Yesterday afternoon news broke that renowned media personality Geg Hopkins had died in London earlier in the day following a stroke.

The GDN’s deputy editor Noor asked me whether I’d like to write his obituary as she thought I knew him well and I declined because I didn’t want to appear a fraud; I didn’t know the man well.

Despite the fact that ‘we’d heard about each other’ and numerous acquaintances had said over the past decade ‘you must meet Geg’, for some unknown reason our paths rarely crossed.

It was only after I took on the new role as editor of GDNonline, our company boss, Ronnie Middleton, suggested we formally touch base as Geg worked on-and-off providing a video-producing service for us.

From that moment we regularly bumped into each other at events, enjoyed a bit of banter and kept in touch by WhatsApp.

He would be best described as one of journalism’s traditional loud ‘characters’. Once upon a time there was one or two in every newsroom. There are so few of them about nowadays in the industry.

Geg was also an ultimate professional. He was taken ill whilst covering an art exhibition in Germany. From his hospital bed he contacted me to ensure I received his video coverage of the event.

We continued to keep in regular contact by WhatsApp and, despite the brain tumour he suffered from, he continued to be witty, wise and wonderful in true Geg style.

I’ll miss our messaging … I only wish Geg, I’d got to know you better.

Messages from Geg

Yo bro. Good fun here in tropical UK.
(Oh sorry, I mean dreary UK, it just looks very tropical if one walks in the streets or takes a bus. When one travels a lot darling, if it wasn’t for the weather, it is very easy to get confused which 3rd world paradise one is in).

Not a lot to tell you, other than I am still as doomed at this stage, as I was the day I went down. All is very frustrating and causing concern. I am ok: a little slow at times, not always lucid or cognitive, or 100% stable feeling, but ok bro.. alive just.....and kicking, if the old age osteoarthritis allows the legs to still move some days. Tiz gud ‘ere’.

To update you for no other reason than you asked and you being such a nice chap oooo aarrrr missus (try morris dancing, it gets noticed on CVs) ...

I am sitting here with an expanding lump in my brain which is not contributing to my intellect very much. But then … Stanboy ... we might fly off back to Germany and try a different way around treatment.

Anyway, I am on some pretty aggressive drugs which hold off the seizures, because I had two more short incidences the day before yesterday which were contained, but I was asleep at the time. Oh yes, it brought me round pretty quickly.

Other than that, how was your day mate?’

GDNonline reported today:

Tributes started pouring in last night for renowned media personality Geg Hopkins who died in London earlier in the day following a stroke.

Mr Hopkins came to Bahrain 45 years ago, and worked in several positions in radio, television and journalism.

In October last year, he was presented with an award for journalism by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa for his work in the field.

Mr Hopkins had suffered a stroke recently and was admitted to the Charing Cross Hospital, London where he died.

The multi-talented television presenter, producer and director first worked for Radio Bahrain in January 1981.

During his stay in the kingdom, he dropped his British nationality in favour of Bahraini citizenship.

Bahrain Journalists’ Association (BJA) president Ahdeya Ahmed said Bahrain had lost “one of its best journalists and a great man”.

“Geg Hopkins, your loss broke our hearts,” she said on her Twitter account last night.

“U came 2 our country 45 years ago, u gave a lot and took nothing.

“I will miss your beautiful soul, your laughter and your jokes.

“Bahrain lost today one of its best journalists and a great man.”