told me that was the proudest moment of his life.

Those of us who knew him will always remember him for his personal body strength which was well used during his time in the Joe Beckett boxing school at the Nelson Hall and later in the old vicarage at Fritton.

A lot of us of the younger element, and also in the boxing school, often admired his ability to use that strength. Bernard, at one time was a doorman at the old Samson and Hercules dance hall in the city of Norwich after he left the army.

Bernard was a successful businessman but never forgot those who helped him along the way to his success. He treated all his staff with respect, and many of them remained with him for a long time.

We have now lost a true friend who will be sorely missed by us all, and on behalf of all his friends, may I offer sincere condolences to Pearl and all his family.