Man of substance who embodied spirit of a different age

IT was with profound sorrow and regret that I learned of the death of Bernard Dineen (Yorkshire Post, January 3).

Last year, in conversation with the lovely lady in “copy”, I had enquired about Bernard Dineen and how he was faring, such was his standing with this reader, that I often hoped that he might return as an occasional essayist, or even “guest editor”.

He could be counted among that exclusive number of journalists who, having served their country with distinction during the Second World War, went on to prove that the pen is mightier than the sword.

Certainly, he belonged to a different age; an age that embraced concepts of honour and duty and service. And a corresponding age of high journalism in which readers believed; for it upheld fine principles of integrity and standards of excellence 
bound by a personal code of ethics. A reputation that, in 
recent years, has been sadly tarnished.

Bernard Dineen was truly a man of substance; an erudite empiricist whose expressed opinions were invariably supported by relevant evidence.

He was occasionally subject to spurious charges that he was “Right Wing”; primarily because he dared to expose the insidious and pernicious activities of the Left.

In essence, he was a conservative traditionalist; courageous, straight and true.

A phlegmatic character, he would doubtless conclude that he had had “a good innings”.

But if ever a man deserved to bat on for a resounding century, it was he.

Incomparable!

From: Jon Marcus, Colville Gardens, Lightwater, Surrey.

WHAT a great man was Bernard Dineen, although doubtless that is not how he would have described himself.

A fine wartime and military record and a brilliant newspaper columnist, one of the best in the country, in my view.

Just the sort of outstanding citizen who should have been recognised in the Honours List, rather than Prime Ministers’ friends and cronies and donors to political parties.

He was a Yorkshireman we can all be proud of.

From: Dave Purvis, Spring Bank Close, Ripon.

I WAS very sad to learn about the passing of Bernard Dineen recently.

His Monday column in the Yorkshire Post was very much appreciated – is there any chance you may publish a book on some of the words of wisdom extracted from his column?