I think I first met Steve Berry OBE at a meeting in Manchester Town Hall.

The meeting was to seek DfT support for the work Will Britain in Blackpool, Steve Birdsall from Gaist and the other Gaist user authorities of which we were one were trying to promote.
I remember sitting at the very opposite end of a very long table in a prestigious meeting room in Manchester Town Hall watching Steve and his DfT colleagues’ eye up a nervous Will and Steve B sat opposite. Steve and his colleagues had their arms folded across their chests, the challenge was silently laid down. We’ve travelled from London to listen to you, impress us.

Luckily Will and Steve B did just that. I remember at the end of the presentation Steve was asked for his thoughts. He stood up addressing the room and was overwhelmingly supportive. He told his team present that he wanted them to get involved with Will and support the vision that had been presented. Without that enthusiastic response from Steve I don’t believe LCRIG would have happened.

From then, I saw more of Steve as he attended our regular meetings of the formative LCRIG and developed a relationship and friendship with him. I last saw him at the 2019 LCRIG conference at Blackpool where we had a drink together at the evening event and I introduced him to colleagues from across the Liverpool City Region. He was his usual self, chatty, making time for everyone in the room, open and honest, direct and clear in the thoughts and visions for the future. He was our champion of Highways in Government and Whitehall, a guy that despite his elevated position made time for you and was available if you needed a chat or some clarity on the latest Government communication. I think we last spoke towards the end of last year during a storm event, he phoned up unexpectedly and needed to know how things were on the network for reporting to the ministers. The last words he said to me were "take care out there, stay safe", he genuinely cared.  I can’t believe he has gone, the email title popping up this morning on my screen stunned me, I had to stop my phone conversation. Feel gutted. He will be (is) missed. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Ian Jones, Halton BC