The Twelfth Man 2014

! 15 WOMBWELL’S&OWN ( Margaret'Harrison ' 21%November%2013 & Wombwell(Chairman,(James(Greenfield,(paid(this( tribute(to(Margaret,(and(her(contribution(to(WCLS,(at( the(Society(meeting(on(28(November(2013( This!is#the#second#time#in#successive#meetings#that#it# has$been$my$sad$duty$to$pay$tribute$to$a$stalwart$ member%of%the%Wombwell%Cricket%Lovers'%Society# Committee'who'has'died'after'a'brave'battle'against' cancer.'Margaret,'whose'roles'at'the'Wombwell' included(being(inHhouse&photographer&for&our& magazine,) The$Twelfth ! Man ,"and"organising"the" raffle,'will'always'be'remembered'by'me'for'her' steadfastness(in!face%of%the%financial%crisis,%which%we% unearthed)at)New)Year)2007.% Her#last#appearance#with#the#Society#was#at#the# dinner&as&recently&as&Thursday,&October&10,&when&she& had$her$photograph$taken$with$Yorkshire$President$ Geoffrey'Boycott.'Perhaps'Margaret'would$have$ thought&it&fitting&that&this&redHletter%day%for%the% Society(should(have(been(her(final(entry(in(the(family( album.% I"am"grateful"for"what"follows"to"Margaret's"brother," Ron$Firth,$our$ViceHChairman.% She$was$born%Margaret%Firth%on%August%17,%1936,%at" Askern,(the(eldest(of(five(children(–!three%boys%and% twp$girls.$Her$early$years$were$spent$helping$her$ mother'to'look'after'two'brothers,'born'in'1940'and' 1942,&and&elderly&frail&grandparents&with&whom&they& lived&while&their&Dad&was&away&in&the&Army.&Margaret& learned'to'be'caring'and'reliable'so'soon'in'her'life,' and$perfected$that$art,$and$practiced$it$throughout$ her$life$to$the$benefit$of$all.% In%1947%she%passed%her%11Hplus%and%went%to% Pontefract%Girls'%High%School,%where%she%made%many% lasting%friends,%some%of%whom%she%met%monthly%for% lunch%until%quite%recently.%Although(not(particularly( academic,(she(excelled(at(the(piano,(becoming(an( Associate)of)the)Victoria)College)of)Music.)For)a)while) she$gave$piano$lessons$to$local$youngsters,$but$her$ time%was%restricted'by'her'first'employment'as'an' accounts(clerk(with(Barker(and(Wigfall,(TV(and( furniture(retailers(in(Doncaster.% In%the%early%1950s%she%met%John%Harrison%(Jack)%and% they%were%married%in%1958%at%Askern%Church,%where% Jack%had%been%a%chorister.%Jack%qualified%as%a% pharmacist%soon%afterwards,%and%they%lived%in%and% around%Doncaster,%at%Warmsworth%and%Hatfield% before%moving%to%Swinton,%where%Margaret%lived%for% over%40%years.%Margaret%and%Jack%joined%this%Society% well%over%20%years%ago,%and%were%regular%attendees% until%Jack's%death%in%1994,%Margaret%then%coming%on% her%own.% It%was%inevitable%that%Margaret%would%have%more% than%a%passing%interest%in%cricket%as%her%father%and% three%brothers%were%all%playing%members%of%Askern% Spa%CC,%and%her%mother%often%made%the%teas%there.% She%and%Jack,%because%of%work%commitments,%could% not%see%much%county%cricket%at%Headingley,%but%for% many%years%they%made%their%main%holiday%the% Scarborough%Festival,%and%became%members%of% Scarborough%CC.% Margaret's%immediate%family%consists%of%two%sons% and%a%daughter,%nine%grandchildren%and%seven%greatH grandchildren,%most%of%whom%live%nearby,%and% outside%her%work%for%Wombwell%and%her%20Hplus% years%as%joint%treasurer%at%Swinton%Church%they%have% become%her%great%love.%Margaret%died%on%Thursday,% November%21,%at%home.% Jean!Auty!with!Margaret!Harrison!