Don Bemrose obituary: Poet who championed the Yorkshire dialect dies aged 91

Don Bemrose, who has died at 91, was a well-known resident of East Yorkshire who helped found the East Riding Dialect Society and wrote poems in the local vernacular.
By The Yorkshire Post
Published 12th May 2024, 00:00 BST

The society was conceived after he began writing dialect verse about his agricultural upbringing in Barmston. He went on to publish books of poetry that were distributed around the world.

He performed hundreds of speaking moments at women’s institutes, village halls, farmers’ clubs around the county and beyond, not least at the Purcell Rooms on London’s South Bank.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was also known throughout the East Riding for his sporting connections, having played cricket for Barmston, and later several Bridlington teams. He was a local football referee and was for a while President of the East Riding Referees Association.

Don Bemrose, who has died at 91, was a well-known resident of East Yorkshire who helped found the East Riding Dialect Society and wrote poems in the local vernacular.Don Bemrose, who has died at 91, was a well-known resident of East Yorkshire who helped found the East Riding Dialect Society and wrote poems in the local vernacular.
Don Bemrose, who has died at 91, was a well-known resident of East Yorkshire who helped found the East Riding Dialect Society and wrote poems in the local vernacular.

He was also a stalwart of the Driffield and district football league and was MD of Bridlington Town when the team made its first Wembley appearance in 1990.

He appeared, too, in a number of productions with the Bridlington Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. By day he worked for Yorkshire Water.

Audrey, his wife of 62 years, died during the pandemic. They had three children, Chris, Jon and the late Rachel; two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Related topics:YorkshireEast YorkshireBridlingtonLondon