Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

Chapter Three Taking Over the Reins at Norfolk: 1911-1914 At the end of the 1910 cricket season Michael Falcon underwent the ceremonial niceties that would enable him to practise as a barrister, graduating in both B.A. and LL.B. (Bachelor of Law) on 13 October. In November 1911, he was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple, the most prestigious of the four Inns of Court, and joined the South-Eastern judiciary circuit. He continued to practise until the Great War from chambers at 6 Crown Office Row in the Temple, while living at Cadogan Terrace, just off Sloane Square. His son recalls that there was sometimes a certain levity in his cases in that his University cronies would turn up to support him: the public gallery would be a centre of high spirits and laughter. On one unfortunate occasion for Falcon he found himself referring to a damaged item of ladies’ underwear which led to absolute uproar from the supporters’ club. Among the worst ‘offenders’ was Frank Mann, a future England captain. Mann and Falcon were particularly close friends whose families remained in contact for decades; Manns and Falcons frequently acted as godparents to each others’ children. Falcon was now entering upon his own personal ‘Golden Age’ of cricket, a period terminated only by the onset of the First World War, and coinciding with a similar ‘Golden Age’ for Norfolk cricket 25 This image has been removed from the digital edition due to copyright restrictions