Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

That the wedding was a significant one on the social scene was indicated by the status of the officiating clergy: the Rev Hon Edward Lyttelton D.D., an ex-headmaster of Eton College, and the Rev Cyril Alington D.D., his successor at Eton, were the celebrants. 30 After the ceremony there was a reception, not far from the church, at 36 Wilton Crescent; a venue kindly lent to the Gascoignes by Mr and Mrs George Tebbitt. The presents were displayed and included a set of silver candlesticks and fruit dishes from Norfolk C.C.C. and a barometer inscribed ‘Presented by the tradesmen of Horstead, Coltishall and District’. Although the weather was not favourable, there was a large turnout with many travelling from Falcon’s native Norfolk. Amongst those present were the parents of both bride and groom, Viscountess Valentia, Lord and Lady Sudeley, Lady Birkbeck, Mr John Cator (High Sheriff of Norfolk), Mr E.G.Buxton (an important administrator in the history of Norfolk cricket) and a whole host of well-connected socialites. Whilst the gift from Norfolk C.C.C. was mentioned, none of Michael Falcon’s team-mates were listed in the press as being present. It was probably a little too much of an upper-crust occasion for some of Norfolk’s more rustic players, but one would have expected some of Falcon’s more exalted chums such as Geoffrey Colman and Frank Mann to have been present. That they were actually in attendance and merely not listed by the press is a possibility. At Westminster 55 30 Lyttelton played 57 first-class matches for Cambridge University and Middlesex. Alington was famously ‘reprimanded’ by Ted Wainwright, the old Yorkshire professional, for riding his bicycle across the outfield when he was headmaster of Shrewsbury School.