Friday 20th January, 1989

It was this day that Bernard was visiting his mother in Wolverhampton when he read an article about a 10-year-old boy, James Fallon, who had been severely injured in a biking accident.

​

Feeling sorry for the boy and his parents who weren't able to afford the proper medical care he needed, he decided to help out with the fundraising. 

He decided that the quickest and most efficient way to fund raise would be by selling items, from letters to signed footballs, from famous people.

Around 150 letters were written, including one to Ronnie and Reggie Kray, asking if they could donate anything to the cause, and so they sent back a signed picture, painted by Ronnie, along with a suggestion to organise a boxing match to fundraise further.

Through organising the match, Bernard became good friends with the twins, visiting them on occasion.

​

A short while later, he received a call from Gary Jones, a reporter at the News of the World, asking for help with a story. When it became clear that Bernard would be of no use to the original story, they began chatting about life in general, when Bernard mentioned befriending the Kray twins.

​

Gary then asked if he'd ever seen Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, who was at Broadmoor. where Ronnie Kray was being held, as he was working on a story about him. Gary wanted to know how best to contact Sutcliffe, and so Bernard suggested writing to him.

​

After Gary was sceptical about the idea, Bernard said he would prove that writing to Sutcliffe would work, and so sent a letter.