Bill Turnbull’s Funeral
William Robert Jolyon Turnbull, or Bill Turnbull, was an English television and radio presenter and journalist with a four-decade broadcasting career. He began his career in radio, working for stations such as Radio Clyde and BBC Radio 4’s Today.
Bill Turnbull’s funeral has taken place after the broadcaster died at the end of August after a five-year struggle with prostate cancer.
BBC broadcasters Sian Williams, Charlie Stayt, Susanna Reid, and Naga Munchetty were among those in attendance at the private ceremony, which took place on Friday afternoon at Holy Trinity church in Blythburgh, Suffolk.
Turnbull’s oak casket, adorned with a red rose and purple bouquet, was carried into the church by six pallbearers, including his two sons and son-in-law.
Williams, who co-hosted BBC Breakfast with Turnbull for almost a decade, told PA news agency: ‘I think it is a day of sadness and reflection, and I hope sometime today there will also be time to celebrate his life because he was a great friend and a great man.
‘And he has so many different connections to so many different people who cherish him that I hope we can have that time together where we can share those memories.
‘I wish he were able to understand how much he was valued, and I think it is incredible the number of people here who just wanted to come and celebrate and pay their respects to him.
‘Bill made a lot of friends and he was a very loyal friend and he was great to work with as a professional, but when you’re sitting alongside someone like that there is a lot of trust that goes with that.
‘I think the reason that so many people have turned out today to pay their respects – to think about him and share memories of him and to celebrate him – is because he was a good man.
‘He was a great bloke, he was great to work with, he was a great friend and you see that here with the number of people who wanted to express that.’
Also in attendance were Charlotte Hawkins, Martha Kearney, Mike Bushell, Louise Minchin, and Nick Robinson.
‘Bill was the grammatical hammer; he was so on top of his grammar plurals, singulars…’ said BBC Breakfast presenter Munchetty, who worked with the broadcaster for numerous years. He was completely engrossed in it.
SOURCE: www.ghnewslive.com
