Bernie's Scrapbooks

[kushiro]

It's almost six months since Bernie passed away.

 

His friend Denise, who arranged his funeral, bought his scrapbooks and photo albums at auction shortly afterwards. She wanted them to be seen more widely, and I've put together a story of Bernie and Leicester City, as told through items in that collection.

 

Many of the club's greatest moments have a magical, mythical quality in which external forces seem to be orchestrating events - think of the sixth swan and Channy, or King Richard III and the Great Escape. Looking at how Bernie's life intertwines with the history of the club, you can't help noticing the same quality. It's a fantastic story, and I hope I've been able to do it justice.

 

I imagined it as an online Bernie museum, where you walk round looking at the exhibits, each one with a commentary. It's divided into 40 sections. I'll put the first six here, and you can see everything over in the foxestalk articles section, where @Mark has uploaded it. 

 

 

Bernie's Scrapbooks: 

 

1)  A New Era

 

Bernard Henson's unique life began, appropriately, at that moment when hopes for the future are brightest - the first day of a new season.

 

Pretty special for a football fan. But August 25th 1934 had an extra relevance. It marked not just a new season, but the birth of a whole new era for the club.

 

Before the 1-1 draw against Wolves at Filbert Street, 20,000 City fans, still feeling the shock of manager Peter Hodge's death a few days earlier, stood in silent tribute. 

 

 

The first chapter of the LCFC story (post 'Fosse') had been the Hodge era. In the 1920s he built our first great side, then after leaving for Manchester City, came back in 1932 to rescue us from the threat of relegation. In the season just ended he'd taken us to our first FA Cup semi-final. Things were looking good. 

 

Then suddenly he was gone. 

 

Of course, when they make 'Bernie: The Movie', these two moments will overlap perfectly.

 

Just as the minute's tribute is drawing to a close, a baby's scream will shatter the silence, signaling new life and new hope.

 

What a scream it must have been.

 

2) Historian

 

If decibels were the decider, Bernie would have beaten us all to the title of 'Leicester's Greatest Fan'. But that part of him, the one most of us remember, is but a single dimension of the Bernie character. There was another, much quieter side to him.

 

That was Bernie the historian. He'd have beaten us on quiz night, too. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the club's past, and spent hours cutting out Leicester City reports from newspapers, pasting them into scrapbooks

 

Sadly, towards the end of his life, much of his collection appears to have got lost, especially when he moved into a care home after his beloved wife, Sylvia, passed away.

 

When Bernie himself died with no surviving relatives, his friend Denise had to buy the remaining scrapbooks at auction.

 

It's highlights of that material that will be presented here.

 

 

 

3)  Sileby Boys

 

Bernie's family lived in Wellbrook Avenue, Sileby, eight miles north of Leicester.

 

You can see it marked on this map from just after war:

 

 

His address is a key part of this tale because Bernie was brought up on the same street as Leicester's star striker.

 

In the 1940s, Jack Lee, dashing number nine, City hero, future England star, was another Wellbrook Avenue resident. 

 

 

Lucky Bernie.

 

It would be like a young boy today living on the same street as Jamie Vardy. Except back then, footballers were members of the community.

 

Jack didn't have a car. He'd walk to Sileby station and get the train into Leicester every morning, past the well-wishers and autograph hunters. 

 

He would probably have known Bernie by name. 

 

This brings us to the oldest item in the Bernie collection.

 

 

4)  So Close

 

Football matches played during the War aren't part of 'official' statistics. Those matches, we are told, didn't really count.  But it didn't seem like that in May 1941, with a capacity crowd at Filbert Street, and hundreds locked outside.

 

It was the second leg of the 'Football League War Cup' semi-final against Arsenal, who were one nil up after the first match.

 

 

There's Jack Lee at number nine, and Billy Wright, guesting on the right wing! Jack had only joined City six months before, and it was he who put Leicester on the verge of their first ever national cup final with an early goal. 

 

Then Arsenal fought back to win 2-1, and City were denied that trip to the final.*

 

That one-sheet programme is in the Bernie collection, but he wasn't at the game. He was just six years old, and he didn't go to his first match until he was almost 14. 

 

Was it a relative who got the programme? Who knows, perhaps it was a present from the Leicester number nine.

 

This is a wonderful short clip of the game. Spot the fans on the roof of the Popular Side:

 

 

*historical footnote. Most Leicester histories say we'd have made our first ever trip to Wembley had we won. The final did indeed take place at Wembley, but only because Arsenal beat Leicester in this semi-final. Had City got through, it would have been played at Maine Road, Manchester, mainly due to wartime concerns about long distance travel (Preston were the other finalists).

 

5)  Dreaming Of The Final

 

Here's Bernie in 1946, aged 12:

 

 

The earliest newspaper cutting in the collection is from the same year. It's the FA Cup Final, in which Derby beat Charlton 4-1.

 

 

Clearly the occasion had captured Bernie's imagination. 

 

Derby had finally overcome the famous 'gypsy curse' to win the trophy. Now there was just one big East Midlands club that had yet to do so... 

 

6) First Game

 

August 21st, 1948. Leicester City v Leeds United. Bernie's first match, in the week he turned 14.

 

Was it a birthday treat? Well, looking at the extraordinary events surrounding that match, you can't help thinking that the footballing gods themselves planned the whole day to make it as special as possible.

 

City had spent a huge sum on a new pitch. No more mud heaps, now there was a shining expanse of green to greet Bernie as he came through the turnstiles for the first time. 

 

Before the game, local hero T Lloyd Johnson was introduced to the crowd. He had just won a bronze medal at the London Olympics in the 50 km walk, and the Melton man received huge acclaim as he did a celebratory lap of the ground in his unique style. 

 

Bernie had probably seen him in training along the roads of North Leicestershire, perhaps planting a seed in his mind about the joys of long distance walking. He could never had imagined that, decades later, he himself would be introduced to the Filbert Street crowd (by Alan Birchenall), and invited, like Lloyd Johnson, to march around the ground.

 

Finally the players of Leicester and Leeds ran out, and the crowd saw something new - for the first time, a badge was decorating that blue City shirt. It featured, of course, a fox:

 

 

 

When the game started, Don Revie put City ahead within two minutes, and after a breathless first half it was 2-2.

 

Of course, Jack Lee had to be part of the script, and in the second half he scored twice as City won 6-2.

 

You can imagine Bernie's joy after the game, his head already full of glorious memories, knowing that he'd discovered a passion that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

[kushiro]

Read the rest in the articles section.

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/articles/bernies-scrapbook/

 

 

 

Edited 5 August 2022 by kushiro

[Nalis]

Excellent, he really did see it all with us.

 

I love seeing old formations, us v Arsenal both playing 2-3-5.

 

 

[lcfcfem]

Brilliant Ivan.  You have made a fantastic job.  Well done 

[Aleksz]

26 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Excellent, he really did see it all with us.

 

I love seeing old formations, us v Arsenal both playing 2-3-5.

 

 

Amazing how the games almost gone full circle - we’ve practically been playing that in pre season in possession of the ball!

[FOTS]

That is fantastic - what an unbelievable time capsule he kept.

 

Well done to all involved - would be great to see any more of Bernie’s collection if there is any.

 

Brilliant. 

[foxile5]

This really is top work @kushiro. Keep it coming. 

 

[volpeazzurro]

How fantastic to read, a tribute to a man's life. A worthy thing to do and an interesting enjoyable read. I look forward to more if possible. Thank you for your efforts. 

 

 

[OntarioFox]

Wonderful stuff 💙🦊

[Bordersfox]

This is excellent, thank you to all involved.  

[KFS]

Got a bit emotional thinking about this. Really nice thing to do. 

[KingsX]

Brilliant work, so thorough and respectful.  Thank you!

 

Has to be my favorite Foxes Talk OP in the years I've been on here (move over, @Cheese)

 

[Foxmeister]

Post of the decade 👍

[Kinowe Soorie]

Beautiful.

[Bordersfox]

Also that Fagan looks a bit tasty. 

 

Gerrimin!

[Leicesterpool]

Is there anyway that maybe a bench could be unveiled for him dedicated to his memory. Maybe outside the King Power Stadium somewhere?

Edited 6 August 2022 by Leicesterpool

[Conscript Fox]

Brilliant that this is available & well done for making it so. Remember being near him away at Ipswich & he cracked me up insulting the place and seeing him around at home games, he was part of the day out as much as the game itself. 

[SheppyFox]

This is great.  Well done mate.

[SheppyFox]

Ive just read the three parts in the complete article and felt compelled to reply again. What a story this is, and what a job you’ve done here in the telling of it. I suppose the biggest take from it is that I’m grateful all of our recent highs were in his life time and his life long commitment to the club was rewarded with those moments. He must have absolutely loved it all these past few years.

[TonyN11]

A 6-2 win in your first home match!  Not too shabby 

[Crinklyfox]

I wonder how long he lived in Sileby?  Because although I don't think we ever met his family, we used to live just round the corner in Ratcliffe Road.

[lcfcfem]

9 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

Is there anyway that maybe a bench could be unveiled for him dedicated to his memory. Maybe outside the King Power Stadium somewhere?

He will have a plaque in the memorial gardens, but it is currently being revamped and a very long waiting list.  We couldn't get the club to agree to a bench, and I get that.  Simon, who took him to the matches in the latter years raised money by walking to Forest last season and got a bench in the Nursing Home where Bernie spent his last few years. 

[lcfcfem]

46 minutes ago, Crinklyfox said:

I wonder how long he lived in Sileby?  Because although I don't think we ever met his family, we used to live just round the corner in Ratcliffe Road.

I have got a few addresses where he lived,  but need to do a bit more work on timelines.  Currently I am trying to research his family history, but due to time constrains this last few months, I have been a bit restricted.  Hopefully I can get going on it all again.  We know he was an only child, and had relatives also living on the same street.   

[justfoxes]

RIP Bernie you absolute Legend always made me smile with his enthusiasm and singing #Legend #FoxesFamily 

Edited 6 August 2022 by justfoxes

[thesilverbluefox]

Absolute fitting tribute to the Legend he was, heartfelt post, credit to you for posting this amazing and very interesting info on our Bernie RIP buddy.