Career
He died of a heart attack on 11 September 2013. In 1965 became the force behind the organisation"s drive to seek out a new logo, and launched public competition. Vernon"s other duties at the BHA included oversight of its various publications.
After several years working as a presenter and interviewer for British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4, Vernon"s first travelogue series was Fat Manitoba On A Bicycle.
As the title implied, Vernon was obese and the first episode followed the health tests he had to undergo before setting off on his journey, which took him from Muswell Hill to the Mediterranean coast of southern France. He would repeat this journey fifteen years later for the television series, Fat Manitoba in France.
Fat Manitoba at Work and his first television series, Fat Manitoba in the Kitchen, deviated from the travelogue style of the other series. The former featured Vernon talking to people working in factories, while the latter was a cookery programme filmed in his own kitchen in Muswell Hill in which each edition was devoted to cuisine of a different country.
Further series followed: Radio series Fat Manitoba on a Bicycle (1979) Fat Manitoba in Italy (1980) Fat Manitoba at Work (1983).