Tim, my sincere condolences to you and your family. Mr. Haines' kindness to me prior to my trip to London will not be forgotten. I regret never having met him in person. He was truly one in a million.

Dear Tim, this news brought me to tears. Ben Haines was one of a kind. I dare say we will never see a more knowledgeable or kinder poster. Thank you for telling us more about him. My deepest sympathies to you and your family.

My condolences Tim.

Ben wrote here of being raised and schooled in Egypt. He wrote that his father was a teacher at the school he attended. He did not mention Iraq, but perhaps he was being concise.

This was so far back that it was of the same era he complained of having to pay 5P a minute for a slow dial up connection as DSL was not yet available to him.

Thank you for sharing with us Tim. Your uncle was an incredible man. I felt very fortunate every time he graciously answered yet another question about London and he really inspired me to visit again and again.

Tim, as many others have said, we are very glad you posted this information. Only one of my trips in recent years was to London, but I have read many of Ben's posts over the last eight years. He was a true gentleman and shared so much information. His help and advice will live on in Fodors for a long time to come. How lucky you were to have him as such an important part of your life. We will miss him.

Oh My,

I send my best wishes to your family. Ben was such a giving man. He always seemed to provide the best warm and precise advise. He helped me feel welcome to explore and to ask for help. I celebrate his life with you and yours.

O all the instruments agree
The day of his death was a dark cold day

Many of us always referred to Ben Haines as "Mr. Haines," such was the automatic respect we felt instinctively for this gentlemen. Your follow-up post, Tim, shows that our instinct was spot on.

My sincerest sympathy to Ben's family and my great appreciation for the time he devoted to enlightening people all over the world to the "other" London that we tourists often didn't think of seeing.

Tim, Thank you so much for informing us about your Uncle Ben. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. Your uncle compiled a list of Baptist churches in London for my husband and I to choose. He also told of a wonderful neighbor who was a Baptist preacher. I've been blessed to have a wonderful father to have as a role model and someone who really cared about others. You are blessed to have had a wonderful relationship with your Uncle. I'm sure we all would have loved to meet him. Prayers and love to you and your family and the rest of the Haines family. luvlondon/Molly

Hi Tim,

Thank you for letting us know of his passing.

Count me amongst those who is shocked and saddened by his sudden loss. He was so knowledgeable, charming, and eloquent online, I can only imagine how he was like in real life. He was clearly a great influence on you as well, and I hope you will come by and impart some of your wisdom every now and then, if not more often.

My condolences to you and your family. My thoughts are with you during this sad time.

Tim,

My condolences to you and your family. I have read many of Ben's posts and he always went above and beyond to provide helpful information to travelers.

I am saddened to get this news, but thank you for posting.

Tim, I am sorry about your uncle. He sounded like such a wonderful person and a true gentle Englishman. Much Aloha to your family.

All my condolences. As many have said, Ben Haines was probably the most helpful and appreciated poster on this board.

Thanks for informing us and sharing informations about his life. He will be missed here.

Tim...(and everyone else) I just remembered something your uncle always wrote each time he posted helpful information to anyone going to London. He always ended his post with

“Welcome to London”
Ben Haines

I can hear the following words being said to Ben:

“Ben, Welcome to Heaven”
God

Luvlondon / Molly

fodors and the lonely planet have one less star shining in the planet.

Surely this long thread only hints at the many people who enjoyed and appreciated contributions of Ben Haines to our widely shared joy of travel. I hope this simply adds to the wonderful memories of a kind gentleman his family and friends will continue to share.

Tim-
Thank you for letting us know about your dear uncle. My sincerest condolences to you and your family.

His kind and helpful manner will always be remembered, and is a lesson to us all.

Tim - how kind of you to let us know about your uncle's death. I am sure it would mean a lot to him to know that you valued his postings and relationships made on the Internet as much as we did.

Dear Tim,

I'm returning to Fodor's after a long absence to add my sincere condolences to you and your family. Ben Haines was a great help to me in planning my train travels -- I still have his emails and use them as a guide.

He was a lovely man and I was honored to have corresponded with him. He will be remembered.

Dear Tim,
Please accept my condolences for your loss. Mr. Haines, as you can see, was met with much affection by a large online community. He was always a gentleman and gave great advice. He once emailed me a word document with some pubs to try and places to eat in Greenwich! Regretfully, I think I lost the document since then. Mr. Haines will be sorely missed.

I was with chepar at that GTG when his name came up! That was just on Sunday!

Please know that he will be remembered with affection by all who knew him.