Obituary: Alderman Bernard Parke

Published on: 25 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 10 May, 2019

Bernard Parke, who passed away on Monday, February 26, 2019, in his eighty-second year, was a Guildfordian through and through.

Bernard Parke

Born on July 22, 1937, to Joe and Violet Parke, the family lived in Ardmore Avenue, off Manor Road in Stoughton. Bernard was an only child and his early years were during the Second World War.

Two army officers from Stoughton Barracks were billeted with the Parke family – in a house that had three bedrooms, a dining room and a combined WC and bathroom off the kitchen. It was, however, a new house and had cost his father £350.

Bernard Parke pictured in Ardmore Avenue where he grew up.

Bernard remembered that the officers commandeered the dining table most evenings for writing reports. When he tried to occupy a corner of the table to draw or play he’d get his ears boxed! Moreover, the windows were boarded for the blackout and the rooms were full of choking cigarette smoke from the officers.

Bernard’s father drove motor-coaches for Cooke’s Coaches, based in Stoughton. During the war, he ferried Italian prisoners of war from their camp on Merrow Downs out on working parties. Sometimes Bernard accompanied him. The Italians were friendly, but Bernard was not sure about them calling him “Bambino”.

His parents put money aside for Bernard to be educated privately. He went to St John’s School in Farnham Road, also known as Guildford Preparatory School. He went on to York School for Boys, which was in the hall off the Chertsey Street Baptist chapel.

The school was run by the infamous Johnny Gardiner, who opened this school after he retired at the age of 69 from Sandfield School. An excellent teacher perhaps, but a stickler for discipline. Bernard knew full well that Mr Gardiner had canes bought from seed merchants Fogwills of Guildford. Punishment was two strikes across the tops of the fingers of each hand. And if a third was deemed necessary, it would six of the best across the backside.

On leaving school Bernard went to work for Surrey County Council in its highways department. However, he found surveying and making calculations uninteresting, so with his good numeracy skills he left and went to work for Lloyds Bank.

Back then there was a bowler hat hanging on a peg in the bank at Guildford. Bernard enquired what it was for. He was told it was to be used if anyone was summoned to go up to the City of London for a meeting, so they could be dressed properly. They must have all had the same sized head!

In those days, young people were expected to further their education. Bernard did this at Guildford Technical College in Stoke Road. He recalled this was where many struggling young bank clerks strived to gain their Associate of Chartered Institute of Banking certificates.

But life was not all study, and Bernard joined Guildford Rowing Club, enjoying a glass or two of Friary Meux’s Treble Gold ale in the Jolly Farmer pub after some good rowing on the River Wey. He also enjoyed running and cycling.

Bernard Parke in his RAF uniform during National Service.

Then Bernard had to do his bit for National Service. He served with the RAF and was mainly based at a radar station near Eastbourne.

Into the 1960s and Bernard frequented a bar at a small hotel in Farnham Road. It was also used by nurses at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, then a little further up the road. It was here in 1967 that he met Pam, who was a ward sister at the hospital. She had a little dog called Pinta. Bernard made a great fuss of the dog and her! They began courting (Bernard and Pam that is) and were married in 1969.

At the time Pam’s parents lived at New Milton in the New Forest, and that is where they were married. John Dennis, loaned them one of his vintage cars for the wedding, driving it down there with Bernard as passenger. John’s grandfather had founded the world famous, Guildford-based Dennis Bros motor-vehicle manufacturers, with his brother Raymond Dennis.

Bernard and Pam’s son Richard was born in 1975 and daughter Sarah in 1976.

In the 1970s Bernard transferred to Barclays Bank. It was the era when credit cards were taking off and a good deal of his work involved servicing business customers and their credit card requirements. He became a bank manager for Barclaycard. This work often took him away from Guildford and he spent some time based in Northampton, travelling throughout the country.

Pam recalls he would leave home very early in the morning and ring her once he had reached his destination. “Guess where I am today?” he’d ask. And say something such as: “I’m at Holy Island in Northumberland.”

Bernard’s grandfather, Joseph Parke, had been an independent Guildford councillor for the Stoughton ward, and it was perhaps his influence that led Bernard to become interested in local politics. A member of Guildford’s Young Conservatives he was first elected to Guildford Borough Council in 1979 for Onslow Ward.

He served for 12 years until 1991 and was a member of a number of committees. These included the Arts and Recreation Committee (from 1979 to 1991); the Building and Works Committee (from 1979 to 1984, being vice-vice-chairman of it from 1987 to 1989); the Planning Committee (from 1984 to 1991); the Finance and Performance Sub-Committee (from 1980 to 1989); the Licensing and Transport Sub-Committee (from 1987 to 1989) and the Allotments Sub-Committee.

He was proud to have served as Mayor of Guildford in 1989-90. With Pam as mayoress, they had a busy time. One fact that may not be known is that on Sundays during his mayoral year he and Pam visited different churches and faiths throughout the borough. Included were Guildford’s Jewish Synagogue, the Bahai’s and the Guildford Quakers’ Meeting House.

Bernard Parke in his mayoral year at a passing out parade at the Women’s Royal Army Corps camp at Stoughton.

During his time as a councillor, Bernard also represented the council on many external organisations including the Court of the University of Surrey, Guildford Area Highways Sub-Committee, Guildford & District Voluntary Service Overseas Committee, Guildford / Freiburg Association Executive Committee, and the Guildford Road Safety Advisory Sub-Committee. He was a governor of Guildford County Secondary School and Onslow County First School, and a member of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Trust.

He was involved in helping many people as well as groups and societies. For example, in 1991 he played his part in getting a memorial plaque displayed here in Holy Trinity Church. It contains the names of members of the Guildford 9th Congregational Scout Troop who died in the First World War, and had originally been displayed in the scout troop’s former HQ at Centenary Hall in Chapel Street.

On March 22, 2000, the council conferred the title of Honorary Alderman on Bernard in recognition of his eminent service rendered to the council both as a councillor and as past mayor of the borough.

Bernard had many interests, not least rifle shooting. His mother, who came from Brookwood, had shot at the National Rifle Association’s range at Bisley. It appears he had learned to shoot there from quite a young age.

In later years, he was a member of Barclays Bank’s Rifle Club that had a lodge at Bisley, also serving as its captain at the time it was disbanded. He was a crack shot and was also a member of the RAF’s rifle shooting team. It was made up of serving and ex-RAF personnel. He even went on tour with them to New Zealand! He continued to shoot, and to help out at Bisley, until very recently.

Bernard was a loyal freemason, belonging to three lodges and was well known at the Guildford Masonic Centre.

Many people will know that Bernard was a prolific letter writer to the local press. There seemed to be hardly an edition when he did not have a letter published. He felt very strongly about his home town and things that were happening, whether, in his opinion, good or bad. He took a great interest in many causes, always putting ordinary people first while being dedicated to alerting people of issues that he felt were not being addressed.

Former editor of the Surrey Advertiser Graham Collyer writing to Martin Giles, editor of The Guildford Dragon NEWS following the news of Bernard’s death, said people often asked him why the paper printed so many of Bernard’s letters. His was reply was: “You should see the 15 on my desk we haven’t published!” More recently, when Martin’s phone rang his family would say, “That’ll be Bernard!”

Bernard and Graham Collyer were fellow members of The Guildford Rotary Club and became good friends. In 1998 Graham and fellow Surrey Advertiser journalist David Rose were invited to write a pictorial history book about Guildford, called Images of Guildford. Bernard helped by supplying some old photos.

Following its publication, David continued the theme of featuring local history and nostalgia with a popular column in the Surrey Advertiser called From The Archives. Bernard wrote a number of delightful articles for the column in which he drew on his memories of growing up. They included: the wartime, the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, and harvest time on Stag Hill before the cathedral was completed. He was a steward at the cathedral during its early days.

A number of people mentioned to Bernard that his stories in the Surrey Ad’s archives page would make a good book. David Rose, having written a number of other local history books, suggested they collaborate on a book that would feature re-worked versions of the articles Bernard had written, plus others, and some of David’s own research with pictures from his archive collection.

The result was Guildford Remember When, which was published in 2007. It sold well. A major factor was that Bernard identified a good outlet for the book – Guildford’s Tesco store. It did not normally sell local history books, but through Bernard’s persistence, contacting Tesco’s head office and managing to speak to some top people, the Guildford store eventually agreed to stock the book and copies flew off the shelves.

Bernard and David collaborated on further books: Guildford Through Time, in 2009, (copies still available, as Bernard might say) and an abridged version, Guildford History Tour.

Bernard Parke (sixth from the left) in procession heading for the remembrance ceremony at the Guildford War Memorial in the Castle Grounds.

Bernard’s enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, Guildford’s contemporary history acted as a spur to David and others.

In his retirement, Bernard did so much to help other people in any way he could. Just one of the things he did was helping Bill and Doreen Bellerby, the much-respected former local councillors and freemen of the borough. He would visit them regularly and take them to healthcare appointments.

Bernard was a Christian and worshipped at All Saints Church in Onslow Village. He was also a member of its Parochial Church Council.

A few years ago he volunteered at St Francis Church in Westborough, counting up the takings at its weekly Wednesday shop. David Rose adds that Bernard was a great help as a volunteer to him in his community development work in Westborough, Park Barn and Bellfields, for Voluntary Action South West Surrey.

Bernard could be seen early on Saturday mornings in Stoke Park helping out as a marshal at the popular Guildford Park Run. Perhaps for just one Saturday in the near future, it could be renamed in his honour as the Parke Run – that is adding the letter e to Park!

Bernard Parke, wearing his RAF tie, in his role as an alderman at the Armed Forces Day National Event held in Guildford in 2015.

Putting their politics aside, he and fellow Alderman Gordon Bridger became good friends, and they regularly attended civic functions together in their traditional robes.

In more recent times Bernard announced he was non-political – he just wanted the best for Guildford and its people in a fair and just way.

It was one of the topics he would discuss at his lunchtimes at the County Club in the High Street. Especially those areas of local governance that he thought were going awry.

One of his regular comments was: “We can’t let these people get away with this!”

He loved Guildford but was often worried about what was happening in the borough and the way things were being orchestrated at Millmead. He continued to write to the press, not least the online newspaper, The Guildford Dragon NEWS, from when it was established in 2012 up until a few days before he died, suggesting stories to be covered.

Once he got an issue in his teeth he was a bulldog. He refused to be muzzled, he had a strong belief in free speech for everyone, and made a formidable opponent.

Bernard knew many, many people. He made friends with them through the wide variety of things that he did. For all his good work he will surely be remembered – and we must not forget his cheeky sense of humour either!

Wife Pam; son Richard, his children Naomi, Joe and Teddy; daughter Sarah and her children Tom and Oscar, can be very proud of Bernard and his achievements, along with hundreds, if not many more people of Guildford. He is already being sadly missed.