Bernard Kops

MOURNERS gathered om Wednesday to say farewell to writer Bernard Kops, who has died aged 97.

Friends and family heard two of Bernard’s best known poems – White­chapel Library, Aldgate East and Shalom Bomb – at the service held at the Liberal Jewish Cemetery in Willesden.

Born in the East End in 1926, Bernard was one of eight siblings. He left school aged 13 and drifted through numerous jobs, including selling books from a wheelbarrow, before he started writing.

His first play, The Hamlet of Stepney Green, set in motion a lifelong career that spanned plays, poetry, novels and memoir.

Leading the service, Rabbi Igor Zinkov said: “As a child, he would ­visit the Whitechapel Library and it became an important, life-changing place. He met authors from the past and had conversations with them through the pages of books.”

Rabbi Zinkov cited the impact of Bernard’s breakthrough piece, The Hamlet of Stepney Green. Published in 1957, it became a key piece in the boom of British “kitchen sink” realist drama. Shaped by his experiences in the East End, Bernard’s work reflected the culture of his youth.

“Bernard was often undeniably and un­ashamedly Jewish,” added Rabbi Zinkov.

“He was witty, dark, vulnerable; sad, full of life and full of stories.”

Bernard’s impact was acknowledged in 2009, when Queen Elizabeth awarded him a Civil List pension in recognition of his extraordinary career.

Rabbi Zinkov said: “He observed people around him, he would write down snatched lines he had heard in conversation. He loved life, was passionate with a sense of humour, he had hope, optimism, love and drama. He carried on writing poetry until the last days of his life.

Granddaughter Jessica Kops gave a heartfelt eulogy that revealed Bernard the grandfather.

She said: “He was my pillar of strength, my moral compass and biggest cheerleader.

“He was the most generous man you could meet – generous with his love, generous with food – he would always feed you – and generous with his opinions.

“He could make anything better with a biscuit, a piece of fruit and a giant hug. To many he was Bernard Kops, poet, playwright and teacher. To me he had a loud rumbling tummy and untameable eyebrows. He was a short man but stood like a giant.

“He had a special quality – he wanted to make the most of every day. He never grumbled or moped. He made something out of every single day of his 97 years.

“He was stubborn and brilliant. I am forever grateful he was my grandfather – and my hero.”