Eastbourne historian’s legion of stories included the infamous Dr Bodkin Adams
From: Edward ThomasCollington Close, Eastbourne
The recently and sadly departed John Surtees (Eastbourne Herald January 29, click here to read) was a masterly public speaker, as I discovered on booking him for the Eastbourne Society some 30 years ago.
His stories about John Bodkin Adams were legion. My own favourite centred on a phone call made one Monday morning in the early 1950s to the Eastbourne Coroner who, according to John, always gave the doctor as wide a berth as possible. The conversation apparently went thus.
Coroner: Good morning, sir. How can I help you?
Bodkin Adams: Would you be kind enough to send me a blank death certificate?
Coroner: Certainly, Dr Bodkin Adams. When did your patient die?
Bodkin Adams: Oh, she isn’t dead yet.