Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 20 February 1904
Dinner and Presentation at Conisboro’
Testimonial to Mr. W. W. Norwood
Mr. W. W. Norwood, of Conisboro’, who enjoys a three-fold celebrity in the locality, first as a very skilful veterinary surgeon, secondly as the secretary of the Conisboro’ Conservative Association, and thirdly as the secretary of the Conisboro’ Cricket Club Ball Committee, was on Monday night the recipient of a very appropriate recognition of his services in the last-named, but not least capacity.
Mr. Norwood’s geniality, good nature, and courtesy are his chief characteristics, and none who have encountered the good-looking merry little gentleman have ever entertained of him any other expression than that he is a downright good sort. His amiable qualities have in nothing made themselves more conspicuous than in his association with the very successful ball which has been held annually to assist the Conisboro’ Cricket Club, of which he was for many years the energetic secretary. It was he who promoted the annual ball, and when he relinquished the duties of secretary of the Cricket Club he continued to act as secretary of the Ball Committee. For ten years he has successfully engineered this profitable social function, and it was in recognition of this service that on Monday night the members of the Ball Committee entertained him to dinner at the Red Lion Hotel, Conisboro’, and made him a present, which has been alluded to as of appropriate character.
The dinner party was a small one, those present being Messrs. W. W. Norwood, T. R. Booth, T. Nesbitt, T. Nesbitt, J. Appleyard, F. Appleyard, A. Appleyard, A. Walker, C. Farrell, W. J. Milner, J. Storey, G. W. Laughton, and H. Dellow. Mr. and Mrs. Nesbitt, the host and hostess, placed a capital dinner on the table, as is their usual habit.
At the after proceedings Mr. T. R. Booth presided, Mr. W. J. Milner being in the vice-chair. Letters of apology for absence were read from Mr. Frank Ogley and Mr. W. J. Smith, and then the Chairman gave the usual loyal toasts, which were enthusiastically honoured.
“The Army and Navy” were honoured on the proposition of the Chairman, and then Mr. Hugh Dellow proposed “Success to the Cricket Club Ball Committee.”
He said if the old adage that nothing succeeds like success still held good there was no reason to wish success to the cricket club ball committee. They had ever met with success, and it appeared from what he heard that they had gone on from year to year adding success to success. He was placed in a somewhat unexpected difficulty, he was asked to propose this toast. He did not know why, and, owing to his absence from the neighbourhood for many years, he hardly knew what it would be right to say. He liked, if he could, to say the right thing in the right place and he supposed it would not be far wrong to say that every member of the ball committee was one of the best fellows that ever breathed. He said that without fear of contradiction, although, with the exception of three of them, he had no knowledge of the character of any of them, and of the characters of the three he did know he preferred to keep the still tongue which was supposed to show a wise head. He had never been to a Conisboro’ Cricket Club ball in his life, a fact which was his own fault, because he had been often enough invited. But he was not a dancing man. Providence, either wisely or unwisely, he did not question which, having endowed him with the clumsiest pair of feet in creation. Hence he had broken the heart of everybody who had tried to teach him dancing. He was painfully aware of the fact that he had been talking rot. His best thanks were due to the interrupter, because it was always satisfying to a public speaker to find his audience agreed with him. But notwithstanding the pith he had uttered, he hoped he had said the right thing in the right place, and he heartily proposed the toast entrusted to him.
Mr. A. Walker, who responded, explained that he was only a junior member of the committee, and was therefore in the proper position that he knew very little of the subject he had to talk about. He might, however, mention that the last ball was the twelfth which had taken place, and he thought that fact showed the institution had been a success.
The Chairman said he supposed all knew they were present for the purpose of acknowledging and commemorating the valuable services of Mr. Norwood, as secretary of the ball committee. He was, he believed, one of the first to call upon Mr. Norwood to ask him to join the committee. He did so, and he had been unremitting in his attention to its requirements ever since. In whatever public work he had been associated with him he had always found Mr. Norwood ready and willing to do all he could to make the object in view a success. He could scarcely remember any undertaking with which Mr. Norwood had been associated which had not been a success. He had been one of the best little men Conisboro’ ever produced.
Mr. J. T. Storey, in response to the call of the Chairman, then made the presentation. He declared that with Mr. Norwood at the head of affairs the Conisboro’ Cricket Club ball had become the most fashionable gathering of the season in that locality. Mr. Norwood had chosen for the present which was to be made to him a selection of works bearing on his own profession. He might have decided upon something else, many of them would have done, but Mr. Norwood had chosen wisely in selecting a gift which would be of use to him in his profession. It was perhaps appropriate that he should be called upon to make this presentation, because not only did he know Mr. Norwood’s father, but he knew his mother before she was engaged to his father. Mr. Norwood was a worthy scion of both.
Mr. Storey then handed to Mr. Norwood three volumes of “The Practice of Veterinary Surgery,” by John A. W. Dollar, M.R.C.V.S., which is the latest published work upon the science.
On the fly-leaf of the first volume was illuminated the following inscription: “To W. W. Norwood, Esq., M.R.C.V.S., this is presented, together with the two other volumes on Nov. 11th, 1903, by the ball committee of the Conisboro’ Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, as a token of appreciation for his services as honorary secretary during the past twelve years.” Signed by G. Walker, J.P., F. Ogley, Thomas R. Booth, Robert Craik, M.B., W. A. Strawbridge, M.A., R. H. Sharpe, Caleb Kilner, Wm. C. Smith, W. Appleyard, C. Appleyard, F. Wilson, Frank Appleyard, J. T. Storey, G. T. Nicholson, H. Sykes Witty, Chas. Farrell, W. J. Maclure, M.D., Alb. Walker, Hy. Saville, W. Milner, J. A. Appleyard, T. Nesbitt, and G. Laughton, secretary.
Mr. W. W. Norwood, in acknowledging the gift, said he thought he could honestly say that the present was one of the proudest moments of his life. They had made him a most handsome and valuable gift, and one that would be of the utmost use to him in the profession by which he earned his daily bread. They had heard that the form which the presentation had taken was his own choice. That was quite true. When the question was mooted on the 11th November, he had some inclination of resisting his position as secretary of the Ball Committee, but he was prevailed not to, and, as he had gone through it for twelve years, he thought perhaps he could stand it a little longer. The committee pressed him, and with a little cajolery they got round him. They then decided to make him a presentation, and he thought it was very kind of the committee to allow him to choose as the gift most acceptable to him the latest work appertaining to his profession. He hoped these volumes would enable him in the future to be of greater use to those who employed him than he had been in the past.
Alluding to the Cricket Club, Mr. Norwood said it was formed in 1882. The Ball Committee came into existence ten years afterwards. In the first year they handed over to the Cricket Club £16; the next year £24 10s. In the following years the amounts had been as follows:—1894 £27 5s., 1895 £36, the year they made a special effort to clear off the debt on the Cricket Ground £40 10s.; 1896 £6 10s.; 1897 £2; 1898 £1; 1899 £10; 1900 £5; 1901 £15; 1902 £15; 1903 £6, making a total of £157 5s. 9d. In addition to this the committee had in the Savings Bank a sum of £20 0s. 3d. to the reserve fund. He thought the Conisboro’ Cricket Club might reasonably be proud of their Ball Committee.
To conclude, Mr. Norwood thanked the donor of the gift in hearty terms.
“Toast of the Host and Hostess,” and “The Chairman,” followed.
During the evening songs were sung by Mr. H. Saville, Mr. H. Dellow, Mr. W. W. Norwood, Mr. W. J. Milner, Mr. J. T. Storey and Mr. Wm. Hy. Wilson, while Mr. G. Laughton gave several selections on the gramophone.