‘Wise’ Bernard marks 100 happy returns
n his 100th birthday, Bernard Malins says the most important lesson he’s learnt is to ‘have a laugh’ as ‘life is for living’.
Born on May 19, 1922, ‘wise’ Bernard celebrated his milestone birthday surrounded by care staff at Wimborne Care Home in Hayling Island, joined by daughter, Susie Robins and son-in-law David.
‘He’s been a bit overwhelmed by it all,’ says Susie.
‘We’ve got champagne and cake and presents and he’s had his card from the Queen which he’s very thrilled to have. He’s had a lot of cards and he’s been so well looked after by the girls at Wimborne, who are all very thoughtful.’
Born in Hackney, Bernard spent most of his early years in Thame, Oxfordshire with his parents Clifford and Ada. He was one of two boys, joined by brother, Eric, who sadly died in about 2004.
After leaving school, the keen quizzer started work as an apprentice toolmaker before joining as a home guard based in Rugby, Warwickshire in about 1940, where he served during the Second World War. After the war, he was commissioned as a captain in the Royal Engineers where he served in Iran and Egypt. When Bernard came back, he worked as a mechanical and electrical engineer in 1948 and eventually qualified as a charter engineer.
While serving, Bernard met his future wife, Grace, a nurse who stitched his bayonet wound after he was stabbed in the chin while on exercises.
A few days later, Bernard plucked up the courage to ask Grace if she’d care to join him for a ‘half pint of cider in their local pub’.
Fast forward three months and Bernard popped the question to his sweetheart and the couple tied the knot at the Mariners’ Church at Dun Laoghaire near Dublin in 1949.
The soulmates cherished 68 happy years together and they spent the majority of their lives at Sunbury-on-Thames in Middlesex.
The Malins had one daughter, Susie, and enjoyed travelling to Germany and Switzerland together as well as gardening.
Bernard moved to Hayling Island in 2019 when living on his own became a ‘bit too much’ before lockdown. Prior to that, he lived in Weybridge in Surrey which he shared with Grace until she died aged 98 in 2017.
Bernard says: ‘My wife was beautiful and I really enjoyed being with her.’
Bernard has two grandchildren, Lizzie and Harry who he loves dearly.
Susie adds: ‘He’s doing well. He’s been very happy and very settled here. He enjoys the quizzes the dancing and the music and the food.’