June Bernicoff - Forever Sweethearts: Sixty Years of Love, Life & Laughter in Liverpool

Sixty Years of Love, Life & Laughter in Liverpool

JUNE BERNICOFF

Published by Blink Publishing
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Hardback 978-1-788-700-92-4
Trade paperback 978-1-788-700-93-1
Paperback 978-1-788-701-70-9
Ebook 978-1-788-701-45-7

All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or circulated in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of the publisher.

A CIP catalogue of this book is available from the British Library.

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Copyright June Bernicoff, 2018
First published by Blink Publishing in 2018
This edition first published by Blink Publishing in 2019

June Bernicoff has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Every reasonable effort has been made to trace copyright holders of material reproduced in this book, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers would be glad to hear from them.

Blink Publishing is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk

To Leon, my husband, my best friend, my soulmate and sparring partner, who shared my innermost secrets and taught me to live every day to the full.

To my wonderful family, always planning something for me to aim for and helping me adjust to this new chapter in my life.

A s anyone who has watched Channel 4s Gogglebox will know, my husband Leon loved telling stories. In fact, in 1999 he published a childrens book, Tiger And Fudge, where the stories themselves revolved around the lives of our daughters, Helen and Julie, and their pet cats (who gave the book its name). In the wake of that book, we often tried to persuade him to write another. He always replied that one day he would: it would be our story or, indeed, our love story, as he put it. As a result, when I was approached to write this book, following Leons passing in December 2017, it felt somehow fitting. I needed some kind of challenge to focus on, something positive, and writing our story offered me that and gave me time to reflect on things.

I believe that I was blessed to have had a very long and happy marriage with a truly remarkable man, without whom I would never have achieved the things I did in life. Leon gave me the confidence to grasp every opportunity, to live every moment, and to enjoy it all. Certainly, without him, I would never have taken part in Gogglebox. In hindsight, it was the most unexpected and utterly unique opportunity, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, the programme itself became such a huge part of our lives, and I think we both felt very grateful for that.

Of course, Leon would have loved to have written this book. It would have been very different, had he done so. He would undoubtedly have taken a no-holds-barred approach to writing it, especially when it came to details of our courtship. I dare say that it may well have been a little bit more explicit! It may also have been funnier and, somehow, louder too. And, needless to say, by the final page we would have had precious few family secrets left.

But among these acts of sheer literary recklessness, Leon would also have stressed one key point: if you are fortunate to find someone you love, someone with whom you want to share the rest of your life, then you will find a way for that to happen. Race, culture and religion are not barriers in those circumstances, they are simply hurdles to be overcome. In life, the qualities of love, laughter and happiness are the most important things of all. I have been fortunate to enjoy a lifetime filled with all of these things, thanks to Leon and our family, and this is what this book is about. I hope you enjoy it.

June Bernicoff, September 2018

J une! June! Wait until you hear the news! Were going to be on television! exclaimed Leon as he burst through the front door on what was a relatively warm Tuesday afternoon in spring 2012. As usual, hed just been to play bridge with his friend Peter and, to be honest, I knew something was up as soon as I heard him pull up in the driveway.

Despite having driven for over 60 years, Leon could never park a car properly. Having passed his test the third time, he seemed to have constant issues with spatial awareness and would park either right against the wall of our house, or a good metre away. The running joke in our family revolved around the fact that, one day, hed come crashing through the front of the house and end up parking the car in the middle of our dining room.

Normally, Leon would announce his arrival by furiously parping the horn. As soon as I appeared at the doorway, hed stop and I would help to make sure the car was parked properly. This time, however, our trusty Ford Ghia would remain at an obscure angle, almost abandoned in the driveway, as he rang the doorbell frantically.

When I answered the door, he bundled past me, seemingly in a desperate rush. At first, I thought hed had another argument with one of his fellow players, something that wasnt entirely uncommon, quite often because Leon would get told off for chatting when he should have been concentrating fully on the game. Either that, or this was an obvious display of joy relating to a magnificent victory. The idea of us appearing on television was not, however, something that had crossed my mind. Ever. Leons enthusiasm, though, was palpable, his grin spreading from ear to ear, as I walked back into the kitchen to continue chopping vegetables.

Did you hear what I said? he asked, with a slight air of agitation in his voice.

Yes. Apparently, were going to be on television, I answered. I mustve sounded distinctly unimpressed because Leon harrumphed and then redoubled his enthusiasm.

Yes! Television, June! he continued. Two lovely girls walked into bridge today and they want us to appear on television!

Oh, two lovely girls asked you, did they? I countered.

Yes, Its for a new show! Mission accomplished! he smiled.

Leon, I said. What are you talking about? People like us arent on television.

He fell silent and went to hang his coat up. Clearly, Id already poured cold water on the entire situation. When he came back, he looked at me with a slightly hurt expression as I carried on chopping.

We are going to be on television. Were going to be famous. You and me, June. Not Peter and I, you and me, he insisted, in what was almost a whisper.

* * *

Like most things he did in life, when Leon decided to start playing bridge, he threw himself into it furiously. He had played the card game socially and intermittently for many years but when he retired in 1989, he elected to learn to play it properly. Of course he was determined to have lessons to ensure he stood a chance of winning from Day One, and he was taught by someone who was eminently suited to him: Ivy Blackwell, whom he greatly admired as a teacher and as a person. Bridge became one of his great passions and, after 12 months of playing at different venues and clubs (one of which he helped run for a while), he finally joined Liverpool Bridge Club in late 1990. There, his long-suffering friend, Peter Armstrong, became his playing partner ten years later.