Some call him "Mr. Willowbank", while others - especially children - call him "Mr. Herbie" or "Uncle Herbie".

Whatever the sobriquet, Herbert (Herbie) Knight is a much-loved and popular figure at `Willowbank' hotel, where he has worked for around 41 years, most of them as the breakfast chef.

Like so many of Bermuda's "old school" hospitality industry employees, however, Mr. Knight believes in going the extra mile, whatever that may be.

As a result, he is as much renowned for his charm, warmth and helpful ways as he is for the delicious fare he comes up with at the start of each guest's day.

Going beyond the bounds of any official job description is as natural to him as breathing, for his only concern is that each and every guest, no matter what age or sex, should have a happy time while here and leave with the sort of memories that will draw them back again.

There is no doubt that his formula works, for not only do letters of commendation from visitors arrive regularly on his doorstep through the Visitor Industry Partnership, but also he is a winner of its top Sunshine Award, and also its Certificate of Excellence.

Mr. Knight has also been twice praised in the House of Assembly, with back-up letters from the Speaker.

Many albums filled with photographs sent by appreciative guests who look upon him as family also tell an important tale. They include countless family, children and babies' pictures, as well as letters, cards and children's drawings sent by adults and children alike.

There is even a special board on display at `Willowback' which is entitled `Hubie's Kids', and features pictures of the popular chef with his little guests.

One Texan guest presented Mr. Knight with a citation and embroidered apron saying `San Antonio Loves Herbie' in a special ceremony. Last week a child sent him a photograph of himself via a cruise ship passenger, who travelled all the way to Somerset to deliver it personally.

"There is even a 101-year-old American woman who was once a guest," he says. "She has Alzheimer's, and apparently she doesn't remember her husband or anything, but she remembers `Willowbank' and me."

In fact, life could not be sweeter for the soft-spoken, gentle chef who genuinely loves people. In addition to all the joy the guests bring him, he has been happily married to Marianne for 24 years, and loves her to bits.

"She came as a guest, met me, and that was it for her," Mr. Knight smiles. "I tell her I love her before I leave home, and I call her later to tell her again."

Life was not always so sweet for this kindly Bermudian, however, who survived a long, dark chapter of alcoholism during which he lived on the streets and spent most of his time in hospital when the disease was at its worst.

But every cloud has a silver lining, and this gentle soul found his through the late Dr. Howard Dickinson, who visited his bedside one day at the behest of other doctors who felt they could do nothing more for him.

At the time Dr. Dickinson on the board of `Willowbank', and had a special interest in alcoholics.

Looking in on this patient, his kindly overture was met with stony silence and a face turned to the wall.

A deeply religious man, the doctor was nonetheless inwardly convinced that there was hope for Mr. Knight, so he persisted in trying to reach the patient.

When the annual trip to the Faith at Work Memorial Day conference in Pennsylvania came `round, Dr. Dickinson's invitation to Mr. Knight to join himself and other Bermudian delegates on the trip was met with indifference. Again and again, the doctor persisted.

"It will be a lot of fun, and surely better than staying in a hospital," he cajoled.

At the last moment, his alcoholic friend agreed, very reluctantly, to go for the sole reason it would be better than being in hospital, and he thought perhaps he'd be able to sneak in some drinks along the way.

Dr. Dickinson was, however, wise to such deviousness and kept a very close eye on him, even to the extent of sharing a room with the man he refused to give up on. Initially detached and sulky, Mr. Knight was, to say the least, a dispassionate companion and participant.

Then came the miracle that changed everything. Setting out very early one morning searching unsuccessfully for an open tavern, he strolled instead along a nearby beach, where his eye was attracted to something shiny in the sand.

It was a nickel on which was written, `In God We Trust'.

He fell to his knees crying out to God for help, and as he knelt, a huge sense of peace and forgiveness enveloped him.

It was, in fact, the beginning of a personal epiphany, with all the joys that that entails, including a life-long friendship with Dr. Dickinson, through whom he eventually became an integral part of the `Willowbank' family.

Raised by his mother and grandmother , Mr. Knight never much cared for school and left when he was 12 years old. He was always fascinated by watching people work, however - a trait that remains with him today - because he instinctively knew he could learn from them.

In fact, it was also how he landed the first of several jobs as a result of "hanging around".

"When I was about 13 I used to go down to Reid Street East and watch Coca-Cola being bottled through the window of John Barritt & Son," Mr. Knight recalls. "One day Mr. Leon Barritt came out and said, `Do you work?' and I said `No'. `Well, you do now,' he said, and that is how I got my first job.

"I began by washing the bottles and was eventually promoted to driving the truck as a salesman.

"After 12 years I moved on, but every year on Mr. and Mrs. Barritt's birthdays I would call them up. In fact, I still call Mrs. Barritt on her birthday, and she calls me on mine."

Through other jobs Mr. Knight acquired skills as a labourer, which would ultimately stand him in good stead. First, however, came the long years in the alcoholic wilderness, during which his mother left the Island but who, like his siblings, continued to pray for her troubled son.

"She never stopped praying for me, but she also didn't preach to me," Mr. Knight remembers. "She always sent me a birthday card with a few dollars in it. I loved her, she was my best friend.

"She raised four sons on her own. My older brother David, who was in the Salvation Army, also always prayed for me but didn't preach to me."

Following Mr. Knight's return from the Faith at Work conference, Dr. Dickinson suggested that he go to see Mr. Chummy Monkman who ran `Wilson Place,' a home for alcoholics in Somerset.

With that arranged, it was time to earn a living again. This time Dr. Dickinson approached fellow `Willowbank' committee member Joel Benevides, and Mr. Knight was duly hired to work on his construction site.

One day, the then-manager of `Willowbank', Mr. Roy Cook, paid Mr. Joell a visit, out of which Mr. Knight was hired to work as a property manager at the West End facility.

"My first job was replacing a fallen ceiling, and I also built patios and other things," he says. "When I first went there everybody worked together, and everyone including the manager made the same pay - about ?12 a month!"

Mr. Knight's transfer to the kitchen came suddenly. Like his father before him, who was also a chef, he had always enjoyed cooking, so when the regular chef failed to show up one morning, Mr. Knight stepped in and cooked a splendid breakfast.

So impressed was the manager, in fact, that he was promptly asked to stay on in the kitchen, where he happily remains to this day.

"I cook breakfast seven days a week, and my working day begins at 4 a.m. when I start to get things ready, and I work better by myself," the cheerful chef says.

His breakfast menus include combinations of hot cereals, fresh fruit salad, yoghurt, muffins or Danish pastries, sausages, pineapple ham, bacon, hash brown potatoes, pancakes, French toast and waffles.

Encouraging fussy children to eat is one of "Uncle Herbie's" hands-on specialties. "One little chap wouldn't eat anything until I found out he liked blueberry muffins, so I made them for him, and after that he was my friend for life," Mr. Knight says.

The breakfast chef has a colourful wardrobe of chefs pants and hats, which he enjoys wearing. One youngster, perturbed that he didn't appear to have a traditional tall white hat, promised to make amends.

"He brought me a tall plastic shopping bag, complete with handles, and said, `Here Mr. Herbie, you can keep this forever and ever'."

Another child supplied a "hat" made of balloons.

The rapport with children is so profound, in fact, that Mr. Knight even has a special toy monkey called `Curious George' who helps him to tell stories and play puppet games. The chef also gives them bread to feed the fish, and also teaches them how to fish.

More than one older guest has been sung to as well. "Yellow Bird", "This is Bermuda" and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" are popular favourites.

As if all of those facets of going the extra mile are not enough, Mr. Knight also makes a late-night journey from Somerset to six nights a week so that `Willowbank's' guests can enjoy the daily paper at breakfast.

On Saturday nights, and when the manager is on vacation, he also acts as a host in the dining room.

Small wonder, then, that he becomes such an important part of the vacation experience that guests often leave in tears as they wave good-bye.

Off duty, Mr. Knight enjoys nothing more than spending time with his wife, whom he describes as "a beautiful lady who is always pleasant". Well, almost always. If he happens to upset her, she speaks to him in German - a genuine case of "ignorance is bliss".

"It always sounds romantic, so I don't want to know what she's saying," he smiles.

The couple enjoy travelling, and since Mr. Knight does not enjoy flying, they have taken many, many cruises to destinations as diverse as Japan, the Antipodes, the Caribbean, South America, Russia, Scandinavia, the Panama Canal, and Europe.

Looking over his life's journey to date, the chef, husband, father of Leonard, and stepfather of a daughter says he could not be happier than he is today.

"I am so thankful. The Lord has been good to me."