2002 Ted Biggs

This report is mentioned in Social Snapshots 2001-2022 inc.

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This obituary of Ted Biggs was written by Geoff Gomme. For more about Ted click Ted & Audrey Biggs

He titled it "Farewell Mr. Sports Club"

If anyone deserved the above title it was probably former Secretary/Treasurer Ted Biggs. We lost Ted a few weeks before Christmas, aged 76. But he left a legacy which greatly benefits present club members, and will benefit those who follow. This is by way of being a small tribute to his memory.

After WWII service in the Fleet Air Arm, Ted joined The Sports Club Committee - that was in 1946.

Always with an eye to improving and modernizing the club, Ted came up with many of those ideas from which members benefit today. In 1951 he was one of a sub - committee - the others being Bill Dell, Jack Dell, Sid Goodchild and Alf Stevens - who raised loans from members to purchase from Princes Risborough their unwanted pavilion and transport it to Lacey Green, there to rebuild and restore it with voluntary labour, replacing the ancient shed-like building.

In 1951, after a spell as Assistant Secretary to Frank Chilton, Ted took over the job full-time and not long after combined it with that of Treasurer, continuing until well into the seventies until other commitments took up all his time.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Ted decided the club should have a bar like ones he'd seen in bigger clubs. Lacey Green soon had the first bar in the Wycombe and District League. So you drinkers, raise a glass to Ted.

The Tennis Club members also have reason to be grateful to Ted. His idea it was, when the Club had plenty of money - thanks to many voluntary fund-raisers - to build the first court.

He was - and I am grateful to Bill Dell for this and other snippets of information - the only member to play cricket, football and tennis at Lacey Green.

On a personal note, I too have reason to thank Ted. When I re-introduced football in 1955 and, like him, became Secretary/Treasurer he helped me to make all the figures in my accounts add up - something that had eluded me.

I remember Ted as a cricketer. He was a brave wicketkeeper and suffered for it. As a batsman his ambition appeared to be to hit every ball out of the ground. But, undoubtedly his greatest contribution to the club was his dedication, hard work and determination to make Lacey Green one of the best - if not the best - club in the area. A quiet man - except when appealing for a catch or stumping - he could be very serious about things he considered important, but he also enjoyed a joke as much as anyone.

The Sports Ground and its facilities are a lasting memorial to Ted's dedication.

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