BILL BLACKMORE – SERVICE OF CELEBRATION
24 JANUARY 2013
An Abridged version of Thorpe’s Eulogy for Bill Blackmore.
Thank you Horst for inviting me to say a few words about Bill.He would be delighted to see so many of his good friends here today. Not least his brother Michael (and his family), and Bill and Horst’s adopted family from Torquay
I have known Bill since the late 1950s. We shared various flats around Bromley and Beckenham in the 60s. Most of us, young twenty year old boys, were clumsy and lacking in style but not Bill. He never looked scruffy, he was reliable, he treated everyone with consideration and good manners. Bill was a natural gentleman, he would even doff his cap to a lady when passing.
My elder sister told me once that if Horst hadn’t got there first she wanted to marry Bill. I don’t think she was joking. She just loved his courtly good manners, the genuine interest he took in people and his wry and sometime wicked sense of humour.
I first met Bill through mutual friends in the Scouts and Hayes Youth Club. When three of us scout friends decided it was time to leave the family home Bill came and joined us, taking on the tenancy of a flat in Masons Hill Bromley.
When two of the flatmates went off Bill and I moved to Tweedy Road, Bromley with a good friend John Boggust, here today. In 1964, we moved to the much loved flat at Connaught House by Beckenham Junction Station – now with our friend Mel Irving whose widow Valerie is here today too.
When I left Connaught House to get married Horst responded to an ad for a replacement that led to Bill and he meeting some 45 years ago. So, maybe Horst I did you a favour by leaving when I did. Such is fate.
Bill served in the Royal Air Force as a National Serviceman, Brian Morris (here today) told me that Bill had told him, in his self deprecating way, that he had spent most of his years in a vast warehouse issuing essential stores to the front line fighting force and this was his contribution to the defence of the realm – of which he was very proud – and rightly so.
Bill is sitting next to Skip Marshall with Mary Conmy next to Bill. Sheila Corrigan and Annette Vernon on other side of Skip Marshall (Sheila next to Skip Marshall). I think at that time Bill, Mary, Annette and Sheila were Assistant Cubmasters and Skip Cubmaster. (Funny to think all these young cubs are probably now approaching retirement !)
We boys joined the Bromley Players – an amateur dramatic group. Bill, as you might expect, was really good unlike the rest of us. He came along with us to the Scouts and became a much respected and loved Cubmaster of the 47th Beckenham Scout Group – now the 5th. The boys thought he was terrific. John Potter from the 5th is here today. He also went on a famous expedition to Iceland with the Venturer Scouts, (Brian Morris, Tony Shepherd, Gordon Hayward and Michael Totterdell from that trip 50 odd years ago are here today).
Pictures here of the Isle of Skye trip
L to R Back – J.Harvey, S.Corrigan, H.Slaughter, Unknown, G.Dick Middle – G.Hayward, M.Blackmore, T.Shepherd Front – J.Link, B.Morris, M.Totterdell, C.Nee, P.Vernon
Many of you will know that Bill and Horst were regulars at the Caffe Nero in Beckenham High Street. I had the pleasure of joining them there occasionally when I came up from Sussex. It was Beckenham’s Café Society where everyone seemed to know Bill and Horst – they would hold court with all who came in. It could have been the left bank in Paris.
Bill and Horst have been the closest of companions for 45 years. And their happiest and most memorable day was when they formalised their relationship and became Civil Partners in 2007. Truly a marriage of like minds and shared interests.
Those of us here this morning who have come to celebrate Bill’s long life will remember him with much affection. He was a considerate, gentle and generous man and his wry and mischievous sense of humour was never far from the surface. He doubtless dealt with many difficulties in his life but he was resolute, steadfast and really brave, not least in his difficult days since his stroke. We shall miss him – but we certainly will not forget him.
John Manthorpe                                                 January 2013
After looking at the old photos of his friends,Brian Morris said in an email to The Fifth:
I am so lucky to have had those friends and those leaders. So much fun, so many laughs. And, of course, we took it completely for granted that adults with lives and families of their own should spend half their leisure hours (at least!) looking after, teaching, entertaining and caring for us. Every child alive should be so blessed.
Brian last week did a memorial ‘Elephant Tree’ Run at Fairwarp in memory of Bill. Fairwarp was the venue for many of the 47th’s happiest camps.