A well-known Bridlington resident who worked tirelessly to prevent the old dialects of his beloved home county from dying out has sadly passed away at the age of 91.
Donald Albert Bemrose, known as Don, was also a key figure in many sporting clubs in the town and was managing director at Bridlington Town Football Club when then club reached the FA Vase Final in 1990.
He died in Scarborough Hospital on April 5, just a month after his 91st birthday.
Born in Barmston in March 1933 to large family, Don’s love of sports and the East Riding was evident throughout his life.
He played cricket for Barmston, and later several other Bridlington teams. He was also local football referee. Football was a big part of Don’s life, playing major part in the organisation and running of the Driffield & District Football League.
Don was also a member of Bridlington Rugby Union Football Club, and regularly played bowls and darts.
Besides sport, Don starred in a number of productions with the Bridlington Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society (BOADS), and was a founder member of the East Riding Dialect Society, a passion he shared with his late wife, Audrey.
He went on to publish books of poetry that were available on cassette and CD, going all over the world. He also undertook hundreds of speaking engagements at local clubs and organisations around the county and beyond, including for the British Legion Conference in Harrogate, and at the South Bank in London.
Several other Bridlington organisations benefited from the work of Don, including the popular Bridlington Harbour Gala and the Bridlington twin towns in Germany and France where he organised many football tournaments. He worked for Yorkshire Water, was often on call, repairing burst water pipes around the town and beyond.
Don had three children, Chris, Jon and Rachel, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago, He had two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Don sadly lost his wife Audrey of 62 years during the Covid pandemic.
