Latest news with #Bernie
Cosmopolitan
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
'A victim of greed': Bereaved sisters pay tribute to ‘hero' brother who died in the Grenfell Tower fire
On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in a kitchen at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London. It spread at an unprecedented rate, engulfing the 24-storey building and raging for 60 hours as the fire brigade battled to control it. As a result of the 'decades of failure' (uncovered in the seven-year-long inquiry that followed), 72 people heartbreakingly died in Grenfell Tower, with 70 others left injured. Now, a new Netflix documentary examines the factors which led to the fire at Grenfell, as well as paying its respects to those that passed away, speaking to families to hear their stories. One such story on Grenfell: Uncovered is that of Raymond 'Moses' Bernard, who died fighting to protect the other residents amidst the inferno. The 63-year-old grandfather was well-known to the Grenfell community, having lived in the tower block for 30 years. He was beloved around West London in general, his family say, having moved to the UK from the Caribbean in the 1960s, when he was just 16. 'He was known as a sound man,' Ray's sister Jackie recalls to Cosmopolitan UK. 'He went to all the clubs to play Soca music and reggae. He was well-known around Carnival.' 'Ray was a real gentle soul,' agrees younger sister Bernie. 'He was widely known for his generosity and for always putting other people first. 'He had a reputation for being a protector.' While Ray, who lived on the 24th floor of Grenfell, saw the tower block as its home, it didn't mean his flat was without its faults. Bernie, who visited Ray often and also considered Grenfell to be a home from home, said Ray's flat had a leak in its ceiling. However, when Ray (or Bernie, calling on Ray's behalf) complained to the Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, who supervised Grenfell at the time, Bernie explains he was treated 'like an irritation'. 'They were often extremely rude,' Bernie recalls, 'Or they'd tell you they'd get back to you, but more often than not, they didn't. They weren't there to help. In my opinion, they completely forgot their role.' It was particularly worrying, as Ray became less able-bodied as he got older, with his severe arthritis meaning he sometimes walked with a stick. On the night of the fire itself, Bernie wasn't immediately concerned about Ray's safety. She had been called by a friend who lived nearby, who alerted her to the incident. 'It was a big concrete block,' she says. 'There had been fires in the past at Grenfell that had always been contained. So when I first got the call asking whether Ray was home, I wasn't concerned at all. In the UK, your home is meant to be a safe place. I didn't have any idea what was going to transpire. 'I knew something was wrong when my friend rang again and I heard the panic in her voice. When I turned on the TV, I couldn't believe what I was seeing – but I kept telling myself Ray was going to be okay.' However, as part of a refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower block in 2016, the exterior of the building had been clad in an aluminium composite material (ACM) with polyethylene (PE) at its core. PE is highly flammable, which led to the quick spread of the fire. Residents were also not told to evacuate Grenfell; at the time, high-rise buildings in the UK had a 'stay put' policy, as fires were thought to be able to be contained in individual flats. It was a survivor of the Grenfell fire that informed Bernie and Jackie of Ray's bravery on the night of the blaze. While people were standing in hallways, as smoke flooded into their flats, Ray helped those looking for shelter and allowed them into his home which was less impacted at that time. As the smoke started to infiltrate, he let the women and children take refuge in his bedroom, while he kept trying to keep people safe. 'She wanted us to know that Ray was doing everything he possibly could to stop the fire from entering his apartment,' Bernie says, biting back tears. It was thought Ray died by the inhalation of toxic smoke. His body, which was identified via dental records, was found at the foot of his bed, while others found there were huddled on the bed. 'We know that he was the kind of person who would have done everything he could to ease the suffering of the people in his apartment,' Jackie says. It was testament to Ray's character, Bernie adds, that the last conversation she ever had with her older brother was about their mother, who was sick at the time. 'He basically said that our mum was his queen, and we needed to do whatever we can to look after her,' she recalls. 'Our mum passed just a few months after Grenfell. We think she died of a broken heart, as Ray was the favourite son.' Despite the Grenfell Tower inquiry finding a catalogue of failure and errors from the UK government and building authorities, there have been no criminal charges made at the time of writing. While the inquiry's 1700-page report suggested a number of recommendations to be implemented, for Bernie, nowhere near enough has been done to honour those who died in the fire, or for those families left to mourn them. 'For me, nothing's really changed,' she says. 'How could this have happened in the UK? There's still buildings with that cladding on it, and no-one has taken responsibility. The inquiry just showed everyone passing the buck.' Earlier this year, the government announced plans to demolish Grenfell Tower – however, not everyone necessarily wants the building to be removed entirely as it acts as a second memorial site to those who died. 'I understand that the tower has to come down,' Bernie says. 'We need to have a place where we can go to grieve the people that were cremated in that building.' Now, with eight years having passed since Grenfell, both Bernie and Jackie want Ray to be remembered for the hero that he was – but also that his death was entirely avoidable. 'He was a beautiful person,' Jackie says. 'He was caring, loving and giving.' Bernie adds: 'We also want him to be remembered as being a victim of greed, corruption, and dishonesty.' In a statement to Cosmopolitan UK, the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation said: 'We are acutely conscious of the terrible impact that this tragedy has had on the bereaved, the survivors, their relatives, and the broader Grenfell Tower community. We accept that the TMO contributed to this and we are deeply sorry. 'We continue to offer our deepest condolences and sympathies to all those affected. 'We sincerely hope that the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry will lead to safer homes for all those in social housing.' The KCTMO relinquished its role as a housing provider in February 2018 to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It now exists for the sole purpose of supporting the public inquiry and all other legal proceedings resulting from the Grenfell Tower tragedy. There are no staff currently in place who were employed at the time of the tragedy. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Widow 'disappointed' her soldier husband's body laid in barracks for three weeks
The widow of a soldier who died in his barracks has said it is 'unforgivable' that it took three weeks to find his body. Father-of-three Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan's decomposing body was discovered on January 23, 2020, in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. His widow Beth Mongan believes he 'took his own life while in crisis' after complaining of being bullied by senior officers. But senior coroner Jon Heath said at his inquest on Thursday it was 'not possible to determine' how Mongan died. He recorded an open conclusion. The inquest at North Yorkshire Coroner's Court had heard that doctors couldn't be sure of the 33-year-old's medical cause of death due to the decomposition of his body. Beth, who was separated from Mongan at the time of his death, called the conclusion 'an enormous disappointment' and said her husband was 'very badly let down by the Army'. Other soldiers and officers told the inquest how Mongan had suffered bullying behaviour in the barracks. One former corporal Stephen Timmerman said 'bullying would be an understatement'. He described how the lance corporal was 'shouted, screamed and swore at' and 'forced' to do extra runs in his lunch break without being given time to eat. Three other witnesses said he was 'spoken to in a despicable manner,' '100% victimised' and 'never spoken to respectfully'. The coroner's found that Mongan had 'on occasions [been] treated and spoken to by his chain of command in a way that caused him distress'. The last person to speak to Mongan described him as distressed, crying and drunk. In the days leading up to when he was last seen, he gave away his Nintendo to a friend's son and told another friend he 'had bought pills but not taken them'. He also made two donations to a suicide charity. They added: 'Bernie was supposed to be checked on over the Christmas period while he was staying alone in his Army accommodation. 'Astonishingly one of the men Bernie had accused of mistreating him was assigned to do those checks and he admitted at this inquest that he did not perform a single one of them. 'For that failure, he was ordered to perform an 'extra duty' as punishment.' The coroner said Mongan was not checked on in his accommodation block over the Christmas period. Speaking after the inquest, Beth Mongan had been expecting the open conclusion because of 'the Army's failure of leaving him for so long'. She added: 'I've come to my own conclusions over the years. It's hard not having it for the kids. 'Knowing Bernie, and he did suffer with his mental health over the years and his treatment in the Army, I believe he took his own life. 'I believe (the Army) failed him, they didn't investigate the bullying accusations the way they should have done.' The widow added that 'it forever will be unforgivable' that Mongan's body was undiscovered for three weeks on a military site. 'I know they've apologised but that doesn't take away the fact that they failed him on that front,' she added. Mongan was due to start a deployment with 77 Brigade in January 2020, but they did not report him absent 'as he should have been' from January 7. He had been looking forward to his new deployment, Heath said in his findings, and had made a list of 'things to do in 2020' on a post-it note found in his room. Mongan had tired to kill himself several years earlier when his marriage was breaking down, the inquest heard. The coroner said of these previous suicide attempts were 'caused by feeling he was not going to see his children again'. Heath said this was not the same with Mongan's death in January 2020. More Trending The two most likely causes of death were that the soldier poisoned himself or suffered sudden abnormality of the heart, the inquest heard. Barbiturates, a depressant drug, were found in the solider's system. He had bought one of them illegally. Pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper was unable to decide which cause of death was most likely. He said: 'I've thought about this long and hard but I just don't think I can, I don't think I have enough positive evidence to go in one direction or the other.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Sisters drowned in pool at beauty spot after travelling to Snowdonia with friends, inquest hears MORE: Man jailed for 39 years after killing partner and neighbour in Christmas Day attack MORE: This is what you see the moment you die, according to scientists
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Extra.ie
Watch: Letterkenny man sweeps wife off her feet with dream car
A Letterkenny man has swept his wife off her feet once again on their 40th anniversary by surprising her with her dream car. Cathal and Bernie Herron are set to celebrate the milestone anniversary next month. Also known as the Ruby Anniversary, the traditional gift is rubies, which symbolize passion, loyalty and devotion, according to The Knot. A Letterkenny man has swept his wife off her feet once again on their 40th anniversary as he surprised her with her dream car. Pic: TikTok Donegal Daily reported that Bernie recently celebrated her birthday, and celebrations included seeing Pitbull in Dublin and a family dinner the next day at Oasis. As the family headed inside Letterkenny Shopping Centre, where Oasis is situated, they came across the Citroën 2CV, which ended production in 1990. Unaware, that the iconic car was hers, Bernie went over to the white motor to get a photograph, with her daughter Niamhín capturing the moment she learned it was hers. @niamhin_h Dad surprising Mum with her dream car for their 40th (Ruby) wedding anniversary ❤️ Cuties 🥰🥹 . . . #irishtiktok #irishparents #wedding #weddinganniversary #weddinganniversarygift #surprise #fyp #car #vintage #vintagecar #vintagecars #citroen #citroen2cv #couplegoals #ireland #irelandtiktok #cute #letterkenny #donegal #roadtrip #irishroadtrip #parents #love #foryoupage ♬ The Winner Is… Version – DeVotchKa While Bernie posed alongside the car, encouraged by Niamhín, Cathal then enters the shot, taking sheets of paper out of his bag and handing them to his unsuspecting wife. A shocked Bernie looks up from the sheets with Niamhín confirming, 'That's your car.' The next clip shows Bernie getting into her car, bowled over with laughter following the excitement of it all. The sweetest detail is also shown, red writing at the back of the car which read: 'RUBY Bernie 1985 Cathal.' Pic: TikTok The sweetest detail is also shown, red writing at the back of the car which read: 'RUBY Bernie 1985 Cathal.' The sweet clip was shared to TikTok earlier in the month with almost 250,000 likes on the beautiful moment. Social media users took to the comments with one writing: 'The fact that she was already so delighted to just have a photo in front of it, let alone the car being hers.' Another added: 'Think everyone has just fallen in love with your mum, bless her heart.' A third said: 'That's the cutest, it's obvious he's just happy to do it for her.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
‘All her memories are gone' – Woman left homeless after fire destroys thatched cottage in Cork as fundraiser set up
A FUNDRAISER has been set up for an 85-year-old woman who was left homeless after her thatched cottage was destroyed in a fire. English woman Margaret Adams was living the good life in her lovely picturesque little home near Inch, Killeagh in East Advertisement 4 She was living the good life in her picturesque little home near Inch in East Cork Credit: GoFundMe 4 But disaster struck on the morning of March 20 when a fire broke out Credit: GoFundMe 4 A friend said the dogs are the pride and joy of the kind-hearted pensioner Credit: GoFundMe But disaster struck on the morning of March 20 when a fire broke out and the inferno spread so quickly the pensioner was lucky to escape with her life. Margaret, who moved to Ireland from the UK two decades ago, was rescued from the burning cottage and her beloved dogs Misty and Freddie were saved by a neighbour. Her friend Bernie Fleming said the dogs are the pride and joy of the kind-hearted pensioner. Fortunately, her other animals were not in the cottage when the fire started. Advertisement Read more in News But Bernie said Margaret lost all of her other possessions. She said: 'Everything she ever owned. All her memories are gone. It was a terrible ordeal for her.' As Margaret has no relatives in Ireland she went back to the UK to her brother temporarily but she now wants to return to her own place again. To add to her misfortunes, she had no insurance on her lovely traditional home because it was a thatched house and the company she was previously with weren't covering homes with thatch anymore. Advertisement Most read in Irish News Bernie said: 'Margaret, at her age, cannot afford to rebuild the house so she is hoping to get a mobile home for which she has only a tiny budget. "This is far from ideal for Margaret at at almost 86 years of age, plus health issues.' 'DEAREST WISH' She said Margaret has been hospitalised a few times in the past year. Now Bernie has set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise funds to get a 'good mobile home' with heating, double glazing and possibly insulation for her elderly friend. Advertisement She said: 'It is going to be very difficult and so very sad for her when she returns again to the ruins of what was once her beautiful home.' All local people want to do is raise funds to get Margaret a little place where she can feel 'comfortable and happy again' with her beloved dogs as it is her 'dearest wish' to get back to them. Bernie said 'I'm really appealing please to your generosity and kindness for any few euros at all you can afford to help get Margaret a little place where she will feel comfortable and happy again in due course with her little dogs, as it's her dearest wish to get back to them. To date over €7,000 has been raised but the more money that's received the better Margaret's new home will be. Advertisement Donations can be made to the Adams GoFundMe appeal at 4 Margaret Adams was left homeless after her thatched cottage was destroyed in a fire Credit: GoFundMe
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
UTT: Players, coaches happy with format, seek more flexibility
CHENNAI: PLAYERS and coaches credited the format of the Ultimate Table Tennis behind its growth. While they were full of praise for the mixed doubles matches, they felt rules on the order of play could be flexible. The final at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad saw higher attendance than it did in the semifinals on Friday and Saturday. Paddlers and coaches summed up their feelings about the tournament, and put forth suggestions for next season. John Murphy, the foreign coach of 2025 champions U Mumba, has been a long-time follower of this league. He expressed his happiness in being a part of the league and hopes to be a part of it next season. He suggested, 'I think that when you win the toss, I think maybe having the option to be able to start with men or women.' This is regarding the fixed format of having to start a tie between two teams only with a men's singles' match, followed by women's singles' match, the mixed doubles, then another men's singles, and finishing with the women's singles. 'I think, if you have someone like Bernie (Bernadette Szocs, U Mumba) in your team, starting her early in the match, I think it can be something exciting for the league and I think it can also change that dynamic. We can start a 7-7 tie with a men's match or a women's match, of our choice,' he told reporters post the final. He also wanted to see a little more emphasis on the draw. "I would also like to see flexibility for teams to be able to decide whether men or women start," he added. The mixed doubles matches have been the standout part of the league. Coaches and players have relished the prospect of being part of this match. Pavel Rehorek, foreign coach of runners up Jaipur Patriots, called it a 'table tennis party.' Rehorek's career as a coach has seen his teams dominate European table tennis. He has led TTC Neuhausen, a table tennis team in Switzerland, to 14 league titles. But, being in the UTT, has been the most exciting experience for the Czechia coach. "The quality of players is fantastic. You see good players even in teams finishing fifth, sixth and seventh," he added. That excitement, according to Patriots paddler from the United States Kanak Jha, is also seen amongst TV viewers. 'I think what UTT has now is a good league product. The fact that it's a mixed team, it's relatively short, so it's good for the spectators. The people don't want to stay too long where it gets boring. They have everything in three sets, so every set comes at one point. It's a good system because even if a team is down, people still stay to watch. So in this way, I think the product that they've created is good here for the spectators and for TV viewers,' he said. With regards to expanding the league, he said, "More teams is always helpful. more players, especially the foreign players, I think play a quite important role because they bring a little bit more of that star power and the high level to the league matches.'
