This
page is dedicated solely to the memory of a
great friend and one of the founder members of Portbury
Knights -
Cris
Bartram.
Cris was a great friend to all members at the
club and had hardly missed a week in three
years. He joined the club straight away at it's
launch and offered to take on the role of
Treasurer which he held until he passed away.
Cris' enthusiasm for the club was limitless and
his efforts to help it grow and better itself
unfathomable. Cris even took on the roll of a
Social Club Committee member to help promote the
Clubs cause.
Each week at the slightest touch of a dice a
member would be pounced on for their subs, he
never missed a trick or a dice roll - truly a
formidable treasurer.
He loved his gaming whether it be fantasy
wargaming, WWII games, role play or his
favourite - Magic the card game.
To this end he followed the club to events all
over the country, helping to run the table and
representing the club at competitions and
tournaments. In the last year alone Cris found
himself published in one magazine, helping to
run a display dressed as a mad scientist! He
travelled to Normandy with 9 other members to
tour the D Day battlefields and lay a wreath on
Hill 112 ( A major battle site for the Wessex
division). He travelled to lovely Bognor Regis
where he was part of the team that won the
European Mordheim Championship and finally he
won the PBI UK Championship making him the UK
Champion 2005.
He loved his gaming and loved the social that
came with it.
On May 1st 2006 Cris travelled to Canada
where he was to meet a friend for a holiday
through Alaska, a trip he was really looking
forward to.
That evening when he arrived at the hotel in
Vancouver, Cris was suddenly taken ill and never
regained consciousness. He passed away that
evening.
We all miss Cris a lot, the club can never be
the same without him. A giant of a bloke I
still expect to see him saunter into the club
rattling his cash tin. Irreplaceable and sorely
missed by all who new him.
The PBI 'Cris
Bartram Memorial Trophy'
In 2005 Cris
played and won the inaugral PBI UK
Championship. In true Cris style he won using
an army of unpainted figures! After much
ribbing he passed the figures to Dan McHugh for
painting so that when he defended his title there could be no complaints. Cris never
got to see the army, he passed away as Dan added
the last flags to the models.
It was decided by
the members that they wanted something to
remember Cris by and that a trophy should be
built for presentation at each subsequant PBI
event. The trophy would be called the 'Cris
Bartram Memorial Trophy' and would be kept at
the club. Each years winners name would be
engraved on a shield and added to the trophy.
Cris' name appears on the first shield as
undefeated. Dan McHugh took on the roll of
creating the trophy and it was decided to use
those figures of Cris' that won the previous
year. This way they would always be at the
event and on show.
The end result
can be seen below - a superb trophy that no
pictures can do justice to. The trophy is
available to view on request - any club night.
