In 2008, as a new post doc, my first meeting at SMRU was with Bernie, I got lost and arrived late, panicked that any chance of making a good first impression was out the window! I needn’t have worried, Bernie was totally unfazed, I am not entirely convinced he remembered we were meeting. Little did I know that was the start of one of the most important relationships of my life.

Bernie became my boss and my friend. That top floor of SMRU is where my philosophy relating to work and, and most importantly colleagues, was created. Bernie’s office was opposite mine, and we shared (i.e. stole from each other) food, coffee, and stationary which I like to think, in part, led Bernie’s sticker phase – indeed, I have a pen drive on my desk that sports a sticker indicating its true owner.

Bernie made people feel appreciated and valued. Many of my emails from him are pictures of bricks – translation: “thank you/well done, you’re a brick” (many more, of course, are replies to mine of “Let’s chat”). However, my favourite example with me was when he came into my office to announce that he was worried in case I was hit by a bus…and could I make a folder with all the “important stuff” in case that happened. Feeling pretty special, I obliged and I still have “A.OnMyDeath” in my documents [the agreed name for easy finding]. I never thought to ask him to do the same – I wish I had one with all his chats with me over the years.

I don’t think I realised at the time how much Bernie supported me, indeed I don’t think I would still have a job in SMRU if it wasn’t for him. Moreover, I wouldn’t have been so desperate to stay if it had not been for the environment that Bernie was so fundamental in creating.

For the last 13-years his door was always open, and it will take a long time to accept that that is no longer the case.