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Our Father's life

Jayne, Richard and Sarah



Richard Brookes Bell was born on the 14th November 1947 to John Watt Bell and Edna Bell.

He was brother to Edna and Alan and like a brother to Ernie Cooper.

He was born at St Mary's Hospital in Newcastle and lived and grew up at 31 North Avenue.

Our father was educated at Usworth Colliery although he was well known for 'bunking off classes'

To describe our father in his early days he was extremely mischievous. He spent most of his days when he was at school, staring at young girls playing net ball. Teachers soon picked up on this and sent our Father to join the girls in cookery with Mrs Gibbons. This was a blessing as this became a life long passion.

Our Father stood out from his friends. He wasn’t into the usual boy sports unlike his Best Friend John Kinross. These two boys were joined at the hip. They once tried to join the Boy Scouts only to be turned away. Dealing with rejection the two decided if they could not go to Boy Scouts, no one could and the Scout hut was burnt to the ground the next day.

He often helped John at the local Brick Yard although it soon became apparent manual labor was not for him.

He left school with no qualifications.

We would describe our father as cheeky, funny, vain, often rude but handsome all the same. He was a great lover of music, we all know he loved to socialise drinking the odd whiskey or two. He also loved Great Dane dogs, and his late best friend Webster.



Once he left school his first job was a Commi Chef at the Turks Hotel in Newcastle City Centre.

At this point in his life after gaining experience, he decided he wanted to travel the world. His life completely changed and off to join the Royal Navy he went.

He joined the Navy as a chef picking up the tricks of the trade and gaining more experience. More opportunities were given and he then became a Submariner.

Our Fathers Navy days can be describes as the best days of his life.

Travelling the world he, he would return home with more and more tattoos.


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From sports he had no interest in at school, he soon realised he enjoyed 'contact sports' and thoroughly enjoyed hitting people. He excelled and became a Navy Boxing Champion as well as a 4th Dan Black Belt in Judo.

Our Fathers first year in the Navy was extremely successful and he was appointed to the Royal Staff aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia serving The Queen.

Serving 4 years on the Royal Yacht Britannia, he was then placed at St James Palace as a senior admiralty retinue chef. He served senior admiralty figureheads including the First Sea Lord and Admiral of the Fleet.

Our Father left the forces in 1976. Continuing his passion with food, he travelled to London were he worked in 5 star hotels including Browns and The Café Royal as a second chef.

In 1980 he became an academician of the RACA, which is Britain's leading professional association of Head Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers.

In the early 80's our Father returned to the North East as an Executive Chef at the Seaburn Hotel then moving on the George Washington Hotel.

Throughout his career he often rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous. He also had an eagle eye for recognising talent in young chef's, like Julian, Chris, Paul and Thomas.



Come the 90's he then moved on with his young chef's in tow and started with a new project for Sir John Hall at Wynard Hall.

During this time our Father was recognised by The Craft Guild of Chef's and he was appointed Chairman and Captain of the English Team to lead the young chef's into the competition with the rest of the world.

He was so successful, his team went on to win a Gold Medal.

The Craft Guild of Chef's also included our Father judging chef's skills, with the likes of Gordan Ramsey, which we all know has more than excelled in his career.



Salon Culinaire was also introduced to the North East by our Father, this is the UK's largest and most prestigious chef competition program. Something he was very proud of.



He also shared his part in the TV Show College Cuisine along side local DJ Alan Robson, which also aired in the 90's.


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Our Father moved on from Wynard Hall to several exclusive hotels within the Manchester and Norwich area and finally ending his career in the North East at Beamish Hall.



The Bell's



Living in old Washington, it is a small town and our Father met our Mother in 1966.

In her own words 'She could not get rid of him'

The pair married in 1971 at High Usworth.

The Bell family grew from a Great Dane dogs to a bouncing baby girl, Jayne arrived in 1972, followed by Richard Brookes in 1976 and Sarah Victoria in 1983.

The family home is Spout Lane where we have made so many happy memories that we will treasure forever. Anyone that knows our Father will know he loved his family home. When he initially bought our home this was part of Washington Village. He then travelled to Singapore and returned 18 month later to find a highway had been built and now he lived in Concord. This is a standing joke within the family.



From ending his career he then became a full time carer for our Mother after she had contracted meningitis in 2008.

This brought the two even closer together.

But not stopping there, he then became involved in the Carer's Association.

From what you can see today, his other passion into retirement was the Royal British Legion helping close friend Malcolm Pickering.



Our Father also adored his two beautiful grandchildren. Connie Brookes and Violet Estelle.



After a brave fight our dearly beloved Father sadly passed away at St Benedicts Hospice with his family by his side. He looked so peaceful and as a family, we know, he knew he was loved by all.



Contribution's at the back of the church will go to St Benedicts Hospice. Relations and close friends can follow on to Birtley Crematorium followed by a gathering at The Steps.