Merry Cave
Francis Merry Cave | |
---|---|
Born |
16 September 1915 Essex |
Died | 21 August 2012 | (aged 96)
Education | St Thomas’ School, Boston; Park Board School, Boston; Boston Grammar School |
Employer | Bailey and Alexander (chemist); Ministry of Labour; Doughty-Goole Fertilizers Ltd; RAF; Fisons Fertilizers; Sam Fletcher Ltd |
Known for | Football, cricket, golf (Woodhall Spa Golf Club) |
Spouse | Mary Craven; Muriel Frances Worsdall |
Children | Carole |
Relatives | Frank Cammack (son-in-law) |
Francis Merry Cave (known as Merry) (16 September 1915-21 August 2012) was born in Essex and moved to Boston when he was a few months old. He initially attended St Thomas’ School, moving to Park Board School in order to take the scholarship exam. He achieved the second highest score in the county and was awarded a scholarship for free grammar school education at Boston Grammar School. At BGS he passed all his exams with "good" or "credit" marks but he was more interested in sport than study and played football and cricket for the school and later for the old boys.
Leaving school he became an apprentice at the chemists Bailey and Alexander (Mr Alexander was chairman of the school governors) but Merry did not like the hours of work or rate of pay so left after 4 years in 1937. He worked briefly at the Ministry of Labour as a clerk before being offered employment with more opportunities and scope at Doughty-Goole Fertilizers Ltd in Lincoln as a salesman, and stock and wages clerk. He covered the Boston and district round on his bike to begin with. His gregarious nature suited the job.
When entering the RAF he wrote that he knew Latin and French and had knowledge of combustion engines from a course and as a hobby. He was stationed at Acklington, Northumberland as a driver, later moving to Coningsby after an accident. After the war Merry worked for Fisons Fertilizers for a while and then joined the smaller, locally owned company Sam Fletcher Ltd, based at Long Sutton and later Holbeach. He covered the Boston area, visiting markets such as Spalding, Sleaford and Boston where he had a mobile office like a shed on wheels in the Market Place on Wednesdays.
Merry's hobbies were painting and wood-turning, playing the piano or organ and snooker, but his main love was golf. He became an honorary member of Woodhall Spa Golf Club and played regularly until he was 91. He won various competitions, some more than once, over his 64 years of membership.